Alignment

[AC2024]

Does anyone know the relative contributions for front camber form the top hat adjustment listed in the owners manual vs. adjustment of the camber bolts on the wheel carrier? I am looking to like adjust to ~-2 deg front and ~-1.5 deg rear to give a nice set up for street driving and I am not sure if I can just make one adjustment or the other to get there.

On a related topic, anyone have a good recommendation on an alignment shop north/west of Boston?

 

[vblkwng]

On my CT5-V Blackwing we (3 different shops) couldn't get it to -1.5 on rears without excessive toe. However, with the ZL1 adjustable toe link that issue has been resolved.

 

[Mbar]

No need to touch the 'top hats'. You just need to adjust the camber bolts by loosening the lower nut slightly and removing the top nut and banging out the bolt.
Now....here's the problem....there is NO freaking way to know how much is -2.0
If you max the camber it will be -2.5 , if you go the other way it will be 0.0
There is no way to know how to reach -2.0 except trial and error. But every time you try you need to remove the wheels, adjust the bolts , replace the wheels, roll the car back and forth and check the camber and pray you got to -2.0
Just been through that this past weekend (my front right camber moved from -2.0 to -2.7), took me 3 trials. I did it this time at home and after I got the correct camber, I'm taking it to a shop to dial the front toe, rear toe and rear camber.
I wish GM would have added adjustable camber bolts in the front, like we got in the rear. I don't like the feel of -2.5 on the street as the steering wonders too much and the shock absorbing feels harsher.

5BW has a hole on top of the strut where you can thread an additional bolt for micro adjustment. I used it with my 6Gen Camaro, there it was 10M bolt, if I remember correctly (see Camaro pic below with hex bolt). 4BW does not have that option.

@poor-sha created this great video that will help you.

 

[poor-sha]

I haven’t tried this, but if you remove the bug bolt, insert the adjuster bolt, and then lower the car, you should be able to set the alignment with the adjuster bolt. Once you get that right, just lift the car, remove the wheel, and tighten the big bolt. Or you can use hub stands which is what I do now.