When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have been looking into purchasing the the CH-47960 gauge and CH-47960-10 adapter so I can align my car. It seems reasonable to me that it should also read the camber. Does anyone know for sure that it will read out both angles ?
I read in an ask Tadge response that the adaptor is not avalable in the aftermarket. If you work at a Chevy dealership Tadge indicated there is a loan program to get these tools to your facility overnighted to you if needed.
It will surely read the caster, but given the direction of pegs going into the gauge holes on the rear knuckle, the camber reading will be error-prone. If you don't completely insert it at the top, say leave 0.5 mm, the gauge will read correct caster but will read additional negative camber. IMO, the adaptor is not designed to accurately read camber.
Also, the gauge is super expensive. So, I used this one from amazon instead:
There is no guarantee that the holes in the knuckle for the caster adjustment would end at the same plane as the face of the wheel for camber adjustment. I wouldn't trust it. Nor would I attempt to do an alignment myself on this car without the proper tools and alignment platform.
I ended up making my own. I used two 1/4" bolts that fit in the holes perfectly and welded on a strap of steel to them that I hook my gauge to. Cost me a total of about $35 for the gauge.
Last edited by subieworx; Oct 11, 2018 at 09:06 AM.
The GM gauge was designed to measure rear caster on the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Skye. On those cars no adapter was required. It is not designed to measure camber. The adapter is used to mount the gauge on the Corvette's rear knuckle.
If you use a saw blade angle gauge you can magnetically attach it to the adapter to read rear caster. I have a now discontinued Wixey Gauge that is specified as accurate to +/- 0.1 degrees. Since we are talking about a measurement range from -0.8 degrees to +0.8 degrees you want the most accurate gauge you can find.
The GM gauge was designed to measure rear caster on the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Skye. On those cars no adapter was required. It is not designed to measure camber. The adapter is used to mount the gauge on the Corvette's rear knuckle.
If you use a saw blade angle gauge you can magnetically attach it to the adapter to read rear caster. I have a now discontinued Wixey Gauge that is specified as accurate to +/- 0.1 degrees. Since we are talking about a measurement range from -0.8 degrees to +0.8 degrees you want the most accurate gauge you can find.
Which one of the alternatives you cited is best and does it need any other attachments to facilitate doing caster angle on our cars?
Thanks!
I can't really say which is best. As for using any other attachments you really don't need any. I do my caster measurement and adjustment with the car on the ground and squeeze under it so I can see the gauge and attempt to turn the lca cams (depending on the angle of the wrench I can sometimes turn them even though there isn't a lot of room to get any leverage). I zero the gauge by laying it on a 6ft long carpenter's level that I place lengthwise and under the car next to the tire I am working near. The long carpenter's level gives me the slope the car is on Vs the slope of a dip in the concrete floor.
I can't really say which is best. As for using any other attachments you really don't need any. I do my caster measurement and adjustment with the car on the ground and squeeze under it so I can see the gauge and attempt to turn the lca cams (depending on the angle of the wrench I can sometimes turn them even though there isn't a lot of room to get any leverage). I zero the gauge by laying it on a 6ft long carpenter's level that I place lengthwise and under the car next to the tire I am working near. The long carpenter's level gives me the slope the car is on Vs the slope of a dip in the concrete floor.
Bill
Thanks for your response here as well as the Z06 Forum Alignment questions I had. I have had 10 Vettes including this new Z, seven of them bought new, most of the new ones had out of spec alignments. Going to go with the DSC street/occasional track alignment specs to start with. Finally found someone in my relocated area who is commonly acknowledged to be the best by far. Looking at doing this around the 23rd this month - have to work around two work schedules!
Guys, thanks for the information,suggestions and links. I already have an electronic caster/camber gauge out of Longacre that I used on my C5 Z, so all I would need is the adapter to make it work on the new Z. It would make so much sense if the GM gauge gave both readings. Then you could switch back and forth between caster and camber while you are turning the cams. But I can see that the camber function wouldn't be needed by the alignment guys with the other equipment they use. Bill it must be quite a feat getting under the car far enough to loosen/tighten the adjusters and also see the angle gauge with the car on the ground. The front ones on the C5 get torqued to 125 # feet. I built risers to get my wheels up 12" off the ground and still have trouble getting the leverage to torque the bolts. Thanks for your insight and forum participation.
My gage is home made. This link shows photos of it. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...h-47960-a.html. I set camber first, then tweak the eccentrics to get caster. and the desired camber at the same time. Also the best wrench for the eccentrics is a GEARWRENCH 85921 XL 21mm extra long. Pricey, but two of them will save your knuckles. I just estimate torque, After all, if they tend to come loose you are just going to tighten them more in spite of the sec'd torque value. If you are a curbing-rider, you are going to jounce your suspension.
Guys, thanks for the information,suggestions and links. I already have an electronic caster/camber gauge out of Longacre that I used on my C5 Z, so all I would need is the adapter to make it work on the new Z. It would make so much sense if the GM gauge gave both readings. Then you could switch back and forth between caster and camber while you are turning the cams. But I can see that the camber function wouldn't be needed by the alignment guys with the other equipment they use. Bill it must be quite a feat getting under the car far enough to loosen/tighten the adjusters and also see the angle gauge with the car on the ground. The front ones on the C5 get torqued to 125 # feet. I built risers to get my wheels up 12" off the ground and still have trouble getting the leverage to torque the bolts. Thanks for your insight and forum participation.
You don't need to have them torqued to 125 ft lbs until you finish the job. First, I lift the car to loosen the nuts a bit, then I put the car on the ground and settle the suspension and turn the nuts to adjust camber/caster. Once I have them adjusted to where I want them I just torque them as tight as I can get them laying under the car and then put it on the lift to finish tightening to 125. I mark the cams when I am satisfied with the measurements so know if they try to turn when doing the final tightening.
One thing I did do was install some studs to hold the UCAs. That means I don't have to touch the LCA cams to adjust camber/caster after it was first set. All I do is add or remove shims from behind the dog bones to change camber without affecting caster. I can go from -1.7 deg camber to -0.9 by adding something like 7/32 of shims behind each dog bone. Then all I have to do is measure and adjust toe.
Which one of the alternatives you cited is best and does it need any other attachments to facilitate doing caster angle on our cars?
Thanks!
Johnson digital angle gauge 1886-0200. It has accuracy of +/- 0.1 deg and resolution of 0.1 deg (as seen in the photo). The specs on it are the closest I could find to the discontinued Wixey that Bill Dearborn mentioned.
GM Digital Angle Gauge
