Shawn_Randhawa

Where do you guys go for alignment on your cars, all the places I called around me said they can’t and Chevy originally said they could but once I got there they said it’s “to low”

JJLAI724

Where are you located in CA? I'm in the SF Bay Area.

hubris140

I see you're located in CA. If you're close to the SF Bay area, I'd recommend Abel Chevy in Rio Vista. Rich runs a tight ship and they work on all kinds of Corvettes and Camaros.

Shawn_Randhawa

I’m located in the Central Valley, Modesto CA

RapidC84B

Does the dealer sell Corvettes? If so, they must have the tools and a trained technician. Might be worth reporting them to GM regional mgmt as it's pathetic that they can't service a Corvette. No issues getting these cars on modern alignment racks.

Shawn_Randhawa

Yea, I’m located Central Valley, Modesto CA

Shawn_Randhawa

I don’t get why they would tell me yes and wasted my time, I even told them it’s a corvette with the carbon splitter and they said yes they can do it.

hubris140

Give Rich @ Abel Chevy a call. I don't have my phone handy but you should be able to find them via google.

juanvaldez

Most of the dealers that say they can, can't. Rear caster requires some special tools that most dealers don't have.

RapidC84B

If they sell Corvettes they have to have the tool kit to service the cars. That said, my local dealer admitted the rear caster tool "walked off" when they tried to align mine. I ended up borrowing one from a buddy.

juanvaldez

Bullshit. I probably checked a dozen or more dealers, finally bought my own tools.

Shawn_Randhawa

Yea it really is, annoying how they can’t service their own cars correctly!

RapidC84B

Maybe they're cheating and not buying the tools and nobody at GM is checking on them? If you experience that you need to report them... there's a "tool kit" they are supposed to buy. The C8's new tool kit was just announced and it's like $1,800 in stuff.

Shawn_Randhawa

Yea I don’t get why they would do that.

juanvaldez

Sad part is they will lie to you, tell you they can do it. Then when you ask them to show you the tool . . . If you get an alignment from a dealership ask to see the before and after measurement for rear caster. It won't be on the print out because the machine doesn't do it. Mostly they will just try to blow smoke up your ***. There are two tool. One is a little fixture that fits into holes in the rear knuckle. The other is an electronic gage that measures angles. The fixture is unique to the C7. The gage is only used on the C7 and one other model.

Shawn_Randhawa

Can’t believe they would do that

juanvaldez

Believe!

KnightDriveTV

I'm sure some of you are aware of this below, but to confirm for searchers or readers of the thread: Per Tadge

The dealer sales and service agreement states: "Dealer agrees to provide and maintain on dealership premises essential service tools as required by General Motors and such other tools and equipment as reasonably necessary to fulfill its responsibilities to properly diagnose and service Products." When GM classifies a tool as “essential” for authorized Corvette dealers, that means the dealers will automatically be shipped the tool for their use and the cost will be charged to their open account. The adaptor is custom-designed to fit the Corvette knuckle and cannot be purchased on the outside market. That is why it is classified as an essential tool.

So the bottom line is that adapters were sent to all authorized Corvette dealers a few years ago and it is up to the dealer to procure the tool to measure the caster angle. GM makes every effort to enable dealers to access to these tools. We have a tool loaner program that will send the need tool to a requesting dealer the next business day. Any dealer without the angle gauge can get one in 24 hours. The same is true for the adapter if it was not received or has been lost or broken.

Bill Dearborn

I think it is different than that. Given the service manual alignment settings I suspect they don't have any rear caster settings fall outside of the stock tolerances. Remember, they are setting rear camber to just -1.2 not the -1.7 or -2.0 the track dogs set theirs at. Rear caster is spec'd at 0 degrees plus or minus 0.8 degrees. With a normal street alignment setting with a nominal rear camber I suspect the GM service organization has told dealer service people that rear caster falls into its acceptable tolerance range and doesn't have to be measured.

Bill

Greg00Coupe

OP stated the reason was the car was too low! The tool is not the issue. Their attitude towards the customer is the issue.

There is no alignment rack that cannot handle ours cars if the dealer gets a little creative with a few wide wood planks.

Ive had my 16 alignment checked twice a year because tracking it rips tires if the alignment is not proper. I don’t do track alignment just check tolerances. Although the dealer has the rear tool, he’s never needed to use it.

The tech at the dealer and and service manager are gear heads, I’m at the rack and he talks me through the processes. He actually asks me, to no avail what settings I want. Fortunately service manager knows what’s best.

I’d run faster then my Z could go ...........if I ran into a dealer like the OP did. That is sad service and attitude.