Bilster

Will 1988 or newer front suspension bolt on to an older C4? I would love to have the benefits of the newer front suspension but I'm not sure if it will bolt on to a pre-1988 C4. I'm talking the whole suspension...taken right off the frame horns. Not individual pieces. I found a rear-ended 1995 with the HD brake option for a reasonable price that I want.

vetteoz

Fits in but IIRC top shock mounts ( part of the frame ) are different
Would put your early wheels 3/4" further out each side unless you already have late offset rims with adapters

93Rubie

The only real benefits of the newer style suspenison is its zero scrub radius that only benefits the ABS system. From a handling stand point the early 84-87 Z51 cars have better at the limit handling than the later cars of any suspension package Z51/Z07, etc...

AKS Racing

Bolts right in. I have '96 suspension on my '87. But I do use the late model (different offset) ZR1 wheels.

LD85

And newer has slightly wide shock towers,

I fixed that on mine

Bilster

I thought the '88 and newer models got a revised geometry. Are you saying this revised geometry had little effect on handling?

69427

About twenty years ago I was talking to a well known Corvette development engineer about my Z51 '84. I asked him what suspension updates he would recommend for my car, and he recommended that I keep the setup I had. Given the amount of development miles he had put on that design, I didn't see the need to question his opinion.
Since then I've put a ton of track miles on that car, and love the handling, although I did put the later 13" brakes on it due to the marginal braking ability I experienced with the original brakes.

Bilster

That is so interesting because all the magazine publications made such a huge deal about the improved handling of the 88 model when it arrived.

93Rubie

This is straight from Dave McLellan's Book Corvette from the Inside. I am paraphrasing, here. The changes mostly centered around the rear suspension in keeping the camber from changing so much over bumps this led to the 88 suspension with lower attachment points for the lower lateral strut. They also changed the spring and shock absorber calibrations. The zero scrub radius of the front suspension is for ABS not any handling benefit.

Note: I did not say general handling of the 84-87 car is better. I said the at the limit handing is better. On a race track with equal tires a 84 Z51 should get better handling numbers than a 96 Z51. Why? Stiffer shocks, springs, sway bars, etc...on a race track. However, in the real world and on a bumpy track the 96 is better. Tires that cannot touch the pavement because the suspension is so stiff cannot grip the road.

If you are focused on handing get a Z51 or Z07 optioned car regardless of year you will get a very good handling car. The base suspension you should stay away from if you want good handling. Most years the FX3 is better than base setup. The base setup is all compromise for ride and some handling. FX3 can give you both. Especially when combined with Z07 and Z51 packages. However, you have to watch in the early 90's if you got the FX3 package with the Z51 package you got base level springs. Something like that anyway.

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...usp_chart.html

I had this discussion on another Corvette forum, enjoy.
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...-handling.html

rodj

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...fx3/index.html

"In '89, Selective Ride (FX3) came only in combination with the Performance Handling Package (Z51), but when you ordered those two, in a strange twist, the car was downgraded to softer, base springs, stabilizer bars and front lower control arm bushings. In 1990, FX3 no longer required Z51 but, if you ordered both, again, you got base springs, bars and bushings.
Unfortunately, this downgrade was not widely known. Many unsuspecting '89/'90 customers, wanting the stiffer springs and bars, ordered Z51 along with FX3 but never knew their cars had base parts.
While there were 83 Corvette Challenge or World Challenge race cars built during those two model years with FX3 and "real" Z51 (a combination known to some as "R9G") they were not available to the general public. It was not until 1991 when a combination of SRC and the stiffer springs and bars was released. That was RPO Z07, available through 1995."