Snowwolfe

My 01 had the selective damping option and I was not impressed. No one who ever rode in the car could tell when the suspension was changed. Last summer I had a chance to ride in a C6 with the same option over a 20 miles stretch of horrible roads and again could not tell when the suspension was changed.
When I ordered my 09 in December I passed on the Z51 option thinking the base suspension was good enough. After the car was ordered it seemed like the more reading about the subject the more I wished my 09 had the Z51. As most of you know the factory was closed for 2 months and somewhere in this time period decided the Z51 was for me. I learned from experience over the years you are better off adding something to a vehicle when it is built rather to try and add it later. Tommy Jr was able to get the order changed before production began.
Our roads up here are terrible to say the least. The major 3 lane highway into and out of Anchorage have grooves worn in each lane caused by studded tires. These grooves cause any vehicle to become darty as it goes in and out of the lanes but the Vette seems to relax if you go with the flow. The dartiness is still there but if you don't fight it and relax it is easier to deal with.
Read many horrow stories about how rough the Z package was and frankly I just don't get it. I realize I am comparing a C5 vs the C6 but this car rides way better than my C5 even though the C6 has the Supertires.
Handling is off the charts. Now I have a car that outhandles anything I ever drove in my life. Oh, and those cross drilled rotors just look so fricking cool
Only negative I can say about the entire package is the tires perform worse the lower the temperature. When it is in th 30 degree range they will break loose if I punch it in second gear.
Other than that I give the Z51 package a big thumbs up
The Z51 may not be your choice but I love it.
Now, maybe I gotta get some badges.

lander

, and I'm new around here!

dvilin

People that have it, love it including the badges , I have the stock suspension and it meets my needs. Can not say anything negative about the Z51 as I have never driven a Vette with it. So enjoy and glad you are happy.

kev1n

i was insistent on getting a base or f55 when I started looking, I found a great deal on the z51 and would not change a thing! I am glad I got it or else I would not have known what I'd be missing out on. I for one don't care for the badges.

Vette Suspension

If you cannot feel the difference in the F55 suspension you need to see a doctor. Something is wrong.

The Z51 is a nice suspension so no knocks there. But, the ride changes significantly on the F55 when switched.

SanDiegoBert

Mine's a daily driver, and I'm a conservative driver, so the Z51 gadgets would not make much difference at all, if any, in my driving. I don't track the car, so it would have been a waste of $$. And, I'm not much for option badges anyway.

JVM225

I got the Z51 option in my Vert and never looked back. It was a great value and enhancement to an already awesome car. I live in the suburbs of NYC and our roads, although not as bad as in the city, are not in such great condition. I drive my car around here, and sometimes in and around the city, and have absolutely no complaints about the way it rides. It is not harsh at all.

Mike's LS3

Would not own a vette without the Z51 option. It is a great value and really makes the vette feel like a sports car. What I do not understand is why people think the Z51 is for track users. I enjoy the benefits every time I drive it and I never driven on the track with my vette.

BTW: No badges here:

VET4LES

I have the Z51 without badges. Are they available.

Levitating_Llama

I have to admit I didn't notice even the tiniest difference, either, with the F55 (at least on the smooth roads I would almost exclusively drive on). Maybe if I was venturing onto logging trails.

siffert

Those cross drilled may not look so cool if and when they start cracking on you. You think punching it in second gear with Supercraps is bad in 30's* cold weather, try punching it in 1st gear from a dig below 50*. As for the badges, go fer it!

Vette_DD

Don't forget the other enjoyment you'll get from the Z51: you get to replace the tires more often.

Strange that we've never had a thread about the Z51 option or the F55 option.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=F55+Z51

bsr8129

Snobike Mike

I had an 04 vert with Mag ride and even on smooth roads I could immediately tell the difference between sport and tour modes. The most apparant difference was in the rear as it felt much more "floaty".

For the C6, mine has the infamous Z51, and compared to a base suspensionm the feeling is almost of a more aggressive "stance" in terms of the feel of the car especially in the rear.

Z51 feels far stiffer than a base and stiffer compared to sport mode on Mag Ride. Base suspension is stiffer than tour, but less than sport and z51.

Trout-44

I have a 2007 with the F55 and z51 sway bars..When in the touring mode it is softer than my 2008 CTS with the FE3 suspension. In the sport mode it is definitely stiffer than the CTS..The difference is noticeable

siffert

I have ridden in all three and 100% agree with your comparison. I personally settled on the base knowing I could add specific components to bring it up to a higher level without what I thought were undesirable elements of the other suspension options.

jvinsepa

i agree... I have the base suspension too, and if I feel that I want a stiffer ride, I will add thee Z51 swaybars at a later time.

I even was asked by someone at a car show if I wanted a complete Z51 setup (shocks, sways, rotors, etc) for only $600. I passed.

Vette Suspension

And in a few months you can add many more to this list. It's just the way forums work. New members and same topics.

moolys

09C6VRGG

Even though this topic has been started about 800 times, I will say this.
If I wasn't going to make the Vette my 8 month a year daily driver, then I would have gotten the z51. The package is great for what you get. I just couldn't live with the shocks. I am probably going to add the Z51 sway bars to my FE1 suspension. The Z51 is great for going to the track. My average speed at 700 miles is 16.8 MPH, so I really do not need it. For those that like the feel of the road the z51 is great. I drove all 3 suspensions. I put 170 miles on the Hertz Corvette with the F55 package and it rode great as well.
The reason we have 3 different suspension choices is because people use their Vette for different purposes. All the suspensions are great.