This is the RR camber bolt and bracket that was bad :

When I installed the new RR camber bracket and cam bolt kit, I tightened the nut to 185 ft/lbs and drove about a half mile to the alignment shop. This is what they show me after having it on the rack for a half hour:


Two questions:

1. If I torqued that cam bolt nut to 185 ft/lbs, how could this have happened? I have a suspicion that the 'new' alignment guy did this.
2. Looking around, I have noticed that the rear strut rod camber bolt kit that everyone is selling comes with a spring lock washer. If I were to replace one of these, would I use that lock washer?

Kenny

 

When you assembled it the last time did you attempt to set the wheel as close as you could eyeball 0° and center the eccentric to 12:00? Maybe you get someone to post a snapshot of theirs showing the orientation of the eccentric. Did your old eccentrics have the 'indexing' hole that's visible in your new?

 

From My 87 Left rear looking up
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87 coupe LR looking forward
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This is the image taken before I replaced the bracket. I oriented the replacement just like this.

 

Was the cam side slid all the way in before you tightened? Is it possible it rotated over the lip before it was tightened?

 

What I don't understand.......If I torqued that cam bolt nut to 185 ft/lbs, how could anything have moved?

 

It was completely seated before tightened. I was very careful that as I torqued the nut, the bolt did not rotate.

 

I wonder if it is being adjusted with the weight on the tires or without loosening the eccentric bolts nut ?? I think I had my tires off the ground but the book doesnt specify.


Man your car is clean underneath !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Start with the small hole pointing down then tighten it.

 

I had that whole rearend off the car earlier and cleaned it all then.

I have no idea how it is done. Doesn't the center jack of the alignment rack lift the car during?

 

The wheels should be on sliding plates so that they can move during adjustments. Torque during the adjustment should be very low.

 

OK, I am going to replace the cam bracket tomorrow and was wondering if I should use the lock washer that was supplied with the cam bolt.

 

A few things, my '84 from the factory did not have lock washers on the cam bolts, I'm considering adding them as well....can't hurt...but another idea I may end up going with as well is, since the bolt already has a nice flat surface on one side it would be easy to drill a hole in the bolt for a cotter pin or hitch pin style clip... It may be overkill, but I will probably do the lock washers and the cotter pins.
As far as your original pictures, to me, based on the "heavy smearing" of the paint on the bracket from the washer on the "head side" of the bolt...I would guess the "alignment guy" used an impact on the head side instead of the nut side!?
Lastly, are the U-joints in your half-shafts Spicers? I noticed the "white colored" seals on the cups of the joints....if they are indeed Spicers do a very close visual inspection of all of those white seals! Spicer had issues with those, they crack VERY easily when being installed. I had ordered Spicers from Rock Auto for my Firebird....white seals and almost all of them split when pressing the joints together! I've done hundreds of U-joints over the years and have never had this happen, so I did some research and found quite a bit information about the issue. Rock Auto said "installer error" even though it's very well documented that they're defective and shouldn't be sold without updated seals. So I ordered Spicers for the Firebird and the Corvette from Summit and those joints had "black seals", absolutely ZERO issues installing them...no cracks!!!! I've been very pleased with many parts from Rock Auto in the past, but it's about 50/50 these days....old parts, used parts, wrong parts, previously installed parts and now just too many junk parts!!!
Anyway, goodluck with the next alignment, lock washers should be fine and good insurance, just make sure they're metric and a higher grade like the bolts👍

 

This car had none as well when I got it. I purchased a new cam bolt kit from Corvette Central and they tell me that it is recommended that I use the lock washer that came with it.

They are indeed SPICER 5-3615X Universal Joint 1350 Series Coated bearing caps. I installed these in June of 2022. I noticed no problems when installing them.
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I would start out with the hole pointed down, the skinny part of the lobe in between the sides. Get the weight off of it and make sure it rotates freely watching the bottom of the tire move in and out.
With the weight off it does have some small friction but it is easy to move and explain this to the tech if they will listen.

 

Well, I finally got that alignment done. I will tell you that the differences between the interactions I experienced between the two shops were like night and day.
The dialogue that I was able to have with the shop that did get the job done was much more professional in my opinion. While in the waiting area, he asked if I could stay until he could confirm that he was going to be able to get the car on the rack and able to perform the alignment. He took the car for a short drive and after returning to the shop, came out to the waiting area a short time later with the following FYI:

• very minor brake temperatures at 122/164 in front and rear at 85
• RF brake a little tight and minor left front wheel bearing play

He shows the following initial printout and states he should be able to align the car and that it will be approximately four hours because he will be going back and forth on several vehicles:

I go back home and later receive a phone call telling me that:

• the driver side shims were installed in the wrong location
• the right side control arm washer/bushings were installed wrong (the spacer was installed on wrong side of control arm), and that he may have to remove control arm to correct this. He sends me these two photos in a text to explain:

Driver side showing the correct location of the thick washer/bushing
and

Passenger side showing the thick washer/bushing in wrong location

He texts a little later and tells me he was able to change that location by removing the belt and tensioner. In the end, this is what I end up with:

He tells me the right rear camber is maxed out but that it is very close.
Total: $370.00

I also had him install those spring lock washers on the rear camber bolts that I had asked about earlier.