Can't Get Alignment Right
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,052
Likes: 945
From: DFW TX
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,529
Likes: 737
From: Sausalito CA
Need more info.
OP stated ".....shops, and the aligned within spec perfectly. Then after a few weeks the car starts pulling to the right again......"
If alignment was off from the "get-go" why the above quote from the OP?
From the 05 service manual (Page 3-17) here are the alignment specs:
Camber = Front -.45 +- .60 Rear -.45 +-.50
Camber Cross = Ft +-.60 Re +-.50
Caster = Ft 7.9 +-.6
Caster Cross = Ft +-.6
Total Toe = Ft +.1 +-.2 Re .0 +-.2
Steering wheel angle Ft 0 +-3.5
Trust Angle Re .0 +-.2
Z Trim height Z51 = 1.52 to 2.02 inch preferred 1.77 in
D Trim Z51 Coupe = 4.51 to 5.02 in preferred 4.76 in
(I still vote something is loose and not holding the adjustment)
OP stated ".....shops, and the aligned within spec perfectly. Then after a few weeks the car starts pulling to the right again......"
If alignment was off from the "get-go" why the above quote from the OP?
From the 05 service manual (Page 3-17) here are the alignment specs:
Camber = Front -.45 +- .60 Rear -.45 +-.50
Camber Cross = Ft +-.60 Re +-.50
Caster = Ft 7.9 +-.6
Caster Cross = Ft +-.6
Total Toe = Ft +.1 +-.2 Re .0 +-.2
Steering wheel angle Ft 0 +-3.5
Trust Angle Re .0 +-.2
Z Trim height Z51 = 1.52 to 2.02 inch preferred 1.77 in
D Trim Z51 Coupe = 4.51 to 5.02 in preferred 4.76 in
(I still vote something is loose and not holding the adjustment)
Last edited by Kenny94945; Jul 19, 2011 at 09:47 AM. Reason: pselling
Pro
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 679
Likes: 4
From: TremontonUT UT
That is actually a very good alignment and should not pull either way on a flat road. If the cross camber was .5 I would agree but not with .12. Have you rotated the fronts yet? Later! Frank
Last edited by fnsblum; Jul 19, 2011 at 02:22 PM.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 705
Likes: 112
From: Edmond Oklahoma
I say try the tire swap first.
I spent 6 months fighting this same thing except my pull was to the right. Always to the right.
Checked the alignment numerous times. Marked all the eccentric bolts with paint spots. Checked, marked and re-checked everything I could think of.
Turns out it was the front tires. Swapped them side to side and it went away for the most part. (Just ran them backwards as a test, NOT actually dismount and remount)
Funny thing is after I replaced all four tires with a new set, they did it again. (Kumho SPT) I have a propensity to take clover-leafs at speed shall we say. I can only theorize that all that cornering in one direction caused a shift or something in the belts of the front left tire. Once I switched to Continental's, no more pull and everything was glorious.
Chris
I spent 6 months fighting this same thing except my pull was to the right. Always to the right.
Checked the alignment numerous times. Marked all the eccentric bolts with paint spots. Checked, marked and re-checked everything I could think of.
Turns out it was the front tires. Swapped them side to side and it went away for the most part. (Just ran them backwards as a test, NOT actually dismount and remount)
Funny thing is after I replaced all four tires with a new set, they did it again. (Kumho SPT) I have a propensity to take clover-leafs at speed shall we say. I can only theorize that all that cornering in one direction caused a shift or something in the belts of the front left tire. Once I switched to Continental's, no more pull and everything was glorious.
Chris
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,436
Likes: 4
From: Everett Wa
I would also check the tires, belts can a do shift. While I did not have a puill problem I have a vibration that balancing the wheel on every machine possible would never fix. Change tires and it was gone.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette & Porsche 911: How Two Icons Conquered the Last 25 Years
Joe Kucinski
2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 First Look: Everything You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers
Joe Kucinski
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained
Joe Kucinski
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,052
Likes: 945
From: DFW TX
I tried the tire swop last night, and it seems to have helped a little bit actually. Has me thinking it could possibly be a tire.
Tomorrow it will go back on the alignment rack to get that all checked. Will be interesting if it needs adjustment again. I will post of the results tomorrow.
Thanks for everyone's input.
Ironically I have been working a deal on these wheels and tires, so replacing the tires will happen by default in the next few days:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-p...han-500mi.html
Tomorrow it will go back on the alignment rack to get that all checked. Will be interesting if it needs adjustment again. I will post of the results tomorrow.
Thanks for everyone's input.
Ironically I have been working a deal on these wheels and tires, so replacing the tires will happen by default in the next few days:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-p...han-500mi.html
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,220
Likes: 3
and -0.75 is not some sort of magic no-pull number
I have over 2 degrees negative on my car with a tenth difference side-to-side with no pulling issue
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,066
Likes: 9,835
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
The alignment numbers can be pretty tricky to get right down to the last tenth and it usually doesn't make that much difference. Here are the GM specs from the Service Manual (Z51 is FE3):
The best thing is to get it set as close as possible to the base number but a lot of variables can make that extremely difficult to do. I suspect the OP has some other issue although one thing that happens a lot on C5s and C6s is slipping of one of the cam adjustment bolts. That will affect camber, caster and toe in one shot. If in the front the steering wheel will not be centered but the car shouldn't pull much and will go straight with the wheel off to one side. However, in the rear the car will dog walk and this can be felt as a pull to one side or the other.
Bill
The best thing is to get it set as close as possible to the base number but a lot of variables can make that extremely difficult to do. I suspect the OP has some other issue although one thing that happens a lot on C5s and C6s is slipping of one of the cam adjustment bolts. That will affect camber, caster and toe in one shot. If in the front the steering wheel will not be centered but the car shouldn't pull much and will go straight with the wheel off to one side. However, in the rear the car will dog walk and this can be felt as a pull to one side or the other.
Bill
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,052
Likes: 945
From: DFW TX
Well I got the car back from the alignment shop this afternoon and everything checked out fine. They're thinking it is a tire also, but they set it up to drift "less" to the right, and it feels A LOT better.
Here is where she was today:
It feels a ton better, but I am going to use this opportunity to buy some CCWs and new tires...I am excited:
Here is where she was today:
It feels a ton better, but I am going to use this opportunity to buy some CCWs and new tires...I am excited:
