How To Lower your C5 Corvette

The Corvette C5 is an excellent choice
of sports car for the driver who is looking for power, speed,
performance and overall aesthetic quality. The vehicle is truly unique
amongst other vehicles on the road. However, if you wish to make your
car even more distinctive, you’ll need to go about modifying it with the
help of some custom kits and other accessories. One of the best ways to
do this is the use a lowering kit with new suspension springs to change
the appearance and feel of the C5. This will effectively lower it down
closer to the ground. When you do this, you can install the kit
relatively easily at home and with the help of an assistant, which saves
you quite a bit of money over installing the kit through a professional
service.

Step 1 — Gather the Materials

You’ll need the following materials and tools in order to properly lower your Corvette C5:

Hydraulic jack

Jack stands (two tall ones)

Torque wrench

New suspension kit with lowering springs

Ratchet system

Socket wrench with spare sockets of different sizes

Breaking bar

Step 2 — Prepare the Corvette

Begin by parking your Corvette C5 in a flat, wide open space where
you’ll have the room to easiliy maneuver around it and to work
comfortably. Ensure that the emergency break is activated and that the
vehicle is in park, if it’s an automatic transmission. Use the hydraulic
jack to lift up the front end of the car, and mount it on the two jack
stands so that they are on the outside portion of the vehicle and you’ll
be able to access the underside of the car easily.

Step 3 — Remove the Front Springs

Use your torque wrench and sockets to loosen the lug nuts around the
wheel so that you can access the breaks. Once you’ve accessed the
suspension springs, you’ll need to carefully use your breaker bar to cut
the caliper bolt. Before you do this, it’s important to turn the
steering wheel according to which side of the car you’re working on. The
steering wheel should go all the way to the left when you remove the
passenger’s side spring, and all the way to the right when you remove
the driver’s side. Set the caliper bolt out of the way and then begin to
remove the spring. You’ll need an assistant to help you to decompress
the spring so that you can safely remove it. Be careful, as the spring
is very powerful and can cause great injury to you if you don’t use
proper caution.

Step 4 — Replace the Front Springs

Once you’ve removed both front springs, hold the A-Arm on either side
of the vehicle open so that you can insert the new suspension springs
into the top isolators in their place. You’ll also need an assistant to
do this. The springs are interchangeable, so it doesn’t matter which one
goes on which side of the car.

Step 5 — Remove and Replace the Rear Springs

Next, mount the rear end of the vehicle up in the same way as the
front. Be sure that a good portion of the vehicle hangs off the end of
the jacks so that you’ll be able to access the underside once again.
Next, you can remove the rear springs in much the same method as the
front springs. The rear springs are less difficult and dangerous to
remove, but they still require your extreme caution. Replace them in the
same manner as well, although the rear springs are not interchangeable
and must be fitted into the top isolators, not the bottom ones.

After you have completed this change, tighten up all of the lug nuts
on the car and lower it from the jack stand in order to see and test out
the feel of your newly lowered C5. For more information about how to
complete this process efficiently and safely, speak with a recognized
and certified custom car body specialist in your area, or consult with a
nearby Corvette authority for added advice and guidelines instead.