JakeL

Hey all -

Thought I'd post some impressions after having had my 4th set of swaybars on this car.

My car started off with the stock early-sized Z51 swaybars. ( :lolg: :lolg: :U :rolleyes: ).

Pretty early on, I replaced them with a set of Z06 bars, which are substantially larger. When installing them, I also installed the nifty new metal endlinks. The car cornered much flatter, and had zero degradation in ride quality that I could detect, and this included swapping to a Z06 rear spring at the same time. My autocross times went down a bunch, and the car was much more neutral. For $220 shipped these days from Fred Beans, I would heartily recommend these as the ultimate street upgrade for a guy who just wants his C5 not to roll as much.

Next, I installed T1 swaybars, since I was having some trouble with my 305 fronts rubbing, due to the extra size of the tire, and extra suspension travel afforded by my shortened Penskes. All body roll was absolutely gone, and the car felt like it was absolutely on rails. However, the handling balance tipped back a bit toward understeer. I confirmed this talking to Gary Thomason (Solo II ASP national champ), who had the same impressions. The T1's are apparently a better solution for road racing, where the car doesn't need to rotate quite so easily. Further, on the street, they were absolutely brutal. The car crashed over any kind of irregularity in the road surface, and I removed them after a week or so in favor of the Z06 bars again. Peace was restored.

After a new alignment and a few over-winter goodies, the car is now generating enough grip that I started rubbing again in long sweepers, even with stepping down to 285/30-18 fronts. So, I have installed a set of Hotchkis swaybars, along with the fancy endlinks they provide. I have not yet competed with them, but they came highly recommended by Gary Thomason, so I am confident they will feel excellent, and will hopefully cure my rubbing problems. As far as their street manners, I was able to detect only a slight degradation of ride quality over the Z06 bars, and once properly aligned and tightened, I haven't heard a single peep out of the adjustable endlinks that Hotchkis provides. The packaging, instructions and fit-and-finish were, bar none, the best attention to detail I have *ever* seen when buying aftermarket parts. I was floored. At $500, they are not cheap, so they don't present a good value relative to the Z06 bars, unless you're looking for a bit of an edge over the Z06 bars, and want a great street/autocross compromise. I will be keeping these for a long time, I believe.

I hope that reviewing the four back-to-back from one person can help somebody :)

-Jake

blu00rdstr

:thumbs: Thanks a bunch. That made up my mind. :D

Now go and try all the coilover options for us please! :jester

City_Cobra

Great review! Thanks! To bad you did not try the Addco/BMR. I heard the are between the Hotchkis and the T1.

Toby

EFI-1

Great write up...I was planning on the Hotchkis bars, but you just sealed the deal!

Aloha, Dave :cheers:

Blorton

Thanks for posting this. I've been waffling between the T1's and the BMR's. I'd heard the T1's were rough, but your description certainly removes any doubt about that. :)

I wonder if the T1's would be livable with a proper set of coilovers. :p:

My FRC is still on the stock suspension, and I've been tempted to go the low buck route and just change the front bar and rear spring to bring it up to Z06 specs. However, the BMR bars look pretty appealing, as do the LGM coilovers. :reddevil

Thanks again,
Dan

Patches

:iagree: I am very impressed with my Hotchkis bars.

JakeL

If I recall correctly, they're 31mm and 21mm, which is sort of an odd combination. The front is between the Z06 and Hotchkis, and the rear is about the size of a Z51 rear? :confused:

I might be wrong on those sizes though - somebody can correct me if they like.

I doubt it. Coilovers are just moving the location of the spring, after all. Even turning the compression and rebould ALL the way down on my shocks, the T1's were brutal. With the Hotchkis and Z06 bars, going from full soft to full stiff on the shocks is a bigger ride difference than moving from the Z51 to Z06/Hotchkis bars was.

Don't know why the move from 32 to 38mm is such a big one, but IIRC, the increase in bar stiffness is a fourth power equation. I'll have to dig out my suspension books one of these days...

-Jake

Slammed Vette

I've had T1's one my car for over 2 years and love them!!! Drive on the street with no problem.I'm actually going to be pulling the Z51 springs and the Bilstein sports off and replacing them with coilovers soon.The T1's are the only thing I would keep!!!

Umrswimr

:thumbs:
Thanks for the write-up! :cheers:

O-Ace

Thanks for the write-up; and your very informative C5 web page. I ordered the Z06 sway bar setup from Fitchner Chevy today :cheers:

-Awais

JakeL

Thanks!

-Jake

Cobra4B

I like to roadrace and auto-x I've been drooling over a set of T-1's and '04 Z06 shocks :smiliedrool: I just got track tires and signed up for Viperdays so I'm broke as a joke :sad:

Ruby6spd

That is what I have on my Z and I love it - 04 shocks, T-1 bars, and stock 01 springs. It is firmer than stock but I can live with it :cheers:

SteveL2

Thanks for taking the time to do a great write-up. :thumbs:

I've driven a Z06 and it has an up-and-down feeling of a watered down pick up truck, which is not noticeable on good streets but annoying to my soft butt on wavy streets (which are common in my area). Since you mentioned a change in the rear springs, do you think that affected this vertical sensation? Thanks.

JasonFRC

Arizona roads must be a bit better than Colorado. :D

I spend my time swerving to avoid potholes!

JakeL

I'm really not sure. I ran the Z06 bars with Z51 springs for just a few days until the rear Z06 spring arrived, and really couldn't tell a difference in the ride. If it has too much of an "up and down" feeling, maybe it had some worn out or crappy shocks?

I think that suspension preference for the street is just like cams -everybody's got a happy medium where they're comfortable. Some guys like soft springs and 218/218 cams, some guys like the 224/224, and Hotchkis/Z06 setup, and some guys like the G5X-2 and the T1 bars. I think I've found my happy medium for suspension stuff, we'll see where I end up in the motor!

And yes, Arizona roads are a LOT better than Colorado roads! Colorado's aren't the worst I've ever driven, but they do suck.

-Jake

MikeJamesC5

I have Hotchkis sway bars and Bilstein shocks and I like them. I was told if you do get one you should get the other. I don't road race but I wanted better performance. I lowered my car an inch and a half so the only time it gets bad is when you hit a big pot hole or bump. I live in Michigan so we have plenty of both. But all around my car rides better then it did before. :thumbs:

Bink

Which end links are you guys using with the T1s?? T1 or OEM?? TIA.

CrazyMagMan

You'll like the Z-06 swaybars a lot. I have those with the stock Z51 springs and she corners much flatter and there was no ride degradation at all. Now I'm sure I need Bilstiens or similiar shocks. :)

devo

My hotchkis bars are great But I do need to upgrade my springs and shocks

You mentioned the upgrade to the ZO6 rear spring, how much of a difference did that make?


[Modified by devo, 11:11 AM 5/2/2004]