Mid Year rear camber adjustment

[Patrick B.]

Re: Mid Year rear camber adjustment

I have had the Heim joint type of aftermarket struts on my 70 driver for 40 years and they work great. I used to have to adjust the camber for drag racing and auto crossing (each different settings from street) frequently. With the lock nuts loosened, they could be turned by hand with the full weight of car on the ground for instant camber adjustments in the parking lot. I kept them on when I removed the other racing stuff from now elderly car.

[Duke W.]

Re: Mid Year rear camber adjustment

you're really not going to like what I'm also contemplating--a fiberglass rear spring.

I don't think you'll like it either. All of the aftermarket composite springs I've see have higher rates than the OE spring. This will increase rear roll stiffness, which will create an oversteer bias. As designed they are so neutral that they can snap into oversteer at the limit, but there's an easy fix for that. Few guys have a solid foundation in vehicle dynamics and suspension design, but they're constantly bombarded with advertising to "upgrade" the suspension. I've been dealing with the underlying engineering of these cars for over 50 years. I learned a lot from Chevrolet engineering and my own research and experiments. The rear suspension is not perfect, but for the era Duntov and his guys really knew their stuff. The best thing you can do is verify that you have all the correct parts in the rear suspension and rebuild the spring with new liners and link cushions to return it to as-new condition. If you're contemplating poly bushings in the rear suspension you better go to the CF and look at the recent threads where they disintegrated within a few hundred miles of installation and why they flat out won't work in the rear suspension other than creating a big safety hazard when the trailing arms and strut rods start flopping around. You say you are a newbie, so the best advice I can give you is tread softly.

[Alan D.]

Re: Mid Year rear camber adjustment

Must agree with Duke, once set that's it. Drove mine every day since Aug 67, school, work, play, little racing; never adjusted and when I checked when removing the rear end in early 2000, adjustment was fine.

[Richard G.]

Re: Mid Year rear camber adjustment

I just did the rough in rear alignment on my 63 on a 4 post lift.
I used a thick plastic bag. Slid really well between the layers.
Grease the inside of the bag if you are worried about it not moving easliy enough.
Then wad it up and through it out when you are finished....
Rick

[Joe L.]

Re: Mid Year rear camber adjustment

Must agree with Duke, once set that's it. Drove mine every day since Aug 67, school, work, play, little racing; never adjusted and when I checked when removing the rear end in early 2000, adjustment was fine.

Alan------


Yes, the main thing that causes rear camber to get out-of-spec on a 63-82 Corvette is wear/distortion of the rubber bushings in the strut rod ends. If these bushings are replaced with GM-type SERVICE bushings, the problem is solved for as long as one is likely to own the car and, likely, as long as the next several guys own the car. As a bonus, the SERVICE bushings are of thinner rubber (to allow for the outer steel shell's thickness) and should not suffer significant wear or distortion for longer than the original bushings.

[Richard L.]

Re: Mid Year rear camber adjustment

Joe,
Ok, I'll bite. Which are the GM-type SERVICE bushings for the strut rod ends and where do I find them? Can you give us a part number and a supplier? Is it GM itself, LICOR, PARAGON, CSSB, ECKLERS? I want to give them a try before I do anything else.
And thanks.
Ric

[Joe L.]

Re: Mid Year rear camber adjustment

Joe,
Ok, I'll bite. Which are the GM-type SERVICE bushings for the strut rod ends and where do I find them? Can you give us a part number and a supplier? Is it GM itself, LICOR, PARAGON, CSSB, ECKLERS? I want to give them a try before I do anything else.
And thanks.
Ric

Ric-----


They are still available from GM. I'm in Italy away from my references right now and I do not have the part number memorized. However, I've mentioned it several times in previous posts on this subject so you might check the archives. I'm sure that all the vendors carry them or aftermarket reproductions. You want the type with the steel outer shell. That's the only way to go.

[Richard L.]

Re: Mid Year rear camber adjustment

Just looked in my latest 1963-67 PARAGON catalog and part #5843 (Rubber w/outer steel sleeve--$16 ea.) would seem to be the recommended part by Joe and others.
Will order two and start there. With three C-2's and one C-3 in the barn I have to start somewhere.
Thank you all.
Ric