Camber adjustment by hammer

[William V.]

I'm currently reconditioning a 65 rear suspension and found a master mechanic had adjusted the rear camber by bending the strut rods, probibly with a hammer. I've seen this on other c2 & c3's. I think this is common. neet short cut huh! How much should they charge for this allignment?

[Mike M.]

Re: Camber adjustment by hammer

the alignment shop was probably owned by the Bar Brothers--Crow,Pry, and Wrecking.just straingten the rod and take it to a Hunter-equipped four wheel alignment shop. 4 wheel alignments in our neck of the woods is thirty of your green buddies. good luck, mike

[William V.]

Re: Camber adjustment by hammer

Mike

I should clarify. The struts are being replaced and I'll be doing the allignment. I just wanted to mention the the hammer and bar allignment shops are around. If someone did this to my 64, they would be waring the struts.

Thanks

[John H.]

Re: Camber adjustment by hammer

Remember the old gas station floor lifts that had a "cradle" on the rear post that picked up under the rear axle tubes on ordinary cars? Raise a C2 with one and you get two nicely bent strut rods - watched it happen once many years ago in a tire shop.

[Wayne K.]

And let me guess where. *NM*

[Floyd B.]

Re: Camber adjustment by hammer

Can an "ordinary" shop be trusted to perform an alignment on a C3? I'm most concerned that they wouldn't know how to shim the upper control arm supports to achieve the proper geometry since this isn't necessary on most modern cars. I don't think $30 - $50 accounts for this much work. I fear that they would just adjust toe-in and call the job done.

I just rebuilt the front end on my '73 and have been trying to decide if I need to take it to a shop that specializes in corvettes and pay the extra $$$$

-Floyd-

[Terry M.]

Re: Camber adjustment by hammer *TL*

Floyd,
If front alignment is all you are seeking (not a good idea on any vehicle), the Long Arm-Short Arm (LASA) front suspension on C2 and C3 is a no-brainer for any reasonably competent technician. That style of front suspension is still common today, mostly on SUVs but F#&d Clown D*^ks still use it. The computer based alignment machines that are common today actually calculate the number of shims needed at each position to get the caster and camber spot on the first time (so long as your ride height is within original spec, and you are not using dropped spindles). The job literally is a no-brainer. Of course if you watch the work, even from a distance, you should be able to tell if the tech adjusts the front shims or not.
You really want a four wheel alignment so that the adjustments made to the front are based on thrust angle, which is determined the rear suspension measurements. I suspect many alignment shops will not be interested in getting near a C2 or C3 due to the reputation of the difficulty of setting the rear toe adjustments. You don't want those shops near your car anyway.
This is one place where a local chapter can be invaluable. The hard earned experiences of fellow chapter members can point you toward Corvette friendly shops in your area.




Tire Rack tire tech

[John H.]

Re: Camber adjustment by hammer

As Terry said, the front is a no-brainer for any decent alignment shop. The real challenge is the rear toe-in, especially if your trailing arm pivot bolts are rusted to the bushing sleeves, which encourages typical shops to take "short-cuts" and employ the "close is good enough" philosophy. Talk to some other owners and find out which shops can be trusted to do the rear toe and thrust centerline measurements correctly and take the time to do the job right (and don't just leave the car there - stand and watch from start to finish to make sure no short-cuts are taken). In the Detroit area, there is one shop that really knows how to do this and takes the time to do it right (and has the shims in stock so you don't have to take an assortment with you); they get $120-$135 for a full 4-wheel Corvette alignment (assuming they don't have to use a nuclear device to get the pivot bolts out). You DON'T want an amateur doing this work.

[Floyd B.]

[Floyd B.]

Re: Camber adjustment by hammer

John,

Interesting: The price you mention is roughly 3x the normal tire shop price (usually around $49.95), but I was imagining worse for someone who really knows how to do a C3.

I'm in the Atlanta area. Does anyone have any suggestions. Please email me to prevent clutter on this forum. Thanx in advance.

[William V.]

how do you make those smile faces??? *NM*