R1 Rider

I notice anytime someone post a pic of their new C5, there's always several that say it needs to be lowered, or it looks like a 4x4, etc. Anybody else besides me like the stock height, I personally think they look much better stock height, besides it already drags over everything anyway, most of the cars lowered around here are Hondas and ricers

GeorgeZNJ

IMHO just lower it on stock bolts.

CQRT

I'm fine where it is . . .and am always amazed at the people that cut bushings, lower the car, put enormous wheels on it with skinny tires then wonder why it scrapes on everything and rides like chit.

Clearly, the Corvette engineers had Some idea what they were doing when they designed the car.

Personalization I understand, and when it's your car - - it's your call.

JR-01

It does amaze me what some people will spend their money on. Some here will spend thousands of dollars just to lower their car 2 inches. I drive mine a lot, like the way it looks stock and would never even consider lowering it.

vetintheblood

Looks good to me!

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Pounder

I have had some damage at stock height, and I 'm very careful !!!!!!!!

jackthelad

After I put the 18/19 ZR replica wheels on, I got a bit **** and decided to "center up" the wheels in the wheel arches - that is to say, no more "air" at the top of the tires than at the sides. Easy, just lowered it on stock bolts - cost zero. Probably went down about 1".

Only problem with the "look" now is that the rotors are too small for the wheels, but fixing that would mean spending $$$ - and the brakes (Baer/Hawk) stop the car fantastically anyway. Just don't see spending $2k on a $11K car for looks.....

JR-01

Did you get a 4 wheel alignment when you lowered it?

phoneman91

Stock height is fine. It allows maximum suspension travel for this class of car. Even though the body clearance for speed bumps and curbs is limited.

Suspension travel is very limited already--and if you have the standard suspension it becomes very apparent.

I don't understand why anyone would lower a C5--other than looks. Hitting the bump stops at every imperfection in the street surface has to get tiring.

REDHOTS

I'm going to raise mine up. Low might look better, but it does not make it faster. Big horsepower and bottoming out doesn't make sense. A stock C5 is faster on most roads than a modded/lowered one. Low is slow.

91LSMAN

Mine is lowered and rides just fine. It's lowered on the "stock bolts."

Any lower and it would be an issue. I don't have any issues with bottoming out, etc. the way it currently sits.



But everyone has their own opinion. If we all did the same thing, this forum would be quite boring

Not4spd

It boils down to the roads you normally drive on IMO. However, there's a reason GM designed it where the owner can drop it. It's for when you are planning on doing some road racing. They even tell you in the racing section of the C5 Z06 owners video along with how to do it.

phoneman91

The condition of the roadway and the amount of snowfall and resultant pavement damage may also be a factor as to what vehicle level is tolerable.

91LSMAN

Absolutely!!

A couple weeks ago I had to drive on a portion of roadway where the traffic was re-routed onto previously unused asphalt-the old shoulder, so the other side of the road could be worked on. The dents on the asphalt and transition were so bad that I thought something was wrong with my vette-until I hit the stretch of new pavement after that.

I love driving on new roads. LOL

jackthelad

No. I used to be a suspension designer and we spent an awful long time making sure that our designs did not cause toe changes during normal suspension movements - especially in the plus or minus an inch or so from our design point. Otherwise, you hit a bump and the car wants to turn. Let's face it, on a regular sedan you can get an inch or so difference between driver only and fully loaded.

Absolutely no sign of uneven wear after close to 3 years. If I had tweaked it excessively, I would definitely have checked the alignment.

REDHOTS

The point of the thread is yes, that height looks great, and no issue if you go slow enough for the bumps, but there is no way whatsoever, that low of ride height is faster, or better riding on real roads. You are hitting the bump stops more than you know, which sends the spring rate sky high, making shocks feel too soft. The more suspension travel the better. A foot of suspension travel would be nice sometimes.

Rico7142

phoneman91

But it isn't unusual for the camber to change from one extreme to the other extreme of suspension travel--correct? I don't believe that camber changes much in the C5 though--but other suspension designs do cause camber to change when movement occurs in suspension travel and vehicle height.

phoneman91

Long suspension travel is appreciated. One reason that I have usually enjoyed driving European vehicles. The French have usually taken long suspension travel to the extreme.

imlowr2

One of the main selling points that made me buy my Vette was that fact that it was lowered. I test drove it and it drove smoothly, no bottom out, etc. I was told I could raise it back up, that's not happening. It's a matter of preference. I don't think I've owned a car that the suspension was modified in some way. For me, it just makes it more exciting to drive.