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Jul 28, 2005 | 03:04 PM

jonny4523

Thread Starter

Burning Brakes

Joined: Nov 2000

Posts: 896

Likes: 0

From: Lafayette, Indiana

St. Jude Donor '05-'08

Surprise find - special suspension

About a year ago, someone made a post about a lady from GM that would send you a copy of the window stick for your specific vette. All you had to do is send her you VIN. I go it, illaminated it, and then set it aside. I wanted it for documentation but never really looked it over carefully. Well, I was studying it the other day and I was going over the options. I found out that I have a gymkhana suspension.

What is the difference between this option and the stock suspension? I plan on redoing all of that underneath, but would like to keep it gymkhana if possible since I want to keep it all stock.

Last edited by jonny4523; Jul 29, 2005 at 08:19 AM.

Jul 28, 2005 | 03:22 PM

SomeSayIllFixIt

Instructor

Joined: Jun 2005

Posts: 109

Likes: 0

From: NH

You have a significantly stiffer suspension than stock. I believe that it was intended mostly for racing. However, I cannot give you exact spring rates off the top of my head.

Jul 28, 2005 | 03:37 PM

LOTAHP

Le Mans Master

Joined: Jun 2003

Posts: 5,446

Likes: 2

From: Not Correctly Restored Stingray Fla.

Yes, there was a guy named Jim Conner that use to road race Corvettes and it's named after him.

Jul 28, 2005 | 03:47 PM

NHvette

Le Mans Master

Joined: Jun 2002

Posts: 8,339

Likes: 24

From: I can walk to MA

Option FE7
I think it has the 7 leaf steel spring and higher rate (maybe 460) front coils.
Not sure about sway bars.
The rear spring is 2 1/4" - with two steel spacers to fill the
2 1/2" space used for standard springs.
... just openned my resto guide:
Front sway bar is 1.12", rear sway bar at 9/16".

Jul 28, 2005 | 04:22 PM

jonny4523

Thread Starter

Burning Brakes

Joined: Nov 2000

Posts: 896

Likes: 0

From: Lafayette, Indiana

St. Jude Donor '05-'08

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHvette

If you buy a suspension rebuild kit (bushings, ball joints, tie rods), will they be the same as the ones that came with it? Just as long as I don't replace the springs and sway bars right?

Jul 28, 2005 | 04:56 PM

PRNDL

Team Owner

Joined: Jul 1999

Posts: 26,545

Likes: 46

From: Huntersville NC

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOTAHP

Yes, there was a guy named Jim Conner that use to road race Corvettes and it's named after him.

I thought his name was Jim Kahuna !!!

(see related post, re "Jim Kahuna" suspension! )

Jul 28, 2005 | 04:59 PM

CGGorman

Team Owner

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 20,216

Likes: 4

From: Smile, it's just the internet.

I would call VBP and ask them. My guess would be that all the tie rods and balljoints would be identical. Bushings should all be identical except the ones for the sway bars since they have a lerger diameter. (my chassis engineer friend insists that I call them either "stabilizer bars", "sta-bars", or "anti-sway bars").

Jul 28, 2005 | 05:28 PM

fl_rider

Drifting

Joined: Mar 2005

Posts: 1,806

Likes: 3

From: Burlington WI

gymkhana

gym·kha·na ( P ) Pronunciation Key (jm-kän)
n.

1. Any of various meets at which contests are held to test the skill of the competitors, as in equestrianship, gymnastics, or sports car racing.
2. The place where such an event is held.

[Probably alteration (influenced by gymnastics), of Hindi ged-khn, racket court ged, ball (of Dravidian origin) + khn, house (from Persian khna, variant of khn. See khan2).]