C7 Alignment-not easy plus it's expensive
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 67
Likes: 27
From: Maryland
C7 Alignment-not easy plus it's expensive
Tried to save a few dollars and took my C7 to Tires Plus in Brandywine MD for an alignment. Well after their techs ( 2 of them) spent 1 hour aligning at cost of $191.44 for the Lifetime Alignment Service, my vette was still pulling to the right. Rather than taking it back to Tires Plus, I went to Waldorf Chevy after a co-worker criticized me for taking a sports car to a shop that works on Family cars and has never worked on a corvette. At Chevy, 1 technician spent 2 hours at a cost of $224.92. Chevy's alignment fixed the problem but was expensive. Got my money back at Tires Plus. Nothing about maintaining the C7 is cheap. Not complaining, I enjoy my C7.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,425
Likes: 238
From: Macomb MI
The most difficult thing to find is a place with the proper angle tool for rear caster adjustment on the C7. Most places don't even know rear caster adjustment on a C7 is required, and setting ZERO rear caster is imperative.
FE1-4 = C7 Stingray including Z51
FE6/7 = C7 Z06
All model years the same so far...
FE1-4 = C7 Stingray including Z51
FE6/7 = C7 Z06
All model years the same so far...
Pro
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 696
Likes: 194
From: New Orleans LA
St. Jude Donor '15-'16
Here's an interesting note on the factory alignment that I have referred to in other posts. The C7 as designed by GM has a built in pull to the right, and the front camber setting is asymmetric to account for it (see the chart above, where the right front camber is adjusted with an extra -0.3 degrees compared to the left). This was pointed out to me by the race team at Pfadt Engineering. So if you have an alignment change for the track, or have one done anywhere but the dealer, be sure they have the correct numbers, or you will get that pull to the right.
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Last edited by Jet Vet; Oct 28, 2015 at 11:09 PM.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 67
Likes: 27
From: Maryland
This information is really helpful. Including the part about your dealer charging only $125. I must have stupid written on my forehead. I NEVER get a fair price with these dealers which is why I went to Tires Plus.
Here's an interesting note on the factory alignment that I have referred to in other posts. The C7 as designed by GM has a built in pull to the right, and the front camber setting is asymmetric to account for it (see the chart above, where the right front camber is adjusted with an extra -0.3 degrees compared to the left). This was pointed out to me by the race team at Pfadt Engineering. So if you have an alignment change for the track, or have one done anywhere but the dealer, be sure they have the correct numbers, or you will get that pull to the right.
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 795
From: Longview Texas
Here's an interesting note on the factory alignment that I have referred to in other posts. The C7 as designed by GM has a built in pull to the right, and the front camber setting is asymmetric to account for it (see the chart above, where the right front camber is adjusted with an extra -0.3 degrees compared to the left). This was pointed out to me by the race team at Pfadt Engineering. So if you have an alignment change for the track, or have one done anywhere but the dealer, be sure they have the correct numbers, or you will get that pull to the right.
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Some alignment shops also do that to correct for the crown of the road.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 696
Likes: 194
From: New Orleans LA
St. Jude Donor '15-'16
JV
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 10,709
Likes: 7,101
From: Fulshear, TX
Under $100 at my dealer, they've done it twice now (once under warranty, one out of my pocket), and they've never had an issue. It probably depends more on the experience of the tech than the actual equipment.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 174,312
Likes: 1,217
From: Here
Pilot of Beer Force 1
Tampa Regional Coordinator
CI 4-5-6-7-8 Veteran
Organizer St. Jude Fundraiser
I believe in the Beer Fairy
how much for an alignment?? 
sounds like someone is in the rip off business more than the alignment business
sounds like someone is in the rip off business more than the alignment business
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 10,709
Likes: 7,101
From: Fulshear, TX
Most dealerships will want you to list a complaint (such as the car pulls to the left, etc.), then they'll put your car on the alignment rack and if anything is out of spec they'll realign your car to factory spec under warranty. You get this one, and it has to be early on. Factory alignments are a rough estimate at best, they're never exact and rarely within spec across all the measurements.
Last edited by Kracka; Oct 30, 2015 at 09:24 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 104
From: springfield mo
'09 specs from sheet when my '11 was done (last alignment)
1st # = minimum 2nd # = maximum
Caster 7.50 8.50
Camber Front -1.50 -0.50
Camber Rear -1.70 -0.70
Toe Front -0.02 0.07
Toe Rear -0.02 0.07
Thrust Angle 0.10
From the first shop with '10 specs sheet shows:
Caster 7.1 8.3
Camber Front -1.5 -0.5
Camber Rear -1.9 -0.6
Toe Front -0.05 0.15
Toe Rear -0.05 0.15
Thrust 0.20
1st # = minimum 2nd # = maximum
Caster 7.50 8.50
Camber Front -1.50 -0.50
Camber Rear -1.70 -0.70
Toe Front -0.02 0.07
Toe Rear -0.02 0.07
Thrust Angle 0.10
From the first shop with '10 specs sheet shows:
Caster 7.1 8.3
Camber Front -1.5 -0.5
Camber Rear -1.9 -0.6
Toe Front -0.05 0.15
Toe Rear -0.05 0.15
Thrust 0.20
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 26,216
Likes: 4,345
From: Chirper Island
Tried to save a few dollars and took my C7 to Tires Plus in Brandywine MD for an alignment. Well after their techs ( 2 of them) spent 1 hour aligning at cost of $191.44 for the Lifetime Alignment Service, my vette was still pulling to the right. Rather than taking it back to Tires Plus, I went to Waldorf Chevy after a co-worker criticized me for taking a sports car to a shop that works on Family cars and has never worked on a corvette. At Chevy, 1 technician spent 2 hours at a cost of $224.92. Chevy's alignment fixed the problem but was expensive. Got my money back at Tires Plus. Nothing about maintaining the C7 is cheap. Not complaining, I enjoy my C7.
That is all.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 233
Likes: 23
From: Tucson
2016 C7 of the Year Finalist
Local Chevy dealer
One local Chevy dealer specializes in Vettes (Purifoy) here in Colorado. charged me $80. Full four wheel alignment with negative camber set at -1.1 at my request. Included print out.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 3,081
Likes: 955
From: Apex NC
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
why?
Why would GM design a pull to the right?? Thanks
Here's an interesting note on the factory alignment that I have referred to in other posts. The C7 as designed by GM has a built in pull to the right, and the front camber setting is asymmetric to account for it (see the chart above, where the right front camber is adjusted with an extra -0.3 degrees compared to the left). This was pointed out to me by the race team at Pfadt Engineering. So if you have an alignment change for the track, or have one done anywhere but the dealer, be sure they have the correct numbers, or you will get that pull to the right.
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Pro
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 696
Likes: 194
From: New Orleans LA
St. Jude Donor '15-'16
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,711
Likes: 90
From: Hillsdale NJ
Here's an interesting note on the factory alignment that I have referred to in other posts. The C7 as designed by GM has a built in pull to the right, and the front camber setting is asymmetric to account for it (see the chart above, where the right front camber is adjusted with an extra -0.3 degrees compared to the left). This was pointed out to me by the race team at Pfadt Engineering. So if you have an alignment change for the track, or have one done anywhere but the dealer, be sure they have the correct numbers, or you will get that pull to the right.
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
Btw, my dealer only charged me $125 for a full 4-wheel alignment (I had it modified for both street and track use).
JV
