I have been thinking about winter projects that I would like to do on my newly aquired 82 CE and one of he things on the list is to look at the suspension. It is my first Corvette and so I have nothing to compare it with but it seems to me that the suspension is very hard - to the point that I can feel even the tar fill that they use in the cracks in the road. I am guessing that nothing has been done to the suspension from new. Is it likely that the shocks should have been replaced by now?
Are there modern replacements that will give a smoother ride?
I am not looking to modify the car for performance/speed for racing or drag strips , it is just an occasional driver for fun so I don't want to spend silly money on something I don't need , just make it a bit more comfortable. (hope that makes sense?)
I am a newbee to Corvettes and relatively inexperienced working on cars , so idiot proof advice would be appreciated - thanks

 

depends on how much money you want to spend and/or how much time you want to invest.

if the car is bone stock and never been worked on its a pretty good bet it could stand to have all suspension bushings replaced. probably ball joints and tie rod ends too. you can buy complete kits for this from places like Vette Brakes and Products (and others). the install could be a bit much if you've never worked on cars. you can pay someone to do it.

no doubt it needs new shocks and this might be a good starting point. not too expensive and easy to do. i find most people on this forum like Bilsteins. I have KYB's and am very happy with them.

another upgrade is to replace that big, heavy, metal rear transverse leaf spring (50 pounds) with a modern composite (fiberglass)
spring (about 8 pounds). i did this to my 79 about years ago and consider it to be maybe the best upgrade/modification i've ever done to the car.

anyway, there's some food for thought. i'm sure others will chime in on this post with their thoughts.

you've come to the right place, though. this is a great forum for corvette owners/enthusiasts. lots of very knowledgeable people here willing to help you get the most out of your vette.

welcome.

 

Wholehartedly!

If you have any mechanical inclination at all you can install new balljoints and tie rod ends in your garage... with a little perseverance.

You will be surprised at what shocks, ball joints and a comp. spring will do to the ride. Using Moog bearings/joints, shocks and a spring will run all told about $1000.
rg

 

Thanks for the replys - definately food for thought. I assume the biggest chunk of that $1k would be the composite rear spring. About how much would that run to and what difference is it going to make to the ride comfort (ie is there a benefit other than weight?)- remember I am not looking to reduce weight for speed purposes/performance.
Also having only bought it about 5 weeks ago , splashing out another grand just before (or just after) Xmas is a bit much to ask of the wife!!
If I broke the upgrade down into sections , what is your advise on priorities ? ie front end , rear end , shocks and or bushes , rear spring etc.
Thanks again for all the help offered

 

Being an 82 your car never had a steel spring. Your factory spring was a fiberglass/ composite, so basically if you went back to the same spring rate in a composite spring it would be considered stock.

 

If you were going to break it up into smaller chunks, my vote is that you start with the front first. It will be a little easier to tackle labor wise and easier on the wallet too. I would definitely do the whole front at once though. It would suck to have to take stuff back apart later.

Some people here will steer you toward the rubber suspension bushings because they give a smoother ride. But, if you plan on keeping the car several years, then I recommend that you go with graphite impregnated poly bushings because they will outlast the rubber.

 

Things I recommend:
(1) Rebuild front suspension and steering components: tie rod ends, idler arm, ball joints, and bushings front & rear (stick with rubber if you want a smooth ride)
(2) Get some good shocks. Don't have to be real stiff ones, just good ones. KYB2's, AC Delco, Edelbrock, ...
(3) VPB "smart struts"

 

I agree with all the above, but keep in mind this is an aggresive sports car and on its very best day it will not be a caddilac, more like a roller skate strapped to a brick, albeit a Very Cool Roller Skate!
You should have a composite spring in the rear already, take a look under there, easy to idintify. Go ahead ang get shocks fot it, I would do KYB Gas adjust, good shock, not real expensive and softer than the Bilsteins. Check out the front end hardware, Ball Joints, Idler arm, tie rods, control arm bushings, if they are sloppy a full front end rebuild is in order. Then on to the rear end, TA bushings and maybe rear end cushions. While your under there claean off and paint the frame with POR-15 or the like. Paint all the components before reassembling them too. Its time consuming and a bit expensive. But when your done you will NOT believe the difference
Post pics, we want to see, good luck

 

Thanks again to all who posted advice - this is definately one I am going to tackle this winter - will come back for more advice as I go along - will post results
thanks