GS Street-Friendly Alignment

cdnrx1

cdnrx1

Regular
You're 5
Oct 6, 2015
131
204
Kingston
VetteCoins
5,237
Car
'19 GS, 2LT, A8, WGG
Province
ON
New (850 kl.) C7 Grand Sport with FE6 suspension. The dealer agreed to provide an alignment, to my specs, one time under warranty. Let me say that I trust the Service Manager, he is very experienced, intelligent and reasonable. This guy knows his stuff. However, we are in disagreement with the front wheel alignment specs. In addition, they claimed to have the GM digital angle gauge and adaptor but did not so they could not set the rear caster. Here is the spec that I requested:

Caster: Front 7.4 L&R, Rear 0.0 L & R
Camber: Front & Rear -0.5 L&R
Toe: Front & Rear 0.0

Here is what they were able to achieve:

Caster: Front 7.4 L, 7.5 R, Rear ?
Camber: Front -0.9 L, -1.0 R, Rear -1.1 L&R
Toe: Front 0.03 L, 0.04 R, Rear 0.02 L, 0.04 R

The disagreement is with the front camber setting. My research shows that -0.5 should be achievable and still have zero toe. The Service Manager says it is not possible and the above specs are the absolute best that they can do.

What I'm looking for is a recommendation for either a dealer or a specialty shop that is known to have the right equipment to perform a proper 4 wheel alignment on a GS. This must include the GM digital angle gauge and adaptor for setting the rear caster. I'm in Kingston but would be willing to travel to the GTA, Ottawa or anywhere in-between. Can anyone point me to a reliable facility that can actually do the work? Thanks.

Best regards
Ross
 
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cdnrx1 said:
Anybody?
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Wish I could help you cdnrx1. I had both my C6 and now my C7 alignments setup shortly after running the inside edge to the cords on my C6. Had them done at my dealership. Not sure where I put the readouts but your current numbers are damn close to mine except my camber is more like about -.3 and -. 4 if memory serves. All I can offer is to Goggle all the alignment shops and dealers in the area and start making calls.
 
Rruuff Day said:
Wish I could help you cdnrx1. I had both my C6 and now my C7 alignments setup shortly after running the inside edge to the cords on my C6. Had them done at my dealership. Not sure where I put the readouts but your current numbers are damn close to mine except my camber is more like about -.3 and -. 4 if memory serves. All I can offer is to Goggle all the alignment shops and dealers in the area and start making calls.
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Yeah, done all that, plus, I've contacted all of the area corvette clubs and, of those that responded, even their leads didn't pan out. Most dealers didn't return my voice messages or emails and those that did either don't know what a digital angle gauge is or they don't have one. It's not a GM mandated tool.

I've found two shops in NY State that have the equipment and the knowledge / experience to do a complete 4 wheel alignment on a C7. Looks like I'll be spending a couple of vacation days in Syracuse or Rochester. Sad that it can't be done here.

Thanks anyway.
 
cdnrx1 said:
Yeah, done all that, plus, I've contacted all of the area corvette clubs and, of those that responded, even their leads didn't pan out. Most dealers didn't return my voice messages or emails and those that did either don't know what a digital angle gauge is or they don't have one. It's not a GM mandated tool.

I've found two shops in NY State that have the equipment and the knowledge / experience to do a complete 4 wheel alignment on a C7. Looks like I'll be spending a couple of vacation days in Syracuse or Rochester. Sad that it can't be done here.

Thanks anyway.
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I'll give a shoutout to @Dave@RaceReady our resident Corvette specialist in case they can help. Otherwise you can always try Can-Alignment, they do general suspension and corner balancing work so may help you dial it in better than most generic shops.

Another shop in the GTA with a good rep is Speedstar Automotive | Performance, restoration, and automotive services
 
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I've been to Scott at Can-Alignment several times, and will be taking my C7 Z51 there later this year. IMO, if he can't do it, it doesn't need to be done. I haven't done research on alignments since my Mustang days (where the rear isn't adjustable).....but why do you want to adjust the rear caster?
 
G-ForceJunkie said:
I've been to Scott at Can-Alignment several times, and will be taking my C7 Z51 there later this year. IMO, if he can't do it, it doesn't need to be done. I haven't done research on alignments since my Mustang days (where the rear isn't adjustable).....but why do you want to adjust the rear caster?
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I have a C7 Z51 all stock size street tires etc and have some rubbing in the right rear fender well that makes a hole in the fender liner and the LF lowering bolt is adjusted high to make the car level. On the track I think the car is too low on the front LHS turning right. Dealer is no help. Rear caster is known to be an issue for those who track C7, so I need it checked and adjusted for the track. Scott does not have the required tool and says he can do it but based on what I have read the tool is the only way to get a base measurement. I have had 2 alignments already by someone who claimed to be Corvette Specialist, and was told it can't be done - I won't go back obviously. Do you track your C7-Z51?
 
G-ForceJunkie said:
I've been to Scott at Can-Alignment several times, and will be taking my C7 Z51 there later this year. IMO, if he can't do it, it doesn't need to be done. I haven't done research on alignments since my Mustang days (where the rear isn't adjustable).....but why do you want to adjust the rear caster?
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Hi G-FJ

It's not that I want to adjust the rear caster, I just want to make sure that it's within factory spec and, as it stands right now, no one, that I know of, in the GTA through Eastern Ontario has the equipment necessary to do the job. I have not checked with Dave at Race Ready (thanks Nik) because he's too far away, I'm much closer to Syracuse NY. As GM MUSL said, Can-Alignment doesn't have the digital angle gauge either but they claim to be able to do the job without it. My dealer said the same thing and after 4 fruitless hours my GS now pulls to the right and the steering wheel is clocked 8 degrees off centre to the left. They now agree that they can't do an alignment on my car because they don't have the right equipment. I've talked to an alignment specialist in Syracuse who tracks his own Z06 and does work for members of the local Corvette club and Van Bortel Chevrolet, a known Corvette specialist in Western NY. Both have indicated that without the gauge and adaptor you would be guessing at the rest of the alignment. I've also talked to alignment specialists who have been honest enough to say that they don't have the gauge and again, without it, they can't do a proper alignment.

Rear caster is the starting point for a 4 wheel alignment and, unless that is within spec, the rest of the alignment may or may not be correct. In order to check / adjust it on a C7 the facility must have the GM digital angle gauge (or equivalent) and the GM adaptor that attaches it to the rear knuckle. The tools can be seen here: Digital Angle Gauge Required for Corvette Rear Wheel Alignment | TechLink . If someone tells you that you don't have to worry about rear caster or you don't need the above mentioned tools to do a proper alignment on a C7, they are wrong.

I just want a street-friendly set-up that's not going to cause excessive wear on the inside of my front tires. C7's, particularly GS and Z06, are known to come from the factory with aggressive alignments and, worse, can be out of alignment. Mine was in the red in a couple of areas. At least the dealer was able to bring those numbers closer to factory tolerances but they are still too aggressive, it pulls and the steering wheel is off centre.

I'm headed for Syracuse on Tuesday where I'm counting on getting the job done right. I'll post my results, good or bad. Thanks to all who offered advice and assistance.

Best regards
Ross
 
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No, the C6 was not similarly affected as the rear caster was fixed. Alignment specs for camber and toe, and adjustment methods, are similar but virtually all components are different between the C6 and C7.
 
This is an interesting thread.

This morning I was at the dealership for different things and asked about the factory alignment set up on my 17 Z06. As well as the rear wheel caster adjustments. Can they; do they? The answer was yes they have the guy and the proper alignment tools for all 4 corners of the C7 corvettes.

They gave me the below as the set up from the factory for my car. Not sure how to decipher it but there it is.

33D48C0F-AFA9-4618-9156-694EC5EC6198.jpeg
 
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ddgermann said:
This is an interesting thread.

This morning I was at the dealership for different things and asked about the factory alignment set up on my 17 Z06. As well as the rear wheel caster adjustments. Can they; do they? The answer was yes they have the guy and the proper alignment tools for all 4 corners of the C7 corvettes.

They gave me the below as the set up from the factory for my car. Not sure how to decipher it but there it is.

View attachment 17864
Click to expand...
What they've given you is a copy of the factory specs from the service manual. The FE6/FE7 numbers are applicable to your car. FE6 is the RPO code for the base suspension on GS/Z06, FE7 is the RPO code for the Z07 package. For alignment purposes the specs are the same.

You're fortunate that your dealer has the equipment and expertise to do the job.
 
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cdnrx1 said:
What they've given you is a copy of the factory specs from the service manual. The FE6/FE7 numbers are applicable to your car. FE6 is the RPO code for the base suspension on GS/Z06, FE7 is the RPO code for the Z07 package. For alignment purposes the specs are the same.

You're fortunate that your dealer has the equipment and expertise to do the job.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the details on the RPOs. Too bad it’s too far for you.
Hope your new alignment turns out perfect for you.
 
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Just a follow-up to this discussion, a very positive one that has ended on a happy note. Here's the short version:

Took the GS to Syracuse yesterday and had a complete, professional 4 wheel alignment done, including the rear caster. Yes, it was off, substantially, and had to be adjusted using the GM digital angle gauge and adaptor. In fact, it was the improper rear caster settings that were causing the pull to the right. I'm not going to criticize the dealer who did the initial alignment, they did what they could. Unfortunately, the specialty shop's alignment tech spent the majority of the 3.5 hours it took to do the alignment correcting what the dealer had done. Bottom line, the car doesn't pull, the steering wheel is back to center, the back end no longer twitches in fast sweeping corners and I now have a street-friendly set-up on my car. Job done, not cheap but, in my opinion, well worth the time and money spent.

Hope it's alright to mention the shop, Jeffrey' Auto Body, East Taft Road, Syracuse NY. The owner is Jeff Lyman. He owns and tracks a 2015 Z06, with the Z07 package, and is a long time Corvette enthusiast. This shop was recommended by the Syracuse Corvette club's president and I now understand why. They have the right equipment, experienced, knowledgeable staff and they did, for me, what no one else in Southern Ontario could do. Obviously, I recommend them.

After I had committed to going to Syracuse I got a return call from Sean Getty, Getty's Automotive in Ottawa. I had seen reviews and recommendations for this shop from Corvette owners on another forum site. After a short discussion I was convinced that he, also, has the equipment and knowledge to do this job. Had I heard from him a day earlier I'd probably have gone to him. However, no regrets.

Best regards
Ross
 
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