Thread: Front end alignment

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I recently had new front coils and a new rear leaf spring installed in my 76 Corvette and an alignment. The car pulls to the left at low speed and gets worse as the speed increases. What causes this? I'm thinking improper toe in/out settings, but my knowledge of suspension is rather vague.

if it didn't do it before------------did you change or rotate any of the tires????
if not its probably a misalighnment!!!!!!!!!!them damn kids don't know how to do cars with early IRS. You probably need to take it to a different shop, with different people and the correct settings and use the proper process for reaching those numbers------

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

I recently had new front coils and a new rear leaf spring installed in my 76 Corvette and an alignment. The car pulls to the left at low speed and gets worse as the speed increases. What causes this? I'm thinking improper toe in/out settings, but my knowledge of suspension is rather vague.

The first thing I'd try is swapping the front wheels & tires side to side. If the pull follows the swap you've got a bad tire. I fought a pull to the right for a year, and ruined a set of front tires before someone gave me this tip.

I just returned from the shop that did the coils and spring and he says that the left front caliper is sticking and yes I just put new ones on in Nov. Rebuilts from O'Reilly's, I think they're going to get the left one back. Went for a test drive and he releaed the wheel at low speed and pressed on the brake and it went to the left and the steering wheel followed and he said it should stay straight, any thoughts?

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

I just returned from the shop that did the coils and spring and he says that the left front caliper is sticking and yes I just put new ones on in Nov. Rebuilts from O'Reilly's, I think they're going to get the left one back. Went for a test drive and he releaed the wheel at low speed and pressed on the brake and it went to the left and the steering wheel followed and he said it should stay straight, any thoughts?

I'd say you just found your problem.

Fortunately they are under warranty so I guess in a bit I'll get started on replacing the left one.

Change both sides so braking stays even

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Change both sides so braking stays even

I doubt that I have much over 500 miles on both of them.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

I doubt that I have much over 500 miles on both of them.

You've had one side dragging, so changing out the pads on both sides might not be a bad idea (and not that expensive), but I don't see that you'd gain anything changing the right caliper, and I'm pretty sure that warranty won't replace both if one's sticking.

You didn't put in Dot 5 fluid did you

No,no,no,no, I might be old, but I'm not that old and I can still see pretty well.

I took the Vette to a different shop this morning and a couple of hours later all is well. The alignment was all out of whack and now she drives straight as a string. He recommended that I replace the a arm bushings and the ball joints as well, but that will be for another day. Also put a new tail on.IMG_5746.jpg

Did they say what the alignment settings were from the other shop?

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Did they say what the alignment settings were from the other shop?

I forgot to ask, dumb, huh? It's only a couple of blocks away so I'll try to get over there today and ask. I haven't had a chance to take it out on the Interstate, but around town it's straight as a string.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

I forgot to ask, dumb, huh? It's only a couple of blocks away so I'll try to get over there today and ask. I haven't had a chance to take it out on the Interstate, but around town it's straight as a string.

Glad you got it straight, Ken! So was the brake caliper not really sticking on the left front? Moot point, just curious.