[rdslon01]

Michael Quattlebaum, in this thread http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...cussions/2487-wheel-alignment-wind-noise.html you posted that your StingRay had some wheel alignment issues.

What happened? Was it resolved in a satisfactory manner?

I am sorry, but that thread was closed, so I am asking it here in a new one.

The reason is I have heard that a dealership is having extensive trouble getting StingRays to align properly. Has anyone else heard this?

 

[mjw930]

I did see a tread on another forum where a guy who was setting up his Z51 for track use they were unable to get the camber adjustments to the specs in the track prep document. They called BG and learned the track settings had been changed, less camber than on the sheet.

If it's a track alignment then that may be the issue. If it's factory spec they are having issues with I would also like to hear the outcome.


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[rdslon01]

I did see a tread on another forum where a guy who was setting up his Z51 for track use they were unable to get the camber adjustments to the specs in the track prep document. They called BG and learned the track settings had been changed, less camber than on the sheet.

If it's a track alignment then that may be the issue. If it's factory spec they are having issues with I would also like to hear the outcome.


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I was told they are having issues with the normal daily driver alignment. I was also told this is common, and "I am sure you will hear a lot about this on the online forums soon."

I don't understand why this would be difficult to align easily and properly with excellent results (no drifting either way when you release the wheel).

 

[Easton5150]

I was told they are having issues with the normal daily driver alignment. I was also told this is common, and "I am sure you will hear a lot about this on the online forums soon."

I don't understand why this would be difficult to align easily and properly with excellent results (no drifting either way when you release the wheel).

I took delivery 10 days ago and have noticed that I have a slight pull/drift to the right. My salesman says that I need to put more miles on it to get through break in period and then if it still drifts to bring it in. He says they can check by putting something on the wheels and it only takes 5 minutes. I figure I'll have them check when I take it in for first oil change.

 

[rdslon01]

I took delivery 10 days ago and have noticed that I have a slight pull/drift to the right. My salesman says that I need to put more miles on it to get through break in period and then if it still drifts to bring it in. He says they can check by putting something on the wheels and it only takes 5 minutes. I figure I'll have them check when I take it in for first oil change.

Why wait? If it is out of alignment (or something else similar), why let it continue to non-uniformly eat your tire tread for the rest of the break-in period? I would be very unhappy if they didn't immediately start trying to fix it.

 

[elegant]

GM will do a complimentary front end alignment at 1,000 miles if the tires or other factors show such an alignment is warranted. They want that mileage on the car before they do the free alignment, to allow suspension parts, bushings, etc to "settle in."

 

[abshapiro]

I'm just logging my experience and plan to follow this thread to hear what others have experienced. I also noticed a slight drift to the right. Many roads have a right slope for water drainage which can cause the drift. However, my wife's Lexus seems to go straight longer. Maybe the C7 tires, being more responsive, respond to the road slope more than all-season touring tires. I had access to a calibrated pressure gage accurate to 0.1 psi. I found that even though my normal pressure gauge indicated 32 psi in both front tires, there was a 1 psi difference when using the calibrate gage. My right front was 31.6 psi and the left was 32.5 psi. I set them both to 32 and the drift seems to be less -- perhaps wishful thinking.

 

[mjw930]

Most cars, especially luxury cars use slightly different caster settings to offset the crowned roads so they track straighter. Performance cars rarely do this so they tend to track differently on the same roads.

I certainly don't mean to imply your alignment isn't off, just providing a data point.

I hope someone posts what the problem is.


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[jsvette]

GM will do a complimentary front end alignment at 1,000 miles if the tires or other factors show such an alignment is warranted. They want that mileage on the car before they do the free alignment, to allow suspension parts, bushings, etc to "settle in."

I was under the impression that if there is an issue at less than one year and under 7,000 miles GM will do the alignment under warranty. Perhaps our Customer Service contacts could check into this and verify?

 

[jsvette]

I'm just logging my experience and plan to follow this thread to hear what others have experienced. I also noticed a slight drift to the right. Many roads have a right slope for water drainage which can cause the drift. However, my wife's Lexus seems to go straight longer. Maybe the C7 tires, being more responsive, respond to the road slope more than all-season touring tires. I had access to a calibrated pressure gage accurate to 0.1 psi. I found that even though my normal pressure gauge indicated 32 psi in both front tires, there was a 1 psi difference when using the calibrate gage. My right front was 31.6 psi and the left was 132.5 psi. I set them both to 132 and the drift seems to be less -- perhaps wishful thinking.

Art, I would like to correct your post to remove the extra 100 psi typo. But I also want to add that checking tire pressures (cold) with an accurate gauge is very important and could very well be at the core of some Stingray's alignment issues. RedHot has tracked dead straight from day one at all speeds.

 

[abshapiro]

jsvette - thanks for correcting the typo. At 132 psi I would be in real trouble. Also, it's good to know that RedHot tracks straight. The right drift in my car isn't much but it was noticeable and different from driving the Lexus down the same road.

 

[rdslon01]

Even on my old junk car, one thing which I cannot stand is a car which has even the slightest pull one way or the other. Also, I make sure my car stays in the lane if I hammer the breaks while having my hands just hovering an inch away from the wheel. I can't stand a car which starts to leave the lane under either condition.

My old car may be junk, but it tracks straight down the road and stops in its lane, and you don't have to hold the wheel in either case.

 

[riteflyr]

I believe in lifetime alignment and balance, so had my Stingray checked at less than 1,000 miles at Firestone. Insofar as alignment was concerned, per the printout only steer ahead was out of tolerance. However, all the wheels were rebalanced. I can't say how much weight was added, subtracted or put in a different location as I wasn't standing where I could view the balance machine readout, but I know from other cars I've had in this shop that if a wheel doesn't need rebalancing, they don't touch it after checking.

 

[rdslon01]

I believe in lifetime alignment and balance, so had my Stingray checked at less than 1,000 miles at Firestone. Insofar as alignment was concerned, per the printout only steer ahead was out of tolerance. However, all the wheels were rebalanced. I can't say how much weight was added, subtracted or put in a different location as I wasn't standing where I could view the balance machine readout, but I know from other cars I've had in this shop that if a wheel doesn't need rebalancing, they don't touch it after checking.

So they have the correct hardware to mount to the knuckles? I thought special hardware was required to align a StingRay.

 

[elegant]

Regarding Firestone having it, of course, I haven't a clue. However, that special hardware is part of the "package of StingRay specific tools" that all dealerships had to purchase prior to GM granting them any StingRay allocation.

 

[riteflyr]

I can't attest to the type of equipment/tools/hardware needed for alignment, but the computer printout says "Chevrolet: Corvette: 2014: FE1/FE2/FE3/FE4 Suspension".

 

[glen e]

Federal law now says mfrs special tools have to be avail to be purchased by non authorized (not a chev dealer) fixit shops...so it's very conceivable that Firestone can do a C7 alignment.

 

[mjw930]

Special alignment knuckles? I've aligned (technically had aligned) a lot of high performance and exotics and have never run across a wheel that the latest Hunter or Coats machines sensors can't properly grab.

Would you have a picture of this tool?


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[rdslon01]

Special alignment knuckles? I've aligned (technically had aligned) a lot of high performance and exotics and have never run across a wheel that the latest Hunter or Coats machines sensors can't properly grab.

Would you have a picture of this tool?


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I don't. I have just heard about it.

It would be extremely interesting, however, if someone could provide a picture.

 

[Fdxpilot]

I'm just logging my experience and plan to follow this thread to hear what others have experienced. I also noticed a slight drift to the right. Many roads have a right slope for water drainage which can cause the drift. However, my wife's Lexus seems to go straight longer. Maybe the C7 tires, being more responsive, respond to the road slope more than all-season touring tires. I had access to a calibrated pressure gage accurate to 0.1 psi. I found that even though my normal pressure gauge indicated 32 psi in both front tires, there was a 1 psi difference when using the calibrate gage. My right front was 31.6 psi and the left was 132.5 psi. I set them both to 132 and the drift seems to be less -- perhaps wishful thinking.

I know for some reason, everyone seems to think all cars should have 32 psi in the tires, but the specs for all vettes for the last 3 generations have been 30 psi cold. In fact, the track prep document specifies even lower pressures.



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