TL;DR
1. Links to videos and process to perform track alignment
2. Links and photos of tools I will need I may not have

I have a new 2024 C8 (Cacti Green) I am close to having broken in and will be moving my track stuff from my 2020 C8 (White) over to it. Brakes, Tires, Wheels etc. I have the track alignment on the white C8 as I got that one to figuire out if I can fit in the car with race seats (answer is YES!) as I am 6' 7" tall. So the 2020 car I got used will be sold when I am finally tracking the green one.

But I want to learn to do the track alignment on my new car myself as I will be doing all the work I can on these cars. I have a new four post lift coming for my garage which will make things way easier. I am mechanically inclined as I do all the wrenching on my track motorcycles myself (BMW S1000RR) so doing the work is no issue. What I am looking for is some links to videos or discussions about how to do it, and what tools I might need to add to my collection?

Since I have never done any camber or caster adjustments on these cars, this will all be new to me so want to make sure I do it right, and learn what tools I need to make the adjustments.

Also would like to learn more about whats adjustments I might be able to make while at the track. I have raced RC cars for years so its fun to play with big cars as they have a ton of the same adjustments

 

I bought this years ago to mess around with at home and it's been pretty useful. Nothing will be as accurate as a Hunter alignment rack though.

https://www.longacreracing.com/produ...-Wheel-Adapter

 

Thanks! What it the hunter alignment rack?

 

Ahh, found that. Yeah not gonna stick that in the garage Something small like the Long Acre one looks good for my purposes.

So other than the measuring tool, just all my regular tools is likely all I need to do it?

 

Not sure what other tools you have, but if you've got all the correct wrenches/sockets, you should be fine. There's also the string method. And you'll need a lot of patience. Some folks use some flooring vinyl tiles under the front tires to allow the wheels to move while adjusting toe. You'll have to lift, adjust, lower, measure and repeat for camber.

 

Ok good to know, thanks!

 

I just bought the same Camber/ Caster gauge from Longacre, havent used it yet as my car is at dealer. I bought a string kit rather than making one, you can make one for cheap with jack stands some rods and lots of measurements. Any I also bought some fairly cheap turntables for caster measurement and when adjusting toe. You should also have a digital angle finder to measure rear caster at the spindle.

 

Thanks!

 

I have used this for years:

https://advancedracing.com/

Their equipment is super accurate.

If you will be altering the ride height, it is super important to check and reset the rear caster. You can use something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/176022127137

 

Did my first alignment in the garage this weekend, Would have been super simple but I had to go an install AMT motorsports camber kit and stud kit to replace the upper arm bolts. That turned out to be a bit of a pain getting all the shim correct to give the camber I wanted but all worked out. Used a set of digital calipers to measure the rim to string differences for toe which worked out so much better than a ruler.

 

I have a machine shop so I made a fancy square with a digital level to check camber. It fits 19 or 20 inch wheels.
If you use any level device to check camber, it is REALLY IMPORTANT to check the garage floor or lift, and zero the level with the surface that the car is standing on.
If the floor is off by .5 degree, and your level is zero with gravity, all your camber measurements will be off by that much.

For toe in toe out, I have a 6 foot bar with adjustable arms. It slides under the car and then touches the front rims on the outside at the front, take a measurement, then front rims at the back.
Same process for the rear wheels.
I have used these tools for years on many race cars. They are super accurate and a very low cost.
If you buy expensive measuring tools, they do the same job and may save time.

Send me a PM if I can answer any questions about racing alignment.

 

Thanks for all the advice, I have the tools and am now finally getting around to doing this on the new C8. I had the shop do the old one, but my main question is where do I find the information about what the adjustment points are to do the camber, caster and toe in for the front and rear? Not finding a lot of information on YouTube, so I want to give this a go and learn how to do it all myself so I can fine tune the adjustments to fit my driving style as needed.

I have been tracking my old white C8 and was not planning to track the new one this year and sell the old one this winter, but it just started having the dreaded transmission issue (hunting to get into first gear) so its at the shop getting the evaluated and I am gonna get the new one dialed in. Where do I find good information on the adjustment locations? I have the Longacre level, some quick trick plates and the MRT caster gauge, just need to know how to start adjusting it. Clearly the front I start with swapping the washers, but how do I adjust the rest of it?

Got some Girodiscs coming this week also that I will be installing (love them on the old car). Doing brakes and discs is easy as I have already done that. Only pending bit that is a bit difficult is getting the Bray Krause harness bar installed (need to google how to properly remove all the trim panels - ugh - do not want to break anything!). But I did at least get the Sparco seats and AMT mounts all set up and ready to drop in, just need the harness bar installed.

 

The manual just says this:

Stingray Z51
To achieve the track alignment specified
settings:
1. The upper control arm to body washers on all four corners must be moved from between the body and the control arm and relocated between the head of the bolt and the control arm.
2. Adjust the lower control arm cam bolt position to achieve the following specifications:

Front (per corner)
. Caster: +8.0 degrees
. Camber: -3.0 degrees
. Toe (total): 0.1 degrees toe in

Rear (per corner)
. Caster: 0 degrees
. Camber: -2.5 degrees
. Toe (total): 0.1 degrees toe in
. Thrust Angle: 0 degrees

Does the control arm cam bolt control caster, camber and toe all in one bolt? Does not make a whole lot of sense to me, as I think that just does the camber so it's not clear what I adjust to change the caster and toe?

The manual also says to reset it back to stock when you are going to street the car but it does not mention what the stock settings are? Most folks don't seem to bother with returning it to stock settings I will likely just remove the air ducts and call it good. But it would be nice to know what the stock alignment settings actually are?

 

Toe is like on every other car, you will move the inner and outer tie rod to adjust toe. Loosen the jam nut and rotate inner tie rod either in or out to move toe in desired direction.

Caster is adjusted by adjusting the two lower eccentric bolts on the lower control arm by differing amounts (ie adding more negative camber to the front lower control arm as compared to the rear will change caster). As you can imagine this means that these measurements all interact. Adjust camber then caster then toe and then repeat until all are where you want.

More negative camber in the rear of the control arm will increase caster. Start with both eccentrics at about the same position getting you the camber you want then to adjust caster, I would suggest moving both eccentrics in opposite directions a little at a time to get where you want. Beware one of the eccentrics generally has greater impact on camber change than the other if an asymmetrical design.

Do you know how to measure caster both front and rear as each is a different method?

 

How do you measure the toe as 0.1 degrees is pretty small? Not sure the quick trick plates can get that accurate? Is factory 0 degrees?

Right, good info. That makes a lot more sense now.

No, not exactly. I believe to measure the caster on the rear you need the MRT which attaches to the arms and I have that, and would measure the camber using the Longacre level. I believe the Longacre level measures both the camber and caster on the front, and camber only on the rear?

This will be my first time adjusting the car. I have been racing RC cars for 25 years so I am very familiar with car tuning for both on road and off road, just never done it on a 1:1 scale before

 

I have Done Alignments with Hunter Equipment for over 30 years and would not try to do one at home on the floor in my garage !!! Plus like a C7 a C8 needs a Rear Camber Caster Tool !!

 

pretty easy to do at home if you have the right equipment, especially if you have a 4 post lift.

there are threads on here showing how to replicate that rear caster tool very cheaply with rods and bar stock from McMaster that fit on the holes that tool does and use the same angle finder that is used for camber and front caster. Think it cost me like $30 to replicate the rear caster tool.

 

I have a four post lift and the MRT rear caster tool

 

Anyone have pointers on the front caster alignment procedure? I am comfortable with the rear.

 

what do you have for the front to measure? Digital camber/ caster gauge? If so you use that and turntables generally going to +15 degrees or whatever your gauge specifies, zero and level the gauge then go to -15 degrees and take reading which again depending on gauge might require a multiplier.