Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 2,858
Likes: 0
From: Northern Calif/ San Juan Island, Wa
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (CP)
Ran 17,000 miles without alignment after lowering on my stock wheels. Tires showed no signs of abnormal wear.
As long as you do not cut bushings. Lowering with GM adjusting bolts should keep your car in algnment specs.
[Modified by jetskifast, 2:59 PM 1/9/2002]
As long as you do not cut bushings. Lowering with GM adjusting bolts should keep your car in algnment specs.
[Modified by jetskifast, 2:59 PM 1/9/2002]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,312
Likes: 399
From: North Haven, CT
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (jetskifast)
Ran 17,000 miles without alignment after lowering on my stock wheels. Tires showed no signs of abnormal wear.
As long as you do not cut bushings. Lowering with GM adjusting bolts should keep your car in algnment specs.
[Modified by jetskifast, 2:59 PM 1/9/2002]
As long as you do not cut bushings. Lowering with GM adjusting bolts should keep your car in algnment specs.
[Modified by jetskifast, 2:59 PM 1/9/2002]
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,071
Likes: 297
From: Savannah GA
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (BillY2KFRC)
Yep, I did not cut any bushings and the inside edges of my front tires are severely worn after 7k. The back seem fine(and I did use lowering bolts there).
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,879
Likes: 157
From: Pleasanton CA
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (CP)
I lowered a while back and never had the car aligned. Seemed fine. I HAD to get it aligned recently cause of a little mishap running over something on the freeway. The guy showed me the factory specs for the car and how mine compared on the computer printout. The rear definitely needed re-alignment. (front did from the impact). Only a small percentage off on the alignment sheet translates to a lot once you get out to the wheel. Best to get it done. The computer's numbers don't lie. After lowering, the car is out of the spec'd range by a noticeable amount.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (CP)
I have 42,000 miles on my original GY runflats .. it is lowered and I never had it aligned I lowered it when I had less than 2000 miles on the car..I should get 45,000 miles out of these run craps.. and I ve never had a problem with them
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,827
Likes: 352
From: Albuquerque NM
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (CP)
7,000 miles on my tires after lowering (did not cut the bushings), no alignment, and no abnormal wear. In an earlier post someone said the alignment value that changes when lowering was camber, and slight negative camber is added with lowering. For a coupe or Vert, that is a good thing for handling, it brings your alignment closer to Z06 specs. For those who checked, WHAT was changed ? How much? :confused:
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 11,309
Likes: 0
From: Valley Ranch, Texas
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (CP)
Yes, you absolutely should do it.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 24,110
Likes: 1,331
From: Spring Texas
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (JWSchmidt3)
Well, maybe, but the way I feel now is that not getting the car re-aligned has cost me some amount of $$ due to premature tire replacement. The new tires may or may not last this long. I only have one data point from which to extrapolate. :yesnod:
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 14,263
Likes: 1
From: DFW, Texas...2001 Millennium Yellow Z06
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (CP)
i must be one of the lucky ones as well....my 99 hardtop had 18,000 miles when i traded it and 15,000 of them were lowered, tires looked like new
Z06 has nearly 10,000 on it lowered every mile (minus the 4 that were on it when I trailered it home) and has no abnormal wear (to my knowledge) now
guess I will go take a CLOSE look at the fronts
thanks
Z06 has nearly 10,000 on it lowered every mile (minus the 4 that were on it when I trailered it home) and has no abnormal wear (to my knowledge) now
guess I will go take a CLOSE look at the fronts
thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock, Texas Texas
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (Ram Air Tony)
My first 8K after lowering was fine.
I checked again at 14K and my fronts were toast. :eek:
[Modified by Scott97, 7:15 PM 1/10/2002]
I checked again at 14K and my fronts were toast. :eek:
[Modified by Scott97, 7:15 PM 1/10/2002]
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,511
Likes: 1
From: paradise valley az. us
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (CP)
Depending on tread wear #'s you tires in correct alignment can last 7k,17kor30k.Driving style plays into it but i can tell you a good handling wet/dry tire like a pilot sport has a tread wear # of 200 the KD's I believe are the same.Any good handlind rubber works great but add a competition alignment with added negative camber and a bit extra toe in so they dont wear in 5-7k and the car will hold the road like its on rails.
Your tires will wear faster but you can still get 15-20K VS the 30+ you would get with stock specs.My LPE C5R forally a stage2 650 with a 125 lbs. of extra Turbo and plumbing weight handles far superior to my stock 01' Z06 which aint no slouch.Remember the more negative camber the better the handling and the faster the tire wear.Its a trade off you tires wind up costing 20-50% more but if you can afford it its a trade off thats well worth it,and lets face it at stock specs the car aint no slouch to begin with,outhandles 98%+ of all exotics on the road stock.Good Luck.David S. XTREME Motorsports.
(480)517-4969 feel free to call for all your needs or just info and Tech. Data.
Your tires will wear faster but you can still get 15-20K VS the 30+ you would get with stock specs.My LPE C5R forally a stage2 650 with a 125 lbs. of extra Turbo and plumbing weight handles far superior to my stock 01' Z06 which aint no slouch.Remember the more negative camber the better the handling and the faster the tire wear.Its a trade off you tires wind up costing 20-50% more but if you can afford it its a trade off thats well worth it,and lets face it at stock specs the car aint no slouch to begin with,outhandles 98%+ of all exotics on the road stock.Good Luck.David S. XTREME Motorsports.
(480)517-4969 feel free to call for all your needs or just info and Tech. Data.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 824
Likes: 0
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (CP)
For the umpteenth time:
significantly changing the ride height will result in significant toe setting changes
most people don't realize that an incorrect toe setting impacts tire wear more than camber. Even if you dispute my comments, an alignment is cheap insurance compared to the price of a new set of premium tires. Why be stubborn about it?
JWSchmidt3: you can doubt my word, but if it's proof you want just put the car on the rack before and after lowering. I can even tell you in advance which way the toe will change.
TeamZ06 :cool:
[Modified by TeamZ06, 7:21 PM 1/10/2002]
[Modified by TeamZ06, 7:25 PM 1/10/2002]
significantly changing the ride height will result in significant toe setting changes
most people don't realize that an incorrect toe setting impacts tire wear more than camber. Even if you dispute my comments, an alignment is cheap insurance compared to the price of a new set of premium tires. Why be stubborn about it?
JWSchmidt3: you can doubt my word, but if it's proof you want just put the car on the rack before and after lowering. I can even tell you in advance which way the toe will change.
TeamZ06 :cool:
[Modified by TeamZ06, 7:21 PM 1/10/2002]
[Modified by TeamZ06, 7:25 PM 1/10/2002]
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 11,309
Likes: 0
From: Valley Ranch, Texas
Re: Difinitive answer on alignment after lowering (TeamZ06)
For the umpteenth time:
significantly changing the ride height will result in significant toe setting changes
most people don't realize that an incorrect toe setting impacts tire wear more than camber. Even if you dispute my comments, an alignment is cheap insurance compared to the price of a new set of premium tires. Why be stubborn about it?
JWSchmidt3: you can doubt my word, but if it's proof you want just put the car on the rack before and after lowering. I can even tell you in advance which way the toe will change.
TeamZ06 :cool:
significantly changing the ride height will result in significant toe setting changes
most people don't realize that an incorrect toe setting impacts tire wear more than camber. Even if you dispute my comments, an alignment is cheap insurance compared to the price of a new set of premium tires. Why be stubborn about it?
JWSchmidt3: you can doubt my word, but if it's proof you want just put the car on the rack before and after lowering. I can even tell you in advance which way the toe will change.
TeamZ06 :cool: