help - upper control arm spacers 1988

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Oct 16, 2005 | 08:51 PM

mrgrimes

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help - upper control arm spacers 1988

Well I screwed up and got the spacers for my upper control arms mixed up. Does any one have a picture of a stock 1988 front suspension showing where the thicker spacers and washers get used, on the front or back upper control arm mounting bolt, or know which is which? Any help would be great. I think I will go and degrease my keyboard now.

Oct 16, 2005 | 08:54 PM

Corvette Kid

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There is no "standard" placement for these. Only an alignment can straighten it out now. These are alignment shims for setting the caster and camber.

Oct 16, 2005 | 09:36 PM

Z-07 freak

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Corvette Kid NC

Only an alignment can straighten it out now. These are alignment shims for setting the caster and camber.

Oct 16, 2005 | 10:43 PM

mrgrimes

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Thanks, but what about the spacer? The shims I can understand but there is also a spacer that is about 1" thick. I know I have the correct group (set) of spacers and shims, I just did not mark them as for which mounting bolt they went with, front or back. I have a 87 shop manual and it says the thick spacer goes on the back or rear bolt, but I know they changed a lot of the geometry in the 88 C4 so I cannot be sure this is the case with my 88. Should the ball joint mounting points on the upper and lower control arms be directly above one another or should the top mounting point be offset back about 3/4 of an inch with respect to the bottom ball joint mounting location. This is what I get when I swap the group (set) of shims and spacers between back and front respectively.

Oct 16, 2005 | 11:01 PM

the blur

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The big spacer goes up front, and the thin one goes in the back. Yank all the shims and throw them away. Now you have yourself a nice track alignment, and the car will handle amazing.

you will have to re-set the toe, but otherwise you should be good with the caster / camber.