BlueZee28

iTrader: (30)

I just finished my LS1 10 bolt install a few days ago and I put an adjustable panhard bar on it, and then took the car up to the local shop to get a full 4 wheel alignment and new tires.

They had the wheels aligned perfectly, 100% in line with each other, but visually the rear end is off center. They said they don't know what to tell me other than get about a 1" spacer and stick it on the driver side rear wheel. I really don't want to do that because that would look really tacky. It drives perfect of coarse, it just looks wierd. They tried adjusting the phb but of coarse it would only throw the alignment out of whack.

Any ideas on why I'm having such a hard time with this? I was under the impression that a 10 bolt is a direct bolt-in installation. All the mounting spots were direct crossovers, I don't see what the problem is. I'm so confused.

camaronewbie

Are you sure you have the front wheels on the front and the rear wheels on the rear? If you have the 16 x 8 wheels, there are differences in the front and rear backspacings - you have to put the front wheels on the front, and the rear wheels on the rear - the rims are marked "frt" and "rear" on the inner side.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

wait, how did they "align" the rear end, without making use of the adjustable panhard bar until the rear end was centered under the car??

You'll want to use a plumb bob or something, and measure the distance your tires are inwards of your fender, on each side. Adjust the panhard until they are the same, with the car on flat level ground. Then you've just aligned the rear of your car.

The "alignment" can only be done on the front of these cars, as far as caster and camber goes. With a solid rear axle there's nothing you can do to the rear, aside from buying and using adjustable rear suspension parts, like a panhard bar. Once you've centered the tires in the wheel wells, then you've adjusted the rear. (since you don't have an adjustable set of LCA's and TA).

5678TA

i'll put money down that they didnt try and play with the panhard.. you have to pay extra for that..

just because the shop tells you they are inline doesnt mean that they centered the rear.. a 4wheel alignment is JUST to make the wheels point the same way.. they make the front wheels parallel to the rears.. the rear should have come centered and straight from the factory.. thats why your panhard is ADJUSTABLE!!

BlueZee28

iTrader: (30)

I know the owner of the shop, he wouldn't josh me around like that.

What you guys are getting is that the driveshaft and torque arm are in a perfect line with the rear end in the position it's in right now. The rear end is sticking to the passenger side by about an inch but it's aligned in the "drive angle" or whatever it's called. He had a name for it, I can't remember what it's called but he said they use a laser to measure the alignment between the front and rear tires and to make the the driveshaft is at a 90* angle with the rear end. He said when the rear wheels were centered on the body, the driveshaft was crooked which would cause tension that I don't want.

And they're not the stock wheels, they're the 17x9 ZR1's

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

I would center the rear. I don't think the 1" difference will cause any tension in the driveshaft, it suffers more misalignment in the downwards direction normally, u-joints save you there.

*shrug*, I didn't think you could get a 4 wheel alignment on these cars with stock rear suspension since there's nothing to adjust.

Darkshot

iTrader: (4)

I got the impression that they did play with the PHB and bringing the rear into center relative to the fender lip (ie: visually) meant they had to take the rear wheels out of center relative to the front wheels. In other words the car is driving like how a dog runs - straight and the wheels parallel to each other but the front wheels are not on the same "vertical plane" as the rears. If this is true then it sounds like the unibody is tweaked. Again, thats only if I am understanding the problem correctly....

5678TA

if the rear is 1" to the passenger side, that means that its 1/2" off center.. 1/2" will give you less than one degree of driveshaft angle.. your factory pinion angle is more extreme.. its usually around 2*ish.. if i were you i would re-center the rear.. its not like the angle is 20*..

rjt76

how much is your car lowered?

bilms01

All a 4 wheel alignment on a solid rear axle car is more appropriately called a THRUST ALIGNMENT. nothing is done to the rear, all that it involves once the caster and camber is set the toe is adjusted to any angle the rear is at. Most rear axles are not ferfectly square with the centerline of the vehicle one side could be set back a fraction of an inch craeting a thrust line which may not be it the exact line as the vehicle centerline. The thrust alignment compensates for this by adjusting toe in order for the rear wheels to track in the same path as the rear. Odds are the rear axle was never touched for the alignment itself.

BlueZee28

iTrader: (30)

It's not.
Yea that's what its called. The thrust angle.

rjt76

how did this out of alignment happen? is the panhard bar shorter then stock for some reason? Im just trying to figure out how it got off center if its not lowered?
what did the centering look like with your old rear end?

BlueZee28

iTrader: (30)

The panhard bar I put on it is adjustable so it can go shorter or longer. The old rear end was 100% centered visually on the car with the stock panhard bar.

rjt76

do you have a picture of the rear of the car you can put up? I am curious as to what is going on with your rear. whats it look like with the stock panhard rod with the new rear?