trackboss

Browsing on gmpartshouse I noticed there are price differences between various C5 and C6 spindles. For example, when a '99 is searched the pricing is about double what it is for a 2010. Furthermore it lists separate parts for a standard C6 vs. a Z06/ZR1/grandsport. What exactly are the differences in the spindles themselves and is there a preferable one?

OKsweetrides

Bump...

Did you ever get an answer?

trackboss

not yet, still wondering.

OKsweetrides

Hmmm...

I'll try tomorrow or sometime next week to visit some of the race shops in the DFW area and take my calipers with me to see if there are indeed any differences or similarities.

There's a big cost difference between them that's for certain (C5 vs C6)

davidfarmer

C5 parts 10332529 & 10332530

C6 parts 88965637 and 88965638

They look the same other than some slight mold differences. You'd have to think they changed it to either make them cheaper, lighter or stronger......probably the first one!

trackboss

Thanks for the photos dave. I somewhere read the newer ones may be stronger, but without comparing in person to measure where strength was added I can't confirm. The price difference is noticable.

mgarfias

Anyway to figure out what alloys they're made from?

John Shiels

probably different alloy, different manufacturer, or different manufacturing process or all of the above.

drivinhard

I've always heard the C6 units were stiffer

OKsweetrides

At first blush...

The caliper boss, hub mating surface, and lower ball joint mating surface all look to be the same.

The upper ball joint region looks to be pretty dang similar.

It's probably because of angle of photo, but the one on the right looks like the tie-rod attachment portion is shorter??

edit: they likely are different metallurgy. the one on the right looks more granular, but it may be the lighting.

davidfarmer

I hit a concrete wall HARD in a Street Course race many years ago....broke a rotor in half, but the upright didn't budget. I'm not too worried about one being stronger than the other.

I'm 100% sure the geometries are the same, the photo on the rights does look like the steering arm is shorter, but it's an illusion. btw, these photos are from ebay.

davidfarmer

btw, here is a 3R drop spindle just for fun. They had the first one back in 02' or so.....

travisnd

Which is which? Would the one on the left have more strength around the are where the caliper bracket bolts up?

Everett Ogilvie

Nice piece - are they still around? I have been wondering about trying a pair of the LG drop spindles on the front of the Mosler - my measurements to date indicate it might put me in the "sweet spot" for my current track wheel/tire/rake setup.

davidfarmer

one on the left is C6

3R is still racing World Challenge, running Volvos now I think. I'm sure they can still make, or have made, the spindles, but I think the LG product is significantly cheaper.

0Anthony @ LGMotorsports

David,

These are ours...



LG Drop Spindle Catalog page



We took ours from the World Challenge cars that we built, and are currently using these on the 2010 GrandAm Corvette/Circuit Battles car. We also ran them on Lou's ZR1 for the hill climb last year.

Completely bolt on for any C5/6 Corvette, including ZR1.



Now between the C5 and C6 spindles. I too agree they changed the manufacturer of the items and how they are made. The upper ball joints are slightly different between the two and also the angle to some degree. Other than that, they take all of the same parts, wheel bearings, tie rods, ball joints. I have not ran them on a CMM machine to see what, if any, points are different.

geerookie

David,
After a discussion this weekend at The Glen with someone who should know, it was confirmed that dimensionally they are the exact same. In GM a part number can change because the supplier changed, even if nothing else changes.
In this case it is both. The supplier changed but after testing GM strengthened the caliper mounting area because after testing at the Nurburgring they found excessive pad taper. The guy I was talking with said that a simple change from the C5 uprights to the C6 would almost completelely eliminate the slight pad taper I get with the SL6R/ST and SL4R/ST calipers.
So it sounds like a win-win. Cheaper and stronger. At least part of the reason they are cheaper is because the C5's are out of production.

davidfarmer

cheaper and stronger, I agree, is a good thing. I don't necessarily believe everything I hear from people.........

GettReal

We were talking to the same guy at WGI and I asked this question over in the AP brake thread because he told me the C6 knuckle is the one I want with those Calipers. He said they are made 1mm thicker if I remember correctly and although look identical they arent as far as strength.

It was also great to meet you and talk to you Greg, Hopefully we'll get to run together another time and do a little lead/follow Btw, off topic but got pics of your Catch can set up?

travisnd

Good to know.... If I ever have to replace the spindles.