Bottoming out Stock lowering bolts C6??
03-05-2013, 03:13 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Bottoming out Stock lowering bolts C6??
I have a C6 that i am lowering on the stock bolts. I have read that some C5s have problems and the ride quality is significantly changed once you bottom the bolts out. Anyone have any input on this?
thanks!
thanks!
03-06-2013, 07:54 AM
#4
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
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being about 1" lower the stock is the lowest you want to go.
but have a professional do that and corner balance.
going too low may look cool, but as you found out you bottom out the shocks and could go bouncing away.
but have a professional do that and corner balance.
going too low may look cool, but as you found out you bottom out the shocks and could go bouncing away.
03-06-2013, 08:33 AM
#5
Be careful; aside from scraping, the chances of screwing up the radiator bracket are significantly increased (they are thin aluminum and just tackwelded together) . I had 900 bucks of damage last summer just turning into a parking lot too quickly - and my car is at stock ride height...
03-06-2013, 12:22 PM
#6
Race Director
Be careful; aside from scraping, the chances of screwing up the radiator bracket are significantly increased (they are thin aluminum and just tackwelded together) . I had 900 bucks of damage last summer just turning into a parking lot too quickly - and my car is at stock ride height...
I fabricated some little steel "ski's" that cover and protect the rad bracket. Noisy when they hit but zero damage.
03-07-2013, 02:42 AM
#7
I actually mounted skate board wheels on mine. To do it right I removed the skid and sleeved the holes I drilled to make it stronger for the wheels to mount to.
A while back I even made my own skid and built some clevis attachments to it so the wheels are in line with the tubing. They help, but if hitting a driveway or something similar at anything more than super slow the skid will still get damaged. It is much more preferable to damage the skid rather than have it be too strong and transfer the energy to the frame and do damage that is much more difficult to repair. On my custom skid I welded clevis' to the frame for easier mounting. The threaded inserts from the factory are really a poor way of mouting something that can be damaged so easily.
A while back I even made my own skid and built some clevis attachments to it so the wheels are in line with the tubing. They help, but if hitting a driveway or something similar at anything more than super slow the skid will still get damaged. It is much more preferable to damage the skid rather than have it be too strong and transfer the energy to the frame and do damage that is much more difficult to repair. On my custom skid I welded clevis' to the frame for easier mounting. The threaded inserts from the factory are really a poor way of mouting something that can be damaged so easily.
03-07-2013, 08:18 AM
#8
The threaded inserts that hold the lower valence came out on my original radiator support and a few are coming loose on the new one...
I may have to try and jb weld them in place...
Last edited by el es tu; 03-07-2013 at 08:22 AM.
03-07-2013, 02:21 PM
#11
Race Director
What I like about steel skids over wheels is that the wheels stick down about an inch lower so you get many more "hits". I know the wheels are softer & you "should" be going slow.
The bad of steel skids is it sounds like the hounds of hell when they do the job, oh well.
The bad of steel skids is it sounds like the hounds of hell when they do the job, oh well.
03-07-2013, 06:45 PM
#14
Racing
I have little to no credibility when it comes to "weighing in" on racing being that I have been to a handlful of events. However, I'm bringing my car back in to raise it up after I lowered it all the way on stock bolts. There is no room for travel with the shocks and cornering suffers from it so I'm told. There had to be a "little" more obsorbing when turning into a corner or else your straight DIVING. I'm sure this all depends on your driving technique. Nonetheless I needed a little more forgiveness in corners for my taste and allow the shocks to do their job. Otherwise your running NEARLY metal on metal (beside the bushing on OEM/metal on aftermarket WCC bolts)
Again, as a disclaimer, I am by no means an expert on this
Again, as a disclaimer, I am by no means an expert on this
03-07-2013, 08:50 PM
#15
Race Director
Depends on the shocks & depends on the spring pkg also.
Alignment setting, bushings, wheel tire package too.
A change of one parameter on a system that depends on all parts working TOGETHER may not have a good result.
Check the ride height and suspension travel on a c5r or c6r to see if a correctly setup and driven Vette needs ride height and suspension travel to work.
Alignment setting, bushings, wheel tire package too.
A change of one parameter on a system that depends on all parts working TOGETHER may not have a good result.
Check the ride height and suspension travel on a c5r or c6r to see if a correctly setup and driven Vette needs ride height and suspension travel to work.
Last edited by froggy47; 03-07-2013 at 08:54 PM.
03-07-2013, 10:31 PM
#16
Racing
Depends on the shocks & depends on the spring pkg also.
Alignment setting, bushings, wheel tire package too.
A change of one parameter on a system that depends on all parts working TOGETHER may not have a good result.
Check the ride height and suspension travel on a c5r or c6r to see if a correctly setup and driven Vette needs ride height and suspension travel to work.
Alignment setting, bushings, wheel tire package too.
A change of one parameter on a system that depends on all parts working TOGETHER may not have a good result.
Check the ride height and suspension travel on a c5r or c6r to see if a correctly setup and driven Vette needs ride height and suspension travel to work.
I know seat time is the best investment, however in the meantime......
03-08-2013, 12:39 AM
#17
Race Director
I had a look at what you call WCC bolts, they look the same as stock bolts except the pad is thinner by a little.
The pad is an important part of your spring suspension, how it moves (or gets stuck) on the spring area makes a huge difference in handling.
Some guys polish the spring surface & lube the pad contact area (I do).
On my c5z I have a t1 spring and adjuster with a white delrin type plastic pad. Slides nice.
I have no idea what the WCC pad is made of, you might ask the mfg. It does sort of look like a China repro, but I could be way off on that.
Anyway, from the "look" of the WCC you are going to go maybe 1/4 inch lower than stock adjusters, I don't know why anyone would go to the trouble.
When I first started playing with suspension on this car 4 years ago, I lowered the front all the way (ON STOCK ADJUSTERS) and set the rear to acheive 1/4 inch rake. The gaps depend a LOT on tire size, don't forget.
Then I realigned the whole car. It handled like a rocket on rails.
No bottoming out stock shocks.
MUCH has been done since.
Did you realign after lowering? What is your rake at the chassis (not gaps). What alignment specs are you set to now (measure them, not what some shop told you)
Sounds like something went wrong and there are about a couple of dozen things that can go wrong when you start messing with the cars original height/alignment.
Find a race shop to set it right or teach yourself how to do it. We on the forum will help.
If you just buy stuff and have a standard shop or a buddy help you bolt it on, and, if you know much about handling and how a car should feel, you have about a 5% chance you'll like the result. Suspension is a very precise & "symbiotic" system where all the parts talk to all the other parts.
Also a car that is very well set up for max handling is not an easy car to drive at the limit, it's a bit nervous & twitchy. If it's very easy to drive at 10/10 you are leaving some on the table.
The pad is an important part of your spring suspension, how it moves (or gets stuck) on the spring area makes a huge difference in handling.
Some guys polish the spring surface & lube the pad contact area (I do).
On my c5z I have a t1 spring and adjuster with a white delrin type plastic pad. Slides nice.
I have no idea what the WCC pad is made of, you might ask the mfg. It does sort of look like a China repro, but I could be way off on that.
Anyway, from the "look" of the WCC you are going to go maybe 1/4 inch lower than stock adjusters, I don't know why anyone would go to the trouble.
When I first started playing with suspension on this car 4 years ago, I lowered the front all the way (ON STOCK ADJUSTERS) and set the rear to acheive 1/4 inch rake. The gaps depend a LOT on tire size, don't forget.
Then I realigned the whole car. It handled like a rocket on rails.
No bottoming out stock shocks.
MUCH has been done since.
Did you realign after lowering? What is your rake at the chassis (not gaps). What alignment specs are you set to now (measure them, not what some shop told you)
Sounds like something went wrong and there are about a couple of dozen things that can go wrong when you start messing with the cars original height/alignment.
Find a race shop to set it right or teach yourself how to do it. We on the forum will help.
If you just buy stuff and have a standard shop or a buddy help you bolt it on, and, if you know much about handling and how a car should feel, you have about a 5% chance you'll like the result. Suspension is a very precise & "symbiotic" system where all the parts talk to all the other parts.
Also a car that is very well set up for max handling is not an easy car to drive at the limit, it's a bit nervous & twitchy. If it's very easy to drive at 10/10 you are leaving some on the table.
Last edited by froggy47; 03-08-2013 at 11:05 AM.