Alignment Specs
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,774
Likes: 361
From: Midland TX
Alignment Specs
I just installed new Michelin A/S ZPs and Bilstein Shocks and have an appointment to get the wheels aligned Thursday morning. Anything I should watch for or special numbers I should have them target for street use only?
Pro
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 682
Likes: 0
From: Calgary Alberta
My 03 is a highway cruiser toy. I don't track it, or drive aggressively. From experience, I know that wide tires need minimal camber to avoid wearing off a one inch band on the inside of the front tires. Corvettes generally come from the factory with too much negative camber. Talk to other vette owners and ask them about their front tire wear. I had mine aligned when the car had only a few hundred kilometres on it.
I discussed the daily driver settings below with the dealership alignment guy. He phoned around to some other alignment guys he knew and the concensus was that the settings would minimize tire wear, and the large width of the tires (tire contact patch) would counteract the lack of camber and toe. In the end, we settled on essentially 0 toe, front and rear, 0 camber, front and rear, and 7/7.3 caster to compensate for crowning. Works great. Zero noticeable wear on the tires at 20,000 kilometres. The only caveat is that this alignment is on the stock runflats. I don't think that it's significant, though.
http://www.vbandp.com/instructions/h...ruct/align.htm
I discussed the daily driver settings below with the dealership alignment guy. He phoned around to some other alignment guys he knew and the concensus was that the settings would minimize tire wear, and the large width of the tires (tire contact patch) would counteract the lack of camber and toe. In the end, we settled on essentially 0 toe, front and rear, 0 camber, front and rear, and 7/7.3 caster to compensate for crowning. Works great. Zero noticeable wear on the tires at 20,000 kilometres. The only caveat is that this alignment is on the stock runflats. I don't think that it's significant, though.
http://www.vbandp.com/instructions/h...ruct/align.htm
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,281
Likes: 5
From: Boston
Its not so much the camber that eats the tires, its the toe. I normally set 1/32nd to 1/16th's toe out for that nice turn in. At 1/32nd I cant see any difference in wear but at 1/16th's starts showing the signs pretty quick.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,774
Likes: 361
From: Midland TX
Cool! Been 100% Mac operation for 18 years now - never owned a PC, but that IS what I recommend to most of my clients - keeps me in business "finishing" projects they can't. Apple and Adobe paid for my cars, house, everything! Of course, I had to supply the "effort".
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,774
Likes: 361
From: Midland TX
Well, took the car in at 7:30 this morning and the guy that did the alignment was very knowledgeable and helpful. He explained what he was doing at every stage, but what amazed me the most was that I had never aligned the car even once in over 6 years, just replaced the tires and shocks and still every number was within spec before we even started fine-tuning. As bad as the streets are out here, I was shocked and impressed that it could hold those settings that long
