Does your car keep its wheel alignment?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,029
Likes: 63
Does your car keep its wheel alignment?
Is it just me or is anybody else getting his wheel angles adjusted every year?
This must be 4th or 5th time in 4 years I must get them aligned - my rear camber is messed up again.
I've had no such experiance with any of my other cars, usually when they are adjusted once they are ok for many years. If this is common with C4 Vettes, what is the cause? Too much grip? I drive pretty hard and visit road courses couple of times per summer. Could high speed cornering with sticky tires be too much for the stock camber cam system and it slips? Replace rear camber bars with race-type a best bet to fix this? Or maybe mark the correct position on the adjustment cam and check/readjust by myself after every track day?
What do you think?
PS. BTW, does anybody have measurements of stock rear camber bars from bolt to bolt? I had race camber bars made 10 years ago for another car, never used them and now I would like to see if they can be adapted to my C4.
[Modified by ToniH, 3:57 PM 4/13/2004]
This must be 4th or 5th time in 4 years I must get them aligned - my rear camber is messed up again.
I've had no such experiance with any of my other cars, usually when they are adjusted once they are ok for many years. If this is common with C4 Vettes, what is the cause? Too much grip? I drive pretty hard and visit road courses couple of times per summer. Could high speed cornering with sticky tires be too much for the stock camber cam system and it slips? Replace rear camber bars with race-type a best bet to fix this? Or maybe mark the correct position on the adjustment cam and check/readjust by myself after every track day?
What do you think?
PS. BTW, does anybody have measurements of stock rear camber bars from bolt to bolt? I had race camber bars made 10 years ago for another car, never used them and now I would like to see if they can be adapted to my C4.
[Modified by ToniH, 3:57 PM 4/13/2004]
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Re: Does your car keep its wheel alignment? (ToniH)
I like your assessment.... get it aligned, then mark it.
also, make sure the bolts are being tightened enough...
The alignment on my 92 is nearly 4 years old and it tracks just fine with no tire wear problems...
also, make sure the bolts are being tightened enough...
The alignment on my 92 is nearly 4 years old and it tracks just fine with no tire wear problems...
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,581
Likes: 1
From: Springfield VA
Re: Does your car keep its wheel alignment? (ToniH)
After a year of autocrossing and DEs, I had to replace the cam bolts on my 130,000 mile '86. The cams had worn to where regardless of how tight they were. Also check for wear of your bushings.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Columbus OH
Re: Does your car keep its wheel alignment? (ToniH)
Make sure the rear camber bolts are torqued down with a torque wrench to the factory spec. (I use the upper limit) If they are just pulled down tight, they will always slip. Replace the cam bolts and nuts if they still move after using the factory torque spec.
Cheers! :cheers:
Karl Litterer
'86 LT4
Cheers! :cheers:
Karl Litterer
'86 LT4
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Columbus OH
Re: Does your car keep its wheel alignment? (ToniH)
>>>Wow, the factory spec for the adjustment nut is 253NM ie. 187 lb.ft!!! That is pretty tight
EXACTLY! Most alignment shops just pull it tight, but don't actually Torque it to the factory spec. It WILL slip if it is not tightened up to spec. I torque and paint the bolts. That way I can tell if they have slipped, and put it back where it should be prettty quickly.
Cheers! :cheers:
Karl Litterer
'86 LT4
EXACTLY! Most alignment shops just pull it tight, but don't actually Torque it to the factory spec. It WILL slip if it is not tightened up to spec. I torque and paint the bolts. That way I can tell if they have slipped, and put it back where it should be prettty quickly.
Cheers! :cheers:
Karl Litterer
'86 LT4
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,029
Likes: 63
Re: Does your car keep its wheel alignment? (ToniH)
> PS. BTW, does anybody have measurements of stock rear camber bars from bolt to bolt? I had race camber bars made 10 years ago for another car, never used them and now I would like to see if they can be adapted to my C4.
Well, I now crawled under my car and compared my powder coated, custom made rods to the originals and they seem to be a perfect fit! :D I just need to buy 2 locking nuts with left hand thread, some big bolts/nuts for actual into the car installation and they are ready to go :)
Well, I now crawled under my car and compared my powder coated, custom made rods to the originals and they seem to be a perfect fit! :D I just need to buy 2 locking nuts with left hand thread, some big bolts/nuts for actual into the car installation and they are ready to go :)
Pro
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 589
Likes: 1
From: Tucker GA
Re: Does your car keep its wheel alignment? (ToniH)
What do you think?
PS. BTW, does anybody have measurements of stock rear camber bars from bolt to bolt? I had race camber bars made 10 years ago for another car, never used them and now I would like to see if they can be adapted to my C4.
[Modified by ToniH, 3:57 PM 4/13/2004]
This might help.
http://www.vettebrakes.com/NewsArticals/newsa.htm
Bob
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,365
Likes: 5
From: Lake Villa IL
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Does your car keep its wheel alignment? (REW89)
You have to torque the nuts to factory specs. They'll move with anything less.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 9
Re: Does your car keep its wheel alignment? (ToniH)
The spherical rod end camber rods are a great move. You will see a dramatic handling improvement from getting the highly stressed rubber bushings out of there. For the same reason, your alignment will stay much more constant.