Alignments...
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,154
Likes: 27
From: West Des Moines Ia
Alignments...
I have an 09 Coupe. My friend just received his 11 GS Coupe with a manual tranny so that means he has the Generation II tires. After looking at these Gen II tires, it seems there is a lot less tread on the new tires than on the normal tires. Even tho car season is over around here several of us continue to get together once a week. The topic this week seemed to center around Alignment settings. I have always been led to believe that there are at least 2 accepted settings. One for Performance and the other for Tire Life. Can anyone tell me if this is true. Maybe someone knows of a website where this is shown. Thanks in advance for your help.
Race Director
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 10,742
Likes: 629
From: Manheim Pennsylvania
I have also seen this on the forum, have no idea if true. I have a 2006 with 7,000 miles and my tires are wearing good. Original settings, the car always handled excellent. Don,t mess if there is no reason.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
I have an 09 Coupe. My friend just received his 11 GS Coupe with a manual tranny so that means he has the Generation II tires. After looking at these Gen II tires, it seems there is a lot less tread on the new tires than on the normal tires. Even tho car season is over around here several of us continue to get together once a week. The topic this week seemed to center around Alignment settings. I have always been led to believe that there are at least 2 accepted settings. One for Performance and the other for Tire Life. Can anyone tell me if this is true. Maybe someone knows of a website where this is shown. Thanks in advance for your help.
http://www.pfadtracing.com/blog/wp-c...-alignment.pdf
Does your friend also have the F55 suspension? I think that it is also required with the manual trans in order to get the GEN2 tires as OEM.
Last edited by JoesC5; Nov 13, 2010 at 02:53 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,592
Likes: 44
From: Gods Country WI
Paul, I'll give you my thoughts as someone who aligns roughly 1500 cars yearly including a fair number of Vettes.
The performance settings such as on the Z06 have more negative camber than a general Corvette spec. The Z's run 1 degree negative camber which means the top of the tire is tipped inwards. Giving you better traction on cornering and maybe a little more straightline stability. A non Z06 runs roughly 1/4 to 3/8 degree negative camber.
I just aligned an 09 Z last week and he had the steel cords coming through on the insides in 11K miles. This was on factory specs and not a track car either.
I set all of them in our club up at 1/4 negative camber with 1/8" total toe in. Get excellent tread life with this. I also set some up for autocross and typically run 2 degrees negative camber with slight toe out. Handling specs only terrible tire wear.
Jeff
The performance settings such as on the Z06 have more negative camber than a general Corvette spec. The Z's run 1 degree negative camber which means the top of the tire is tipped inwards. Giving you better traction on cornering and maybe a little more straightline stability. A non Z06 runs roughly 1/4 to 3/8 degree negative camber.
I just aligned an 09 Z last week and he had the steel cords coming through on the insides in 11K miles. This was on factory specs and not a track car either.
I set all of them in our club up at 1/4 negative camber with 1/8" total toe in. Get excellent tread life with this. I also set some up for autocross and typically run 2 degrees negative camber with slight toe out. Handling specs only terrible tire wear.
Jeff
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
From: Fulton NY
Paul, I'll give you my thoughts as someone who aligns roughly 1500 cars yearly including a fair number of Vettes.
The performance settings such as on the Z06 have more negative camber than a general Corvette spec. The Z's run 1 degree negative camber which means the top of the tire is tipped inwards. Giving you better traction on cornering and maybe a little more straightline stability. A non Z06 runs roughly 1/4 to 3/8 degree negative camber.
I just aligned an 09 Z last week and he had the steel cords coming through on the insides in 11K miles. This was on factory specs and not a track car either.
I set all of them in our club up at 1/4 negative camber with 1/8" total toe in. Get excellent tread life with this. I also set some up for autocross and typically run 2 degrees negative camber with slight toe out. Handling specs only terrible tire wear.
Jeff
The performance settings such as on the Z06 have more negative camber than a general Corvette spec. The Z's run 1 degree negative camber which means the top of the tire is tipped inwards. Giving you better traction on cornering and maybe a little more straightline stability. A non Z06 runs roughly 1/4 to 3/8 degree negative camber.
I just aligned an 09 Z last week and he had the steel cords coming through on the insides in 11K miles. This was on factory specs and not a track car either.
I set all of them in our club up at 1/4 negative camber with 1/8" total toe in. Get excellent tread life with this. I also set some up for autocross and typically run 2 degrees negative camber with slight toe out. Handling specs only terrible tire wear.
Jeff
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,592
Likes: 44
From: Gods Country WI
Hey Jeff78, I have a '06 Z51 coupe (6sp manual w/13K miles) that I just switched over to a new set of “Z” chrome Spyders wheels and the latest gen GY Supertires. I don't track the car and would like these tires to last a little longer than the OEM's did, would you make changes to the factory specs or leave it alone?
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,154
Likes: 27
From: West Des Moines Ia
Joe, He only has a couple of hundred miles on the car. He did say these Gen II tires are a lot quieter on the Interstate that goes around town. He traded in an 09 Coupe. I am very glad to hear the tires are less noisey. Sometimes the noise is just too much to carry on a Cell Phone conversation on the Interstate with the old GY's in place... Its too bad that the new Gen II tires are so limited as you can only get them with certain options...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 973
Likes: 3
From: Mid Michigan
My 2010 Z52 GS alignment was way out of spec on a number of the front and rear features, including the negative camber setting.
Tire wear being my primary concern, I had all features set to the mean.
By the way, my Goodyear F1 Super Car tires came with 8/32" total tread depth, 6/32" to the wear bars.
Regards
GSRANDY
Tire wear being my primary concern, I had all features set to the mean.
By the way, my Goodyear F1 Super Car tires came with 8/32" total tread depth, 6/32" to the wear bars.
Regards
GSRANDY
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,296
Likes: 156
From: Location: Location: kAnSaS
Paul, I'll give you my thoughts as someone who aligns roughly 1500 cars yearly including a fair number of Vettes.
The performance settings such as on the Z06 have more negative camber than a general Corvette spec. The Z's run 1 degree negative camber which means the top of the tire is tipped inwards. Giving you better traction on cornering and maybe a little more straightline stability. A non Z06 runs roughly 1/4 to 3/8 degree negative camber.
I just aligned an 09 Z last week and he had the steel cords coming through on the insides in 11K miles. This was on factory specs and not a track car either.
I set all of them in our club up at 1/4 negative camber with 1/8" total toe in. Get excellent tread life with this. I also set some up for autocross and typically run 2 degrees negative camber with slight toe out. Handling specs only terrible tire wear.
Jeff
The performance settings such as on the Z06 have more negative camber than a general Corvette spec. The Z's run 1 degree negative camber which means the top of the tire is tipped inwards. Giving you better traction on cornering and maybe a little more straightline stability. A non Z06 runs roughly 1/4 to 3/8 degree negative camber.
I just aligned an 09 Z last week and he had the steel cords coming through on the insides in 11K miles. This was on factory specs and not a track car either.
I set all of them in our club up at 1/4 negative camber with 1/8" total toe in. Get excellent tread life with this. I also set some up for autocross and typically run 2 degrees negative camber with slight toe out. Handling specs only terrible tire wear.
Jeff
if your running at the track then -2.0 will give you better cornering but keep in mind it will kill your tires fast on the streets. -2.0 on the front and you will get about 2000 miles out of the tires on the street if that.
Of course few people drive these cars hard enuf on the streets to tell the difference from 0 camber to -.5 to -1.0 so if you looking for good tire wear then .25 to .5 negative on the front is perfect. with 1/8 or .20 total toe in on the front is good with .25 1/4 and .10 total toe in on the back as good for tire wear.
Just because the machine or a tech says "its in specs" isnt good enuf,,,,get what you want out of an alignment, very simple to adjust
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
From: Fulton NY
