Bad Alignment
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: SAT TX
Bad Alignment
At 20K miles I got a flat and took the Corvette in to get the tire repaired. When they took the tire off they discovered that both front tires were worn down to the steel cables on the inside of the tires. The tread on the outside of the tires still looked good. Anybody else have a Corvette that came from the factory with a bad alignment?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 937
Likes: 70
From: Ponte Vedra Florida
At 20K miles I got a flat and took the Corvette in to get the tire repaired. When they took the tire off they discovered that both front tires were worn down to the steel cables on the inside of the tires. The tread on the outside of the tires still looked good. Anybody else have a Corvette that came from the factory with a bad alignment?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,120
Likes: 506
From: Greenville, NC
2025 C8 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I had a four wheel alignment done on my car recently and the toe on all four wheels was significantly out of spec. Seems to be a common problem.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,153
Likes: 0
Thanks for the message, something for owners to watch for....
I might be wrong, but 20K miles are alot on those tires anyway.
I think that if the wear is as described, inside of both tires, it had a "camber" problem (where wheel and tires do not ride flat to the road but are kind of at an angle), as oppossed to an alignment problem.
Can also be caused by defective suspension, improper tire inflation, or carrying too much weight in the car....
Just check your tires regularly, like every 1000 miles or so for improper wear. If it was discovered only to see the steel belts, that is way too long......
I might be wrong, but 20K miles are alot on those tires anyway.
I think that if the wear is as described, inside of both tires, it had a "camber" problem (where wheel and tires do not ride flat to the road but are kind of at an angle), as oppossed to an alignment problem.
Can also be caused by defective suspension, improper tire inflation, or carrying too much weight in the car....
Just check your tires regularly, like every 1000 miles or so for improper wear. If it was discovered only to see the steel belts, that is way too long......
Last edited by beachfrontvette; Aug 28, 2008 at 10:05 PM.
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Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
Do a search on "camber". The car has too much for tire mileage and the inside goes away fast. The stock setting is -0.45 if you want to run the twisties (more camber if you really race), then get that on all 4 wheels. If you want to keep your tires and not kill the handling for a touring car, set the camber on ALL 4 tires to -0.10 and you'll get the better mileage on the tires. Camber on our cars is for fast corners. Less camber will not really hurt you unless you want to race the car. LOWER the camber to save the tires.
Elmer
Elmer
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 13,733
Likes: 66
From: Hurst, TX USA
When I got my car in 2006 it pulled a bit so the dealer had a free alignment done. 19K miles later both front tires (Z51 supercars) were to the cords on the inside like yours. When Goodyear put on a new set they did another alignment and found the toe-in way off, even after I did the right thing and fixed the factory alignment early. Either I hit one too many pot holes or the first alignment was bad...
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,939
Likes: 448
From: CHOCOWINITY NC
All C6's are less than optimum when they roll out the door at Bowling Green....
Think about it.....If you had 3 minutes to get 10 adjustments to spec, how close do you think you could get?
Stories here have proven: NOT VERY CLOSE.....
Think about it.....If you had 3 minutes to get 10 adjustments to spec, how close do you think you could get?
Stories here have proven: NOT VERY CLOSE.....
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: SAT TX
Do a search on "camber". The car has too much for tire mileage and the inside goes away fast. The stock setting is -0.45 if you want to run the twisties (more camber if you really race), then get that on all 4 wheels. If you want to keep your tires and not kill the handling for a touring car, set the camber on ALL 4 tires to -0.10 and you'll get the better mileage on the tires. Camber on our cars is for fast corners. Less camber will not really hurt you unless you want to race the car. LOWER the camber to save the tires.
Elmer
Elmer
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: SAT TX
When I got my car in 2006 it pulled a bit so the dealer had a free alignment done. 19K miles later both front tires (Z51 supercars) were to the cords on the inside like yours. When Goodyear put on a new set they did another alignment and found the toe-in way off, even after I did the right thing and fixed the factory alignment early. Either I hit one too many pot holes or the first alignment was bad...
Racer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Little Rock Arkansas
Echoing above posts: if you buy a C6, get it alligned. I did not notice any unusual wear on my tires for the first 5K miles that I owned it; but at 10,400 miles noticed uneven wear on my front tires. Snuck up on me.
Never hit anything, one driver car, tire pressure religiously maintained. And I'm looking at having to replace my front tires very soon. Ouch.
Never hit anything, one driver car, tire pressure religiously maintained. And I'm looking at having to replace my front tires very soon. Ouch.
SUBVETTE
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,841
Likes: 93
From: San Diego CA
This is an old issue which has plagued a majority of C6 owners (it seems). It seems to be mostly a problem with incorrect toe as opposed to camber. It's too bad the factory can't do a more precise alignment at assembly, but for some reason they don't. Everyone buying a new Vette should assume the alignment is incorrect and get a precision 4 wheel alignment as soon as they get the car home. Even if you have to pay for it yourself you will be money ahead in the long run. 