99probs

What's the life expectancy of a C6 Z51 leaf spring? Alot probably depends on how often you drive the car, miles etc. I just wanted to get a general idea.

laconiajack

A poperly designed spring, leaf, torsion or coil, should last you the life of the car. However, their apparently have been some Vette spring failures due to chemical attack by underbody car washing chemicals that are not properly buffered, and/or some products used to clean tires, wheels and engines. Their is apparently a technical service bulletin on this.

Corpsvette

The only failure I remember reading on here about was an incident where someone had exhaust cutouts and they were point at the leaf which caused an early failure....basically melted the leaf if I remember correctly.

RadarP3C

Yes, that's the only one that I've read about also on a C6. But I think others on the same thread mentioned they had heard about other instances of failure from the heat directed from the cutouts on other vehicles.

Rogers 07

You would have to work at it pretty hard to actually get a spring failure from typical driving and cleaning activities etc.

okbkvette

The history of the composite leaf spring is very interesting to me, and is an example of why GM can continue to justify a low volume car, other than the fact it is their halo/performance marque. The vette, being a low volume car, has a history of being a test bed for new technologies. Simply stated, it's easier to try out something new when you are only selling maybe 20k units, versus a million trucks. If something doesn't work out, better it be on a few thousand units rather than a million trucks.
The hydroformed rails in our vette is another example. It was a new technology, tried first with the vette, then it founds its way into other vehicles, trucks, after vette etc.
Same thing with the composite leaf spring. I've read it's been on the trucks for years now. But in one of my reference books, in their "testing", they cycled it more than a million times. And afterwards, it still played out higher, in terms of resistance, failure, etc. than a comprable steel spring. Also, at least last time I saw, it was the single biggest weight savings on a part. Went from something like 80 pounds or more down to maybe 15 or so.
Anyway, point is, absent some bad chemical mix by a supplier, or some unknown outside force, these composite springs should not fail in any way for more than the life of these cars. Basic question is, how often does a steel spring fail?

crakavelli

I had to replace the rear spring on my 05 Z51 C6 at 35K miles; there were stress cracks where the spring is supposed to bend. I didnt have a warranty so I just got a low mile set of Z06 springs

Wayne O

The following link provides some great information about the Corvette transverse leaf spring...its worth reading through.

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum...f-springs.html

There's always an exception but IMO you should expect the springs will last for the lifetime of the car.

99probs

Did you notice a difference in the ride before replacing them?

crakavelli

Yes, I had suspicions something was wrong with the suspension. It doesnt seem to happen with many C6's and mine is a 2005 FWIW

FortMorganAl

You might also want to ask in the other sections such as C4. The composite fiberglass spring has been used in Corvettes for over 25 years.

MARSC6

I've know of one having to be replaced because of a crack at the dealership my GF used to work at. That was the only problem I ever heard of.

cclive

I've always heard that composite springs are good for many more flex cycles than a metal spring.