Rear Tires Angle?

[Tommy Almond]

If I recall the 81 was the first to have the composit rear spring, if so comparing my car to other older vettes is useless so I'll ask maybe a dumb question here.
My rear tires slopes from the top to bottom out just enough to be noticable when viewed from the rear. Is some slope outward at bottom okay and standard or was the 81s rears to be straight up and down?
As far as I can tell entire rearend and parts are still factory. Thanks in advance for comments and or answers.

 

[muddywaters]

The tilt is called camber, neg or pos., your rear is also toed-in, but you don't see that. Take it to a good alignment shop, Caster, camber, toe it's all adjustable. Have fun

 

[6880 Mike]

Some of what you see is an optical illusion. From the rear, these cars can sometimes look like the rear tires are leaning in at the top more than they actually do. You can check camber in your drivie way to give you a ball park idea. If you have a level spot to park, put a carpenter's bubble level vertically across the rim, resting on the rim and not the tire. The bubble should be nearly centered and a hair in toward the top.

If the factory camber is out, you will begin to see undue tire wear on the inner edges of the tires and the rear will feel twitchy on curves.

I agree with Muddy: if you feel the settings may be off, take the car to an alignment shop.

Note: I cannot get rid of the embedded link for the word "tires". Tried a couple of things, but niether worked. I have no association with the eBay listing which opens.

 

[Tommy Almond]

Thanks Mike and MW for your comments. I will check the rims with a level and go from there. We do have a good aligment shop in Charlotte that my major machanic uses so will schedule that this fall anyway just to check it out. Engine was replaced last summer, painted 2 summers ago and interior and brakes been replaced and improved so will just have the rear and aligment checked next to hopefuly get ahead of any problems if any are there.

 

[Tommy Almond]

Some of what you see is an optical illusion. From the rear, these cars can sometimes look like the rear tires are leaning in at the top more than they actually do. You can check camber in your drivie way to give you a ball park idea. If you have a level spot to park, put a carpenter's bubble level vertically across the rim, resting on the rim and not the tire. The bubble should be nearly centered and a hair in toward the top.

If the factory camber is out, you will begin to see undue tire wear on the inner edges of the tires and the rear will feel twitchy on curves.

I agree with Muddy: if you feel the settings may be off, take the car to an alignment shop.

Note: I cannot get rid of the embedded link for the word "tires". Tried a couple of things, but niether worked. I have no association with the eBay listing which opens.

Mike my level was longer than 16" which is what I needed to just get onto the rim so I tried using a wood spacer off the center cap and also checked it off the tires and both readings gave me about 3/4 bubble in at the top and if I recall the '81 Service Manual the specs is +/-1/2 degree so I believe it is more than just my eyes so will get it to an alignment shop soon before it starts to wear on the inners of my new tires. Will still try and get a shorter level to check just off of the rim but feel it will still show out too much.

 

[Peer81]

1/2 degree inward at the top is very nice! 1/2 negative camber that is. At the advanced street settings (VB&P) you should have something around that figure. Mine is also at 1/2 negative.

Greetings Peter

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

If I recall the 81 was the first to have the composit rear spring, if so comparing my car to other older vettes is useless so

The type of rear spring is irrelevant- it has no effect on rear camber. Measure what you've got and adjust as necessary.