How to: Lower the C7
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
How to: Lower the C7
One of the vendors already did it. They say its similar to the c6. I am not familiar with either. I plan on doing it this weekend, I could do a write up, but I need the info / how to myself first, then I can document as I go and post up. Someone can link me to the thread or pm me that would be great.
#2
#7
Race Director
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: Bluffton SC via Canton Oh
Posts: 11,351
Received 1,981 Likes
on
1,141 Posts
So what do folks do when they lower the car??? Guess what I am asking I get my ratchet on the bolts and count the number of turns I make to make sure each side of the axle is changed around the same amount?
Or do people just slam it down as far as they can? I mean do I just adjust the bolts as far as they will allow?
Or with all the variables in a suspension any I being too precise?
Or do people just slam it down as far as they can? I mean do I just adjust the bolts as far as they will allow?
Or with all the variables in a suspension any I being too precise?
#8
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: Cedar Rapids Iowa
Posts: 919
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes
on
14 Posts
If you have one of the C7's that seems to sit high, you can lower it a bit to make it look better. You can count the turns, or measure and repeat. It takes a bit of driving for the suspension to settle after you do it.
You can use a floor jack and one jack stand. Jack up the car with the puck on the corner you want to adjust. Then put a rubber cushion on the leaf and a jackstand under it. Lower the car down so the jackstand pushes up on the leaf spring. The lowering bolt can be turned with a 10 mm wrench. Most cars only need 1/2" or 3/4" to look much better. Once you get some miles on the car you could have the alignment checked, it's not a bad idea anyway since the tires are expensive and factory alignments are not always perfect. Many have said that droping the car a bit on stock bolts does not affect the alignment much, if any.
You can use a floor jack and one jack stand. Jack up the car with the puck on the corner you want to adjust. Then put a rubber cushion on the leaf and a jackstand under it. Lower the car down so the jackstand pushes up on the leaf spring. The lowering bolt can be turned with a 10 mm wrench. Most cars only need 1/2" or 3/4" to look much better. Once you get some miles on the car you could have the alignment checked, it's not a bad idea anyway since the tires are expensive and factory alignments are not always perfect. Many have said that droping the car a bit on stock bolts does not affect the alignment much, if any.
#9
If you have one of the C7's that seems to sit high, you can lower it a bit to make it look better. You can count the turns, or measure and repeat. It takes a bit of driving for the suspension to settle after you do it.
You can use a floor jack and one jack stand. Jack up the car with the puck on the corner you want to adjust. Then put a rubber cushion on the leaf and a jackstand under it. Lower the car down so the jackstand pushes up on the leaf spring. The lowering bolt can be turned with a 10 mm wrench. Most cars only need 1/2" or 3/4" to look much better. Once you get some miles on the car you could have the alignment checked, it's not a bad idea anyway since the tires are expensive and factory alignments are not always perfect. Many have said that droping the car a bit on stock bolts does not affect the alignment much, if any.
You can use a floor jack and one jack stand. Jack up the car with the puck on the corner you want to adjust. Then put a rubber cushion on the leaf and a jackstand under it. Lower the car down so the jackstand pushes up on the leaf spring. The lowering bolt can be turned with a 10 mm wrench. Most cars only need 1/2" or 3/4" to look much better. Once you get some miles on the car you could have the alignment checked, it's not a bad idea anyway since the tires are expensive and factory alignments are not always perfect. Many have said that droping the car a bit on stock bolts does not affect the alignment much, if any.
It appears some C7'ss must have been set @ the lower setting.
#10
Le Mans Master
all the ones i've seen come through work (4 Z51s) look like 4x4s IMO. i'd like to see them lowered
#11
Heel & Toe
Member Since: Sep 2013
Location: Colorado Springs CO
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just finished lowering my Z51. I guess the results vary. I dropped mine as far as it would go. After a short drive, the measured results were 5/8" lower in front and 1-1/8" in the rear.
I'm pretty slow, and it took me about 2-1/2 hours to do it. The rear was the bitch, as I could only get about 1/8 turn with each try of the box end 10mm wrench. A ratcheting one is the ticket.
The front went easier with the tires removed as I could get about 1/2 turn. Remember to get the spring jacked up or the bolt won't turn at all. Look under the spring opposite the bolt head and you can tell when the spring is wound all the way. Mine stopped about 1/16" from full bottom.
Jacking up the spring will test your ingenuity if you don't have a bottle jack. I made some 2 x 4 chunks of wood that worked ok and used jackstands and a floor jack. Remember to jack the spring as far out to the outside as possible for maximum flex. Other than that things were pretty easy. Looks so much better. The body of the car at the front a-pillar now measures 5-1/4". From the factory, it was 6". That's the main part of the body, not counting the bolts and nuts that hang down below that.
When jacking the spring, the car came off the jack stand fairly high before it started to move, so I guess that's normal, either that or put 8 adults in the car for ballast.
Front fender lip at the wheel center, highest point, was 27-1/2" to the ground and after was 26-7/8"; rear measured 29-1/2" and after was 28-3/8. These numbers should help a baseline person maybe.
I'm pretty slow, and it took me about 2-1/2 hours to do it. The rear was the bitch, as I could only get about 1/8 turn with each try of the box end 10mm wrench. A ratcheting one is the ticket.
The front went easier with the tires removed as I could get about 1/2 turn. Remember to get the spring jacked up or the bolt won't turn at all. Look under the spring opposite the bolt head and you can tell when the spring is wound all the way. Mine stopped about 1/16" from full bottom.
Jacking up the spring will test your ingenuity if you don't have a bottle jack. I made some 2 x 4 chunks of wood that worked ok and used jackstands and a floor jack. Remember to jack the spring as far out to the outside as possible for maximum flex. Other than that things were pretty easy. Looks so much better. The body of the car at the front a-pillar now measures 5-1/4". From the factory, it was 6". That's the main part of the body, not counting the bolts and nuts that hang down below that.
When jacking the spring, the car came off the jack stand fairly high before it started to move, so I guess that's normal, either that or put 8 adults in the car for ballast.
Front fender lip at the wheel center, highest point, was 27-1/2" to the ground and after was 26-7/8"; rear measured 29-1/2" and after was 28-3/8. These numbers should help a baseline person maybe.
#12
So what do folks do when they lower the car??? Guess what I am asking I get my ratchet on the bolts and count the number of turns I make to make sure each side of the axle is changed around the same amount?
Or do people just slam it down as far as they can? I mean do I just adjust the bolts as far as they will allow?
Or with all the variables in a suspension any I being too precise?
Or do people just slam it down as far as they can? I mean do I just adjust the bolts as far as they will allow?
Or with all the variables in a suspension any I being too precise?
More likely, just measure before beginning and then after lowering keep the front and rear heights in proportion and level the car side-to-side.
Now suppose the car is lowered the maximum but the right rear is lower than the left rear. And so the right rear needs increased spring pre-load to level side-to-side. Increased spring preload on the right rear raises the right rear but also pushes down on the left front and so there's the puzzle
.
Last edited by B Stead; 03-12-2014 at 08:33 PM.
#14
Administrator
Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
Posts: 342,907
Received 19,286 Likes
on
13,962 Posts
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-
'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Good information. Saved it for future reference.
#15
this is a good thread that has pictures to help walk you through the steps along with some other good info that should answer most of your questions.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/c7-gen...nd-photos.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/c7-gen...nd-photos.html
#16
Here's a chart showing some stock spring with no pre-load:
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_9.../photo_01.html
Here's a chart showing showing a higher rate spring as compared to the first chart:
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_9.../photo_02.html
And here's a chart showing the stock spring with pre-load as compared to the first chart:
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_9.../photo_03.html
.
Last edited by B Stead; 03-16-2014 at 10:05 PM.
#17
Melting Slicks<br><img src="/forums/images/ranks/3k-4k.gif" border="0">
Having lowered several C6's and now my C7, no difference in ride at all. You are not changing springs, spring rates or spring/suspension travel, just the relationship of the car body to the spring. If you don't greatly change just one corner, I believe you would be hard pressed to notice any handling change.