C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

[Paul Y.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

Upper A arm alignment shims fell out, leaving a gap.

And a clunk

[Stan E.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

Ed, Once a year I take it to a parking lot where I take four full circles left and right forward and in reverse. It doesn't leave rubber marks. Dick, I'm listening to you and Jerry. Three allignments in 105 miles and two shops may not have done it!

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

Ed, Once a year I take it to a parking lot where I take four full circles left and right forward and in reverse. It doesn't leave rubber marks. Dick, I'm listening to you and Jerry. Three allignments in 105 miles and two shops may not have done it!

Stan-----


The number of alignment shops that are expert at 63-82 Corvette rear wheel alignment is very limited. Plus, as I've said many times before, if you use the "two hole" shims, that almost guarantees that you are going to get a mediocre job, at best. The amount of work and time involved in removing the bolts and inserting shims, perhaps involving several trials, is just more than most shops are going to bear.

[Jerry G.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

Joe you are exactly correct! To do a C2 rear alignment properly the centerline of the car needs to be found and EACH side aligned to the centerline. A typical alignment would just check toe in between the two rear wheels and think they had it correct. Using this method one wheel could be toed out and the other wheel dramatically toed in and you'd still get an overall toe in number. The time it takes and effort to find vehicle center is not trivial but important.

Stan-----


The number of alignment shops that are expert at 63-82 Corvette rear wheel alignment is very limited. Plus, as I've said many times before, if you use the "two hole" shims, that almost guarantees that you are going to get a mediocre job, at best. The amount of work and time involved in removing the bolts and inserting shims, perhaps involving several trials, is just more than most shops are going to bear.

[Stan E.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

Jerry ,How do you determine "centerline" and what is a good defination of it? I assume it's the true centerline of the chassis. If so measured from where to where? I'm out of the country and not near my service manual. Ed,Paul, it does seem to build preasure in circle cornering and then "CLUNK" and unload. Joe, I don't recall which shims were used but I know that they had open inner ends untill they fell out and I closed the ends. Thanks EVERYONE!!!

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

Jerry ,How do you determine "centerline" and what is a good defination of it? I assume it's the true centerline of the chassis. If so measured from where to where? I'm out of the country and not near my service manual. Ed,Paul, it does seem to build preasure in circle cornering and then "CLUNK" and unload. Joe, I don't recall which shims were used but I know that they had open inner ends untill they fell out and I closed the ends. Thanks EVERYONE!!!

Stan------


I have used slotted shims for years and without using the long cotter pins to retain them (even though my 1969 has the holes for the cotter pins). In 200,000 miles I have never lost a shim.

[Jerry G.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

When you get home and get the car in the air you can contact me. It's not obvious and it's offset from where you intuitively would think it would be. If you can get a copy of the frame drawing you can find it using that. When you set toe-in the car needs to be rolled a couple of wheel rotations on the ground after each setting adjustment to let the wheels take a new "set' then recheck. It's a little laborious but worth it. I finally went to Heim joints at the end of the trailing arms and a screw adjustor to mount the Heim to. It save a lot of time and improves accuracy but it is not as it left the factory. I have the rear and front geometry in the Mitchell suspension design program. It's fun to see the motion in 3D of the C2 Corvette suspension as it loads and unloads.

[Stan E.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

Thanks Jerry, I have the frame sheets and I've got you in my address book .

[Jerry G.]

Re: C2 rear suspension / handleing problem

If you really want to have some fun school up on how to String a car.