C4 Front end alignment
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Hartville OH
C4 Front end alignment
Hello!
I'm trying to get a handle on how I can keep my Caster & Camber specs on or close to those recommended for Advanced Street driving.
As it sits now, the front end ('87) with zero shims is giving me:
Driver's side - Camber -.9 degrees; Caster 1.5 degrees
Passenger side - Camber -.5 degrees; Caster .9 degrees
I'd like to keep the camber around -.5 degrees and get close to 5 degrees caster.
I've searched this site for help and seen a number of ideas but I'm still not sure.
I'll try adding a shim or two to the front of each shaft to see what that does for me.
Are there other parts that can be substituted to help with this problem?
Thanks in advance!
Al
I'm trying to get a handle on how I can keep my Caster & Camber specs on or close to those recommended for Advanced Street driving.
As it sits now, the front end ('87) with zero shims is giving me:
Driver's side - Camber -.9 degrees; Caster 1.5 degrees
Passenger side - Camber -.5 degrees; Caster .9 degrees
I'd like to keep the camber around -.5 degrees and get close to 5 degrees caster.
I've searched this site for help and seen a number of ideas but I'm still not sure.
I'll try adding a shim or two to the front of each shaft to see what that does for me.
Are there other parts that can be substituted to help with this problem?
Thanks in advance!
Al
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,953
Likes: 550
From: Mission Viejo CA
I had to trade the positions of the long spacers and the short spacers in my upper control arm mounting bolts of my '84 to get enough caster (long spacers went in front). Are you trying to do this alignment correction yourself, without the good equipment a pro shop has? You'll probably end up shredding your expensive tires, in your attempts to save a buck.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 16,027
Likes: 170
From: oregon
i usually am around -1.5 deg in the front camber wise and all the caster i can get. toe probably has the largest impact on tire wear. slightly toed out is great, like -.03 to -.05, lots of toe out will waste your tires quickly. at -1.5 on the camber i do have some inner tire wear but it's nothing all too much. at only -.5 you won't have any worth speaking of if the toe is set correctly. the rears generally do well with toe in. .12 is where i'm at.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Hartville OH
Thanks for the feedback. Roy - long & short spacers!!
Mine all look to be the same thickness. I'll check carefully. I did notice that Corvette Central lists 21.2mm & 29.6mm thick "washers".
Are there other tricks to get caster without giving up too much camber?
I want to get things close before I take it to someone who can fine tune the alignment.
My goal is to do the alignment very accurately vs. "in the ballpark".
Thank you again!
Al
Mine all look to be the same thickness. I'll check carefully. I did notice that Corvette Central lists 21.2mm & 29.6mm thick "washers".
Are there other tricks to get caster without giving up too much camber?
I want to get things close before I take it to someone who can fine tune the alignment.
My goal is to do the alignment very accurately vs. "in the ballpark".
Thank you again!
Al
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,477
Likes: 87
Thanks for the feedback. Roy - long & short spacers!!
Mine all look to be the same thickness. I'll check carefully. I did notice that Corvette Central lists 21.2mm & 29.6mm thick "washers".
Are there other tricks to get caster without giving up too much camber?
I want to get things close before I take it to someone who can fine tune the alignment.
My goal is to do the alignment very accurately vs. "in the ballpark".
Thank you again!
Al
Mine all look to be the same thickness. I'll check carefully. I did notice that Corvette Central lists 21.2mm & 29.6mm thick "washers".
Are there other tricks to get caster without giving up too much camber?
I want to get things close before I take it to someone who can fine tune the alignment.
My goal is to do the alignment very accurately vs. "in the ballpark".
Thank you again!
Al
