Obviously alignment issue
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 795
From: Longview Texas
The factory settings are for aggressive driving. If you drive to match the setup you will still only get 5000 miles out of them but they will wear evenly across the width of the tire. For street, close to zero negative camber and toe.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 309
Likes: 74
From: Detroit MI
The chorded inner shoulder could be excessive negative camber or toe out.
All of the new new cars and trucks I have bought from Chevrolet have needed alignment but there seems to be a reluctance on the part of dealerships to respond to customer complaints on this issue.
All of the new new cars and trucks I have bought from Chevrolet have needed alignment but there seems to be a reluctance on the part of dealerships to respond to customer complaints on this issue.
My dad has a 93 bonneville with over 200k miles... never been aligned and is fine.
Pretty sure GM knows how to align a vehicle...
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,415
Likes: 138
Get the car to a GOOD alignment shop and take a look at the current alignment on the display yourself. This is abnormal wear.
Alignment racks need to be calibrated. Hunter says annually. Most shops rarely do it. Your dealership may well have a rack that says that your car is in spec. Doesn't mean that that is the case.
Alignment racks need to be calibrated. Hunter says annually. Most shops rarely do it. Your dealership may well have a rack that says that your car is in spec. Doesn't mean that that is the case.
Last edited by 4GS7; Apr 7, 2017 at 12:08 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 206
Likes: 142
From: MD's Eastern Shore
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.
I took the car to a guy who does alignments on many hi-end sports cars. He spent a lot of time with the car and with showing me everything he was doing...I learned a lot.
The left front camber was at -1.7...factory spec is -0.6. Right front camber was -1.6...spec is -0.9. Toe in was real close to spec. Right front caster was also out of spec...was at 8.3...spec is 7.4
He couldn't check the rear caster, but all the other rear specs where almost perfect and the rear tires are wearing perfectly even across the tread so I think the rear caster must be close to what it should be.
I suspect the front alignment settings the car came with explains why the inside edge of the fronts corded at 5,000 miles.
IMHO, it also tells me that anyone buying a new Z06 should pay to get the alignment checked as soon as you get it home. A $90 alignment check is MUCH cheaper than new tires!!
We set the cambers to -0.6 on the left and -0.7 on the right, very close to factory spec. The car tracks straighter now. It used to hunt left and right with every little ripple in the road. It's a street only car and I can't tell any difference in how it corners...still just amazing!! Hopefully the new fronts will last longer this time.
Again, thanks for all you inputs.
I took the car to a guy who does alignments on many hi-end sports cars. He spent a lot of time with the car and with showing me everything he was doing...I learned a lot.
The left front camber was at -1.7...factory spec is -0.6. Right front camber was -1.6...spec is -0.9. Toe in was real close to spec. Right front caster was also out of spec...was at 8.3...spec is 7.4
He couldn't check the rear caster, but all the other rear specs where almost perfect and the rear tires are wearing perfectly even across the tread so I think the rear caster must be close to what it should be.
I suspect the front alignment settings the car came with explains why the inside edge of the fronts corded at 5,000 miles.
IMHO, it also tells me that anyone buying a new Z06 should pay to get the alignment checked as soon as you get it home. A $90 alignment check is MUCH cheaper than new tires!!
We set the cambers to -0.6 on the left and -0.7 on the right, very close to factory spec. The car tracks straighter now. It used to hunt left and right with every little ripple in the road. It's a street only car and I can't tell any difference in how it corners...still just amazing!! Hopefully the new fronts will last longer this time.
Again, thanks for all you inputs.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 176
Likes: 13
From: PA
WoW,
I just had a front tire lose all the air while i was out an about . Tire was completely shot . It wouldn't even hold any air when i drove to gas station to fill with air. When i got home i jacked my ZO6 up and what do you know both my front tire are shredded on the inner edge like yours . I am wondering what i should ask or tell the dealership to do about this. Any suggestions im am listening .
I just had a front tire lose all the air while i was out an about . Tire was completely shot . It wouldn't even hold any air when i drove to gas station to fill with air. When i got home i jacked my ZO6 up and what do you know both my front tire are shredded on the inner edge like yours . I am wondering what i should ask or tell the dealership to do about this. Any suggestions im am listening .
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 176
Likes: 13
From: PA
Get the car to a GOOD alignment shop and take a look at the current alignment on the display yourself. This is abnormal wear.
Alignment racks need to be calibrated. Hunter says annually. Most shops rarely do it. Your dealership may well have a rack that says that your car is in spec. Doesn't mean that that is the case.
Alignment racks need to be calibrated. Hunter says annually. Most shops rarely do it. Your dealership may well have a rack that says that your car is in spec. Doesn't mean that that is the case.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 206
Likes: 142
From: MD's Eastern Shore
WoW,
I just had a front tire lose all the air while i was out an about . Tire was completely shot . It wouldn't even hold any air when i drove to gas station to fill with air. When i got home i jacked my ZO6 up and what do you know both my front tire are shredded on the inner edge like yours . I am wondering what i should ask or tell the dealership to do about this. Any suggestions im am listening .
I just had a front tire lose all the air while i was out an about . Tire was completely shot . It wouldn't even hold any air when i drove to gas station to fill with air. When i got home i jacked my ZO6 up and what do you know both my front tire are shredded on the inner edge like yours . I am wondering what i should ask or tell the dealership to do about this. Any suggestions im am listening .
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,145
Likes: 145
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 206
Likes: 142
From: MD's Eastern Shore
Since replacing the front tires (corded on inside edges at 5,000 miles) and changing the alignment settings to put the front camber at the low side of factory specs, we have put several hundred miles on the car. This is a street only car.
My wife and I both agree the car drives better on the street. The front doesn't hunt left and right with every little variation in the road surface. It tracks much straighter down the road. Also, we notice much less "chuttering" (don't know the actual term) when making a tight turn in the driveway with cold tires. It will still corner on entry/exit ramps at speed like before...amazing!
I urge anyone with a new "street only" Z06 to get your alignment checked immediately and take out most of the negative camber the factory puts in the car. It may be great for the track, but if you drive it on the street it will eat your front's inside edge REAL FAST!!
My wife and I both agree the car drives better on the street. The front doesn't hunt left and right with every little variation in the road surface. It tracks much straighter down the road. Also, we notice much less "chuttering" (don't know the actual term) when making a tight turn in the driveway with cold tires. It will still corner on entry/exit ramps at speed like before...amazing!
I urge anyone with a new "street only" Z06 to get your alignment checked immediately and take out most of the negative camber the factory puts in the car. It may be great for the track, but if you drive it on the street it will eat your front's inside edge REAL FAST!!
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 176
Likes: 13
From: PA
The factory alignment on these are fairly aggressive, especially compared to family cars and mini vans. If the owner only drives it like a "grandma" then the insides of the front tires will most definitely wear. Manufactures of high performance sports cars assume the owners will drive them more spiritedly than the typical grocery getter.
I always ask our customers when they buy a new car how it will be driven and we can make adjustments to the alignment to help with tire wear if they so choose.
I always ask our customers when they buy a new car how it will be driven and we can make adjustments to the alignment to help with tire wear if they so choose.
So that drive it like a grandma is total BS.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 176
Likes: 13
From: PA
Took one tire off and took to dealership . Dealer submited claim because i have that 2500 dollar tire and wheel warranty thing . They denied me for the tire stating that was caused by me and wear. I now have to pay a 1000 bucks for 2 new front tires caused of a f#&ed up alignment job .