Base to Z51 completely
04-05-2015, 02:21 AM
#21
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im going to have someone do this work for me...sounds like their are some gotcha's doing this suspension stuff that is beyond my tool box.
Do I need to going to a performance shop for this Z51 upgrade or would you feel fine going to reg. shop?
Do I need to going to a performance shop for this Z51 upgrade or would you feel fine going to reg. shop?
04-05-2015, 07:12 AM
#22
Start with tire types, and sizes that you will running, and let work back from there.
Also, is the intent for Autocross mostly, or for high speed use instead.
Lastly here, the car is not going to ride like a Cadillac, and we don't want it to either (going to ride a lot firmer). We want the road feed-back through the suspension so we know what the tires are doing against the ground. Some will call this a very rough/firm ride in say a Z06 set up car, but the ride is slightly more softer in a Z51 set up.
As a side note, the Z51 set up is actuality faster for most novice drivers around a high speed track, since the z51 set up will give you plenty of feed back as you are putting it close the edge, and about to break loose from going over the edge. On the Z06 set up, way, way less feed back as you put the car it on the edge, and way to easy to put it over the edge instead (read had to know where the edge is of what the car will do, or the car is going to bite you instead).
Autocross is mostly smooth parking lot course, and you can almost pan the car, and get it way it. Here, you will see a lot of guys over spring'g/sway bar'g/shocking the cars to try to keep them from leaning at all, and since this is low speed use where most of the corner are just glided through, they can get away with it.
For high speed use, you get the suspension too stiff or not enough fluid travel at high speed road chatter or bad dips, when you get into such, instead of the car tracking cleaning with enough fluid suspension through it, the car just starts getting bounced/skating all over the road instead. Also, if you have the car way out balance front to back, the car is going to become a monster as well every turn (way under steer, snap steering, or the back end just trying to walk out on you as soon as you look at the gas pedal), and slow you down getting around the course.
As for actually swapping the suspension, if you are comfortable putting the car up on jack stand and working under the car, then the shocks,sways, and front spring is pretty easy to swap out. The fun to be had by all hard part is getting the ride height set for all 4 corners (either 4 corner balance, or at least breaking out the measuring tape to adjustment at the height adjustment bolts), then taking the car in to have it 4 wheel aligned.
To really wrap this up, if you are going with Z-51 shocks, Z-51 sways, and a FE3 front spring, then check the for sale forum here to see what you can pick up used with pretty much no mileage on the parts. IIRQ, you can get all of that for under $350, and it was pulled off a car that someone pretty much pan'd for parking lot use instead.
P.S, Big boy road course have straight that are 150mph plus before it time to break for the corner. If all you want to do is run parking lot courses, then go by a shifter kart, since you will faster around the low speed short track instead (and have more fun as well). To figure out what type tracks you running, all you have to do is figure out how close you have come to red lining 5th gear on the course.
Also, is the intent for Autocross mostly, or for high speed use instead.
Lastly here, the car is not going to ride like a Cadillac, and we don't want it to either (going to ride a lot firmer). We want the road feed-back through the suspension so we know what the tires are doing against the ground. Some will call this a very rough/firm ride in say a Z06 set up car, but the ride is slightly more softer in a Z51 set up.
As a side note, the Z51 set up is actuality faster for most novice drivers around a high speed track, since the z51 set up will give you plenty of feed back as you are putting it close the edge, and about to break loose from going over the edge. On the Z06 set up, way, way less feed back as you put the car it on the edge, and way to easy to put it over the edge instead (read had to know where the edge is of what the car will do, or the car is going to bite you instead).
Autocross is mostly smooth parking lot course, and you can almost pan the car, and get it way it. Here, you will see a lot of guys over spring'g/sway bar'g/shocking the cars to try to keep them from leaning at all, and since this is low speed use where most of the corner are just glided through, they can get away with it.
For high speed use, you get the suspension too stiff or not enough fluid travel at high speed road chatter or bad dips, when you get into such, instead of the car tracking cleaning with enough fluid suspension through it, the car just starts getting bounced/skating all over the road instead. Also, if you have the car way out balance front to back, the car is going to become a monster as well every turn (way under steer, snap steering, or the back end just trying to walk out on you as soon as you look at the gas pedal), and slow you down getting around the course.
As for actually swapping the suspension, if you are comfortable putting the car up on jack stand and working under the car, then the shocks,sways, and front spring is pretty easy to swap out. The fun to be had by all hard part is getting the ride height set for all 4 corners (either 4 corner balance, or at least breaking out the measuring tape to adjustment at the height adjustment bolts), then taking the car in to have it 4 wheel aligned.
To really wrap this up, if you are going with Z-51 shocks, Z-51 sways, and a FE3 front spring, then check the for sale forum here to see what you can pick up used with pretty much no mileage on the parts. IIRQ, you can get all of that for under $350, and it was pulled off a car that someone pretty much pan'd for parking lot use instead.
P.S, Big boy road course have straight that are 150mph plus before it time to break for the corner. If all you want to do is run parking lot courses, then go by a shifter kart, since you will faster around the low speed short track instead (and have more fun as well). To figure out what type tracks you running, all you have to do is figure out how close you have come to red lining 5th gear on the course.
Last edited by Dano523; 04-05-2015 at 07:31 AM.
04-05-2015, 03:11 PM
#23
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all road course for me, not a fan of the cones.
the track I will go to almost exclusively, is pretty technical 2 mile ( Blackhawk Farms, really love the track but maybe a bit narrow ). the highspeed turns are 3rd gear (can actually do almost the whole course in 3rd if being nice to car ), as for the straight can get to 4rth for a short time. so 50-100 would be the handling regime mostly
As for tire, will beat the goodyears one last time or two then go sport cup2's ( almost seems like a waste to track such an expensive tire but but but
Hope to get up to Road America, that track seems pretty darn big
the track I will go to almost exclusively, is pretty technical 2 mile ( Blackhawk Farms, really love the track but maybe a bit narrow ). the highspeed turns are 3rd gear (can actually do almost the whole course in 3rd if being nice to car ), as for the straight can get to 4rth for a short time. so 50-100 would be the handling regime mostly
As for tire, will beat the goodyears one last time or two then go sport cup2's ( almost seems like a waste to track such an expensive tire but but but
Hope to get up to Road America, that track seems pretty darn big
04-05-2015, 03:26 PM
#24
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im getting all kinds of curious about the rear spring, as was said the base is harder than z51, so can get away with leaving it. ( im not gonna have any money left to actually get on the track! lol )
BUT for GM not to take advantage of using the same rear spring in base and z51, their has got to more than a small reason...
BUT for GM not to take advantage of using the same rear spring in base and z51, their has got to more than a small reason...