OK, I set up the alignment as GM specs for the track [for $89.95]. Now track day is over. What are the pros/cons for keeping the track alignment setting for my street driving?
#1 pro = save $89.95!
What else?

 

Tire wear and the car will feel more "twitchy" on the street with the track alignment.

 

Thanks Doug. Twitchy I can stand. Not sure about tire wear. Can you quantify amount and pattern?

 

I do not know their spec's so I can't answer that properly, but in general a track alignment will wear the inside of the front tires. Fronts are generally toe'd out some and run higher camber numbers, both of those on the street lean the wear pattern to the inside of the tire.

My guess is if it's from GM then it's rather tame in terms of track alignments go, so it may not be too bad really.

 

Chevrolet dealer says my alignment is perfect.

 

Toe eats tires...keep your toe numbers close to zero and you just ware the insides of the tires a little more with the added neg camber....

 

How many street miles do you drive? I leave mine with the track alignment. But I am about 4000 miles a year and half of that is track miles.

 

Doug is correct of course.

I autocross my car monthly and make it to the track about every other month. I don't use my street tires for the track / Auto X, but I don't bother to realign it between events. I'm running negative camber up front of 2.5, so the wear starts to show on the inside edges. I replace my fronts about once per year (approx. 12-15K miles). My rears last twice as long. The twitchiness (aka "tramlining") doesn't bother me, but it does get more noticeable as the fronts wear down.
Hope this helps.

 

Corvettes have pretty serious negative camber even without track alignment, expect the inner side of your tires to wear long before the outside

 

After my one track day the outer edges of my front tires were worn MUCH more than the inside. This after my local dealer did the Track Alignment.
I was suspicious so I had an independent shop do a check. I've attached copies of the 'actual' check alignment comparison with 'regular' spec, Track spec and actual. Documentation for each also included. It would seem that the outside tire wear is explained by the actual readings.

 

Good thing you checked. Of course, on the right track it's pretty easy to get outside wear even with -2.5 camber.




Lots of variables.

 

Maybe I'm reading things wrong, but your camber is set to close to zero where track spec calls for -2.0 front and -1.8 back

 

#16-NA-056: Track and Competitive Driving Wheel Alignment Tips - (Feb 22, 2016)
Subject: Track and Competitive Driving Wheel Alignment Tips



Chevrolet
Corvette
2014
2016




Condition
Some customers may want the vehicle’s wheel alignment set-up for track events and competitive driving.

Additional tips in this communication will be helpful for setting the wheel alignment.


Service Procedure
Important: Using these wheel alignment settings may cause excessive tire wear. Only use these wheel alignment settings for track events or competitive driving. Excessive tire wear is NOT covered under the vehicle warranty.

Note: DO NOT adjust the trim height.

Important: The vehicle must be returned back to the original specifications after track events and competitive driving events.

If the vehicle is equipped with the Z51 package or is a Z06, the track event and competitive driving wheel alignment settings should be set as described here. Alignment should be performed by first removing washers between the upper control arms and frame according to the following instructions:

Z51 – Remove maximum of 1 washer per front upper control arm bolt.

Remove maximum of 1 washer per rear upper control arm bolt.

Z06 – Remove maximum of 1 washer per front upper control arm bolt.

Do not remove washers from rear upper control arm bolts.

Proceed by adjusting the lower control arm cam bolts until alignment is within specifications. The Owner Manual Track Events and Competitive Driving section does not list a + / - tolerance for any of the alignment specs. The dealer should reference the tolerances listed in SI Alignment Specifications for the applicable measurement.

Front (per corner)

Caster: +7.0 degrees

Camber: –2.0 degrees

Toe: 0.005 degrees toe in

Rear (per corner)

Caster: 0 degrees

Camber: –2.0 degrees

Toe: 0.005 degrees toe in

Thrust Angle: 0 degrees

 

Exactly. That's the point. Apparently the dealer charged for changing the alignment from street to track, but didn't do it. The independent garage after-track alignment check found that the alignment was almost exactly that of the street specs. This helps to explain the outside front tire wear?

 

Thank you Sycraft. I guess I wasn't smart enough to search out this bulletin you quoted. I've printed and part of my files NOW.
Thanks again.

 

Interesting info for sure. My question is what is a good setup for street with an autocross event mixed in every other weekend or so?? Don't really want to have realigned constantly.
Z51 using Hankook Ventus R-S3, 265/35-18 front and 305/30-19 rear for autocross then switching back to stock wheels & tires for street.

 

I'll personally just go with the track settings and leave them as they are. After all, -2 camber is not that aggressive, and it would be cheaper and less time consuming to leave the alignment and just replace tires a little bit faster.

 

I try to get to the track every couple of weeks during the summer, so the tires wear out from that way faster than any street wear will do. Even at -2.0 the outside wear a lot more.

For the winter I go back to street alignment when I put all-seasons on.

 

that's when you realize the next step is poly bushings lol

 

I do the exact same thing. Granted mine isn't a daily so it doesn't matter as much. My '13 ZL1 had similar "track alignment" for two years and the tires didn't look that bad.