I am aligning a midyear Corvette rear toe-in and I've run into a problem. The laser alignment rack keeps telling me to remove inboard shims and add them to the outboard side. I now have all the shims outboard and I'm still 0.10" out of spec. Anybody else out there experienced this problem? Any suggestions???
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Re: C-2 & C-3 Rear Trailing Arm Alignment
Mike------
Assuming that there isn't some problem with the alignment machine or some nuance of operation which renders the machine fundamentally incapable of working on a 63-82 Corvette rear suspension (both doubtful), I'd say that either the trailing arms or the frame of the car you're aligning are bent. This is a lot more common problem than most folks would like to believe. MANY Corvettes have been wrecked somewhere along the line and have had frames "pulled" or "straightened".
So, why would folks be willing to pay $25,000-75,000, in some cases, for cars which may very well have have suffered this sort of problem earlier in their lives? It beats me. I "wised up" on this one a long time ago. Thank heavens!In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: C-2 & C-3 Rear Trailing Arm Alignment
Make sure that you set the camber first and also check that both sides are out the same or close amount. If you are "far out" on one side and "far in" on the other, then maybe the car is crooked on the rack, or the front wheels you are aligning from are out of whack.
Check that the rear cross member pads have not been modified on the frame, as some rust out and are moved. Check that the camber (strut) rod bracket is actually centered on its bolt holes on the differential. Some have the holes so wallowed out, they slip back and forth, upsetting the alignment.Comment
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Re: C-2 & C-3 Rear Trailing Arm Alignment
Having all the shims on the outboard side of the arm would mean it's adjusted for maximum toe-in.
How about posting the actual toe measurements on each wheel. Saying they're 0.10" out of spec doesn't have any context unless you list the "spec" and the direction of deviation.
You want them both at about +0.031" or about 1/32" toe-in per wheel assuming you are running radial tires.
If the toe is measured as an angle compute the equivalent toe-in in inches, or if you don't know how to do that, I can make the conversion.
DukeComment
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Re: C-2 & C-3 Rear Trailing Arm Alignment
Hey Duke -
The passenger side is in spec. The driver side was improving with each shift of shim from inboard to outboard, but even with all the shims on the outboard side of the trailing arm it was still "0.10 toe-in". I obviously have run out of room to make adjustments using shims, is there any other way to adjust??Comment
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Re: C-2 & C-3 Rear Trailing Arm Alignment
You still haven't answered my questions from the prior post, and your most recent post makes no sense.
What are the units of the "0.10 toe-in" on the RH wheel you quoted? Inches? Degrees?
One more time. What are the "specs" you are using and what are the actual toe measurements on each wheel, including the measuring units.
DukeComment
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