Wheel Alignment
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 432
Likes: 49
Wheel Alignment
Does the factory wheel alignment on new vettes cause the inside tread on the front tires to wear sooner than the rest of the front tires? In other words is this type of wear the result of the factory alignment being set up for maximum handling, or is this a case of poor alignment?
While we're on this subject, does anyone know if this set-up and resulting wear is related to the rubbing noise we hear when making slow tight turns? Not to be confused with rear axle chatter.
While we're on this subject, does anyone know if this set-up and resulting wear is related to the rubbing noise we hear when making slow tight turns? Not to be confused with rear axle chatter.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Q1.: Some say it's a poor alignment initially, and some say it's because it's an aggressive, more track-oriented alignment spec.
See: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...questions.html
Q2: If it's the same rubbing most of us hear, it relates to the tire width, the angle of the turn, and the fact that the outside tire of the turn is "scrubbing". It is not unusual nor cause for concern, if that's what you hear/feel.
See: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...questions.html
Q2: If it's the same rubbing most of us hear, it relates to the tire width, the angle of the turn, and the fact that the outside tire of the turn is "scrubbing". It is not unusual nor cause for concern, if that's what you hear/feel.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,642
Likes: 9
From: Dalllas/Ft Worth Area TX
Try this site for alignment
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 932
Likes: 50
Glad I read this, our passenger side tire makes noise on sharp turns at low speads ( like 2 MPH ). I was getting conserned.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 25
From: Austin Texas
The factory alignment specs are VERY broad. The best thing you can do is take the car to a professonal alignment shop and have it set to the center of the factory specs. NO PLUS or MINUS.
By Professional I don't mean a freebie at the Dealer, the tech there will spend as little time as possible and set it just like the factory did, somewhere within the specs. If you have a local shop that does Autocross and Roadrace cars take your car there,it'll probably cost you $125.00 but be worth every penny.
By Professional I don't mean a freebie at the Dealer, the tech there will spend as little time as possible and set it just like the factory did, somewhere within the specs. If you have a local shop that does Autocross and Roadrace cars take your car there,it'll probably cost you $125.00 but be worth every penny.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 21,502
Likes: 461
From: Southern Utah
The factory alignment specs are VERY broad. The best thing you can do is take the car to a professonal alignment shop and have it set to the center of the factory specs. NO PLUS or MINUS.
By Professional I don't mean a freebie at the Dealer, the tech there will spend as little time as possible and set it just like the factory did, somewhere within the specs. If you have a local shop that does Autocross and Roadrace cars take your car there,it'll probably cost you $125.00 but be worth every penny.
By Professional I don't mean a freebie at the Dealer, the tech there will spend as little time as possible and set it just like the factory did, somewhere within the specs. If you have a local shop that does Autocross and Roadrace cars take your car there,it'll probably cost you $125.00 but be worth every penny.
The specs for camber are so broad that while the spec calls for some negative camber, a little positive camber is still within spec. Crazy broad. I am very lucky to have a guy here who has a brand new Hunter laser alignment machine and when I had my Vert aligned, I was shocked when he charged me $69.99. Gotta love small town life. He even let me get under the car with him to watch and then when he was done, he asked me if I was OK with what was showing on the screen...sweet!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 772
Likes: 6
From: Huntsville AL
I got the dealership to do my alignment under warrenty and set it where I wanted it.
Drop all 4 Camber to -0.1, 0 toe in rear, -0.01 toe in front. Caster to stock.
He gave me a print out after to show what he had done. All under warrenty for free.
And I watched him do it from just outside the bay.
Car had 500 miles on it.
I wanted these tires to last since I don't track the car.
Drop all 4 Camber to -0.1, 0 toe in rear, -0.01 toe in front. Caster to stock.
He gave me a print out after to show what he had done. All under warrenty for free.
And I watched him do it from just outside the bay.
Car had 500 miles on it.
I wanted these tires to last since I don't track the car.
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Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 25
From: Austin Texas
I got the dealership to do my alignment under warrenty and set it where I wanted it.
Drop all 4 Camber to -0.1, 0 toe in rear, -0.01 toe in front. Caster to stock.
He gave me a print out after to show what he had done. All under warrenty for free.
And I watched him do it from just outside the bay.
Car had 500 miles on it.
I wanted these tires to last since I don't track the car.
Drop all 4 Camber to -0.1, 0 toe in rear, -0.01 toe in front. Caster to stock.
He gave me a print out after to show what he had done. All under warrenty for free.
And I watched him do it from just outside the bay.
Car had 500 miles on it.
I wanted these tires to last since I don't track the car.
Most dealerships you will never meet the tech that works on your car, you'll meet a $7.00 an hour "Service Writer" that's had 1 day of training on how to smile and fill out forms.
The "Tech" that works on your car gets paid xx hours for an alignment, the faster he does it the more $$ he can make. He will tell you he HAS to set it to the factory specs, not your specs".
His attitude is; " Blue book gives me an hour for this job, I know a short cut so I can do it in 15 minutes and then go on break for 45 minutes".
Rumor has it that GM pays a lower rate for Warranty work than for work the customer is paying for.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 772
Likes: 6
From: Huntsville AL
As I said, I stood just outside the bay (meaning outside the garage door). The tech even asked me where I got those specs. I told him the corvette forum. He said they should work for exactly what I want. No-one there seemed to have any issues. Of course, this is where I purchased the car and I had my sales person walk back when he saw me drive up.
Maybe we just have a good dealership.
And as for GM paying a lower rate, that I am sure is true. I don't know of any manufacturer that pays full labor rate for warrenty. They set their own rate based on the dealerships service rating.
Maybe we just have a good dealership.
And as for GM paying a lower rate, that I am sure is true. I don't know of any manufacturer that pays full labor rate for warrenty. They set their own rate based on the dealerships service rating.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
I have a 2008 Z06 bought new this year with full warranty my 1st set of front tires went bad after almost 10000 miles (front inside tires worn). Did not know a wheel alignment was under warranty. Car has been back in forth for chatter underneath car they have never fixed it. By the way this is my daily driver.
Pro
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 549
Likes: 1
I search service dealers and techs like I look for my car and price, very important.
I only go to dealers who let me in the shop and talk to the tech, I have seen on my cars alone, issues where things could go wrong if I was not there, I am very informed. Such as, how to fill the 10.5 qt oil system, guy had no clue, he was the alignment guy who also did my oil change for convenience.
My new 2010 GS had the steering wheel off center from day one, 5 miles, so they did an alignment, which was off quite a bit from the factory, I will always get my new cars aligned from now on. They had a new Hunter machine, also important.
I only go to dealers who let me in the shop and talk to the tech, I have seen on my cars alone, issues where things could go wrong if I was not there, I am very informed. Such as, how to fill the 10.5 qt oil system, guy had no clue, he was the alignment guy who also did my oil change for convenience.
My new 2010 GS had the steering wheel off center from day one, 5 miles, so they did an alignment, which was off quite a bit from the factory, I will always get my new cars aligned from now on. They had a new Hunter machine, also important.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 772
Likes: 6
From: Huntsville AL
Alignment is covered for first 12 months or 7500 miles under warrenty. It is stated in your warrenty manual.
According to the service manager at my dealership it has to be associated with a complaint (in other words, you can't just go in and say check it). You have to say, I think there is a problem. Then you can say by the way, here is what I would like it set to.
According to the service manager at my dealership it has to be associated with a complaint (in other words, you can't just go in and say check it). You have to say, I think there is a problem. Then you can say by the way, here is what I would like it set to.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 9
From: Upstate New York
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 973
Likes: 3
From: Mid Michigan
The factory alignment specs are VERY broad. The best thing you can do is take the car to a professonal alignment shop and have it set to the center of the factory specs. NO PLUS or MINUS.
By Professional I don't mean a freebie at the Dealer, the tech there will spend as little time as possible and set it just like the factory did, somewhere within the specs. If you have a local shop that does Autocross and Roadrace cars take your car there,it'll probably cost you $125.00 but be worth every penny.
By Professional I don't mean a freebie at the Dealer, the tech there will spend as little time as possible and set it just like the factory did, somewhere within the specs. If you have a local shop that does Autocross and Roadrace cars take your car there,it'll probably cost you $125.00 but be worth every penny.
However, I was able to speak to the alignment tech at my local dealership prior to proceeding and we agreed from the onset the mission was to set all features as close to mean as possible to maximize the tread wear on my tires.
It was discovered that front and rear alignment on my 2010 Z52 GS was actually completely out of the tolerance band on a number of features.
Upon completion of the alignment on my GS, the tech gave me a printout listing the before and after alignment numbers for my reference.
Regards,
GSRANDY
Last edited by GSRANDY; Nov 8, 2010 at 02:33 PM.
Pro
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 549
Likes: 1
However, I was able to speak to the alignment tech at by local dealership prior to proceeding with the alignment and we agreed from the onset the mission was to set all features as close to mean as possible to maximize the tread wear on my tires.
It was discovered that front and rear alignment on my 2010 Z52 GS was actually completely out of the tolerance band on a number of features.
Open completion on the alignment on my GS, the tech gave me a printout listing the before and after alignment numbers for my reference.
Regards,
GSRANDY
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 371
Likes: 0
From: Long Valley NJ
I had the same problem with my 05. Three sets of fronts in 20000 miles. Let the dealer try to sort it out three times. Last time in they told me my frame was bent. How they figured that out from a wheel alignment is a huge mystery to me when they were able to get it in spec. (According to their machine) Gave up and went to a great shop who found the problem in 10 minutes. Toe was off the scale. 
Save the trips to the dealer for oil changes, major warranty work, or car washes. Save the technical stuff for the professionals.
Save the trips to the dealer for oil changes, major warranty work, or car washes. Save the technical stuff for the professionals.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,074
Likes: 296
From: San Francisco CA
I search service dealers and techs like I look for my car and price, very important.
I only go to dealers who let me in the shop and talk to the tech, I have seen on my cars alone, issues where things could go wrong if I was not there, I am very informed. Such as, how to fill the 10.5 qt oil system, guy had no clue, he was the alignment guy who also did my oil change for convenience.
My new 2010 GS had the steering wheel off center from day one, 5 miles, so they did an alignment, which was off quite a bit from the factory, I will always get my new cars aligned from now on. They had a new Hunter machine, also important.
I only go to dealers who let me in the shop and talk to the tech, I have seen on my cars alone, issues where things could go wrong if I was not there, I am very informed. Such as, how to fill the 10.5 qt oil system, guy had no clue, he was the alignment guy who also did my oil change for convenience.
My new 2010 GS had the steering wheel off center from day one, 5 miles, so they did an alignment, which was off quite a bit from the factory, I will always get my new cars aligned from now on. They had a new Hunter machine, also important.
I'm lucky to have a dealership that also does this at least you can talk to the directly mechanic that works on your Corvette. Even better they allow you to watch.