DIY Questions
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 968
Likes: 0
From: Poway CA
DIY Questions
I'm new to the C3 world and am considering a couple of changes to my stock suspension. Here are the mods I'm considering:
1) Thicker swaybars (front and rear)
2) New TRW composite spring in the back
3) New rear shocks
The (probably dumb) questions I have here are:
a) Are these mods that I can fairly easily do myself?
b) Will the new spring and shocks in the rear require a reallignment?
Thanks for the help!
1) Thicker swaybars (front and rear)
2) New TRW composite spring in the back
3) New rear shocks
The (probably dumb) questions I have here are:
a) Are these mods that I can fairly easily do myself?
b) Will the new spring and shocks in the rear require a reallignment?
Thanks for the help!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,334
Likes: 4
From: Midland TX
spring and shocks are easy. Be careful taking the bolts out of the end of the stock spring. I had my '72 on jack stands and used a small floor jack to hold end of the spring up while I took out the bolt. I lowered the spring down as far as I could and figured it was pretty much down all the way. I had to pull the jack out as there was a little pressure from the spring still on it. WHAM - it took a piece of concrete out when it hit the floor. Morale to the story is make sure you have the rear end up pretty high....
I was going to go with larger sway bars but a very knowledgeable friend (former Corvette engineer) advised against it unless I was going to use it on the track. He said Chevrolet paid engineers a lot of money to come up with the suspension / sway bars. Albeit it was 30+ years ago. He said you can get into some trouble if you throw parts on there and not know what you are doing. I trust him so I took his advice. I don't race my Vette so the stock sway bars are good with me.
I put on a fiberglass spring and love it. It is so much smoother. Won't pass judging if you are into NCRS, etc.
Good luck.
I was going to go with larger sway bars but a very knowledgeable friend (former Corvette engineer) advised against it unless I was going to use it on the track. He said Chevrolet paid engineers a lot of money to come up with the suspension / sway bars. Albeit it was 30+ years ago. He said you can get into some trouble if you throw parts on there and not know what you are doing. I trust him so I took his advice. I don't race my Vette so the stock sway bars are good with me.
I put on a fiberglass spring and love it. It is so much smoother. Won't pass judging if you are into NCRS, etc.
Good luck.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 2,845
Likes: 2
From: Apex NC
May I also add something that you may not have thought about? Make sure you purchase the items as a complete package in which each part is designed to work with all the others. There's no better way to screw up the handling of your car than to assemble a pieces-parts suspension "upgrade" with spring rates, shock damping, and roll bar thickness which just plain doesn't work well together.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 968
Likes: 0
From: Poway CA
Originally Posted by 682XLR8
Vette Brakes sells the complete kit for what you want to do. All matched components, no guesswork
BTW where is Poway? I've never heard of it
BTW where is Poway? I've never heard of it
Poway is about 20 miles north east of San Diego off of the I-15. It's just south of Rancho Bernardo and right next to MCAS Miramar (formerly NAS Miramar - Topgun). It's a great place with many waving vette owners...
Thanks again!
Steve
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