Paid $550 for C2 alignment

[SnikPlosskin]

Holy hell, nobody around here knows how to align the rear end. I finally found a high end hot rod/custom build/restoration shop that did a great job. But pricy as shit.

They did front and back since virtually every part is new.

The rationale is that the rear toe adjustment is time consuming. I know this to be true.

I drove it there yesterday. Felt like it was going to spin out, flip over, burst into flames.

Drove back solid as a rock. After five years, I can drive it.

[ZipZap]

A lot of older cars are the same. You can't touch a nut without changing the geometry. Everything affects everything. Some of my older stuff, I ended up in what I called the spiral. You start adjusting things in a set pattern until you come upon two measurements that are correct

[SnikPlosskin]

Originally Posted by ZipZap

A lot of older cars are the same. You can't touch a nut without changing the geometry. Everything affects everything. Some of my older stuff, I ended up in what I called the spiral. You start adjusting things in a set pattern until you come upon two measurements that are correct

This.

I changed to the largest tires that fit a stock C2, new wheels, new ball joints, tie rods, control arms and bushings, trailing arms and ujoints, rear spring, all bushings, steering wheel, changed geometry on rear camber rods, rebuilt diff, probably some shit I’m forgetting. All new rear brakes…

Even saving and replacing the shims front and back meant nothing. I roughed it in doing a track alignment with string.

[CurtP]

Ran into that years ago with the Porsche 951. Not only does nobody know how to do it anymore, but it takes special tools that nobody has, including the Porsche indies. I had to buy the tools and bring the manuals to the shop, then have them try to figure out the specs since it wasn't in degrees. The factory service manual for my car is 7 volumes. It's been probably 10 years since I had it done, and was $300-something back then. I don't want to know how much it would be now.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

This.

I changed to the largest tires that fit a stock C2, new wheels, new ball joints, tie rods, control arms and bushings, trailing arms and ujoints, rear spring, all bushings, steering wheel, changed geometry on rear camber rods, rebuilt diff, probably some shit I’m forgetting. All new rear brakes…

Even saving and replacing the shims front and back meant nothing. I roughed it in doing a track alignment with string.

And you hit one stupid pothole and you're f'ed.

[Swany00]

You're paying for the years of experience and skills acquired over decades, a lost skill these days. Makes me wonder when you watch these custom car/truck fabricators on Motor Trend, if something ever happens, you really either need to know your shit or bring it back to them if something bad happens.

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

I drove it there yesterday. Felt like it was going to spin out, flip over, burst into flames.

Felt like it was a Tesla ???

[LATB]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

This.

I changed to the largest tires that fit a stock C2, new wheels, new ball joints, tie rods, control arms and bushings, trailing arms and ujoints, rear spring, all bushings, steering wheel, changed geometry on rear camber rods, rebuilt diff, probably some shit I’m forgetting. All new rear brakes…

Even saving and replacing the shims front and back meant nothing. I roughed it in doing a track alignment with string.

That’s an impressive parts list.

[Vette40th]

I know someone here in Charleston that does it. But, once he passes, his son has maybe 10 years left and pff. Gone.
Its worth it too, now you can enjoy the vehicle..

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

This.

I changed to the largest tires that fit a stock C2, new wheels, new ball joints, tie rods, control arms and bushings, trailing arms and ujoints, rear spring, all bushings, steering wheel, changed geometry on rear camber rods, rebuilt diff, probably some shit I’m forgetting. All new rear brakes…

Even saving and replacing the shims front and back meant nothing. I roughed it in doing a track alignment with string.

Well, you've got a new car when it comes to the suspension and brakes.

[zeek]

[GTOguy]

I've been aligning cars since 1983. Even then, we were performing 4 wheel alignments, as many of the new cars had adjustable rear axles (front wheel drive and IRS cars). Thrust angle was a big deal, as were camber and toe settings. Sometimes it involved taking the rear brakes off the car and inserting shims between the backing plates and the rear axle flange or cutting strut mounts at the prescribed spots to be able to move the struts into specifications. I did a some C2 and C3 Corvettes, and it was time consuming. 35 years ago, about a $150 job. So $500 seems like a good deal to me, today. The good news is, that you won't have to touch it for another 50,000 miles if you don't hit anything.

[65 Hardnocks]

The Chilton C2 manual says exactly how to do it.
That's how I did it in '92.

[Bill]

For that price, I would have asked if they would change my windshield wiper blades as part of the deal.

[Frankie the Fink]

This VisuaLiner machine was used to calibrate the factory alignment machines back in the day. It was two miles from me until about a year ago when the only guy that could run it passed away (my car is shown in the pic) - $125 and $25 tip to do a 4 wheel alignment after I rebuilt the entire rear end:

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

This VisuaLiner machine was used to calibrate the factory alignment machines back in the day. It was two miles from me until about a year ago when the only guy that could run it passed away (my car is shown in the pic) - $125 and $25 tip to do a 4 wheel alignment after I rebuilt the entire rear end:

If it weren't for the ASE banner, that picture could date from 1963. That machine is about that old. Excellent stuff, just a lot harder to set up than the laser self-calibrating modern stuff.

[Frankie the Fink]

The VisuaLiner machine pictured began to shock the operator (my buddy Malone; 74 years old) and I did a few fixes on it for him but the internals were just all going to crap with age issues and eventually the shop's insurance company said it had to go. (Malone recently passed too - very sad).

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by ZipZap

A lot of older cars are the same. You can't touch a nut without changing the geometry. Everything affects everything. Some of my older stuff, I ended up in what I called the spiral. You start adjusting things in a set pattern until you come upon two measurements that are correct

Rule of thumb: set rear wheels first. Then front. Camber and Toe on the rear in that order. Camber, Caster, and Toe on the front, in that order.

Kind of like an old fashioned tune up sequence: points dwell, timing, then carb.

Not rocket science.

[SnikPlosskin]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

Rule of thumb: set rear wheels first. Then front. Camber and Toe on the rear in that order. Camber, Caster, and Toe on the front, in that order.

Kind of like an old fashioned tune up sequence: points dwell, timing, then carb.

Not rocket science.

I learned the race track string method but just didn’t have the energy to do the rear. My fronts were within half a degree camber and dead on in those and caster.

My rear? Camber very close, toe all over the place like Oprah’s vayjayjay.

[SnikPlosskin]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

This VisuaLiner machine was used to calibrate the factory alignment machines back in the day. It was two miles from me until about a year ago when the only guy that could run it passed away (my car is shown in the pic) - $125 and $25 tip to do a 4 wheel alignment after I rebuilt the entire rear end:

What a great pic. I like those black steel wheels too!