Hey guys,

As I start to plan out my restoration on my C3, had different inputs from others on whether to go aftermarket upgrade to C3 suspension
OR
to get a C4 frame/suspension. Please give me some input.

AND if you used/recommend any specific systems.

THanks,
R

 

I have the VBP Performance Plus full kit with offset trailing arms, Bilstein Sport shocks, and a front spreader bar on mine. Plus I beefed up the frame when I had it out. Also, have a set of 17"x9.5" wheels with 275/40ZR17 Nitto NT555 Extreme Performance tires all around. All I can say is it's a totally different vette from the stock setup. I set it up for all performance, so it rides very firm, but the handling is just awesome.

http://www.vbandp.com/C2-C3-Corvette...s/Systems.html

 

^
That is just amazing work sir. Very trick.

 

Thanks

 

I went w/ Vansteel's coilovers front and rear-

Mike - that looks great!!!


http://www.vansteel.com/index.cfm?fu...&SubGroup=1957

http://www.vansteel.com/index.cfm?fu...&SubGroup=1935


Richard

 

a bit... 1 1/8 front sway, tubular upper arms, brace, springs, removed the PS system. Rear, 1" sway, adjustable strut, van steel arms, johnny joints. Everything rubber (except the tires) were replaced with poly (except where there are heim joints). 420# rear composite spring.... it handles like it's on rails. Or put another way, my courage is the only limit I've found so far....

 

 

Thanks Richard! The coilovers with the carbon fiber halfshafts... sweet! Did you go with the double adjustable and the tubular a-arms? When I bought my suspension kit I didn't see coilovers offered yet. My kit with red powdercoating was also a few hundred dollars cheaper than VBP current standard price back when I bought it. I'm curious if anyone has compared the two kits???

 

There are many possibilities. You must decide 1) how you want to use the car, and 2)your budget, both money and time.
IMHO, you don't have to dump a wheelbarrow full of money in the car.
My car is only driven on the street. Over the years, I have tried many different variations of springs, shocks, sway bars, bushings, etc. I have returned most of them back to stock. (I'll have to sell the car for a million dollars to make any money on it!)
The high rate springs, bars, and stiff shocks can make the car corner like a go cart, yes. But you might end up with what I call a "50 mile car". After 50 miles, the noise, vibration and harshness make you want to park it and drive something else.
At this point, on my car, I am using the stock front springs, rubber bushings, Bilstein HD shocks, and a 15/16" front bar mounted in poly. The rear has the Hyperco EZ ride spring, Bilstein HD shocks, rubber bushings, and a completely stock 9/16" rear bar. It is a sweet driving car. The ride/handling balance has a very modern feel.
And I couldn't be happier with it.

 

They are faux carbon fiber halfshafts...painted to look like the $1000 ones...

I went w/ the single adjust- it's a street car...

Here's the tubular a arms- not on the car yet...

 

Kudoos to Mike80 and Richard 454, Just some Beautiful Workmanship. I have the same front suspension as Mike80, just love it. In the rear I have Bilstein shocks and a TRW Spring.

 

Thanks! Yours look great too. Like the touch of chrome

 

Once you (the OP) get beyond drooling over everyone's work, the primary question remains, to what purpose(s)? How much priority do you put on comfort vs performance? Do you have plans to track your car, and if so what type (drag, AX, RR)? And, how much time and money do you intend to put into your efforts?

Whatever advice you get, bear in mind there's no one-size-fits-all answer here.

.

 

I recently wrote these comments about my 78 L-82 4 speed Gymkhana suspension. The car is only street driven is miles and miles better handling, steering, and riding than the OEM F-41 suspension ever was! Every single change was done one at a time so I could gauge the effect. I can provide more comments and feedback if you are interested.

I have completely redone my front and rear suspension piece by piece over the last 30 years so that i could access each change made and I wanted to keep the stock suspension design. The key to improving the stock suspension design is to eliminate any and all play in the stock components. As others have noted, make sure that all stock components such as tie rods, idler arm, ball joints, Trailing arm bushings are perfect first, then:

Front suspension:

1. upper and lower poly control arm bushings
2. Stock 1 1/8 inch sway bar with poly mounting and endlink bushings
3. Speedirect spreader bar-this is a must to stop chassis flex-all C3's need a spreader bar.
4. 550 springs 1 inch shorter than stock
5. Bilstein HD shocks with poly bushings
6. GTR 1999 Custom blue printed/rebuilt OEM steering box-This step is a must to eliminate all play in the steering-A borgeson/R&P Steering will not "improve" handling but handling feel along with a quicker steering ratio. This change has transformed the steering using the stock components-Could not be happier! Not as good as my 10 Z06 but pretty darn good for a C3!
7. 255/45/17 ZR tires and rims-This is a must! You will never achieve optimal steering response, handling and feel with 255/60/15 S/T rated tires. Ask me how I know?

Rear Suspension:

1. VBP 360 Composite spring with poly mounting bushings-Ditch the steel spring for better rear reaction time and ride-installed in 1986-AND it will save 40 lbs off the rear end. Considering a 420 spring since I would prefer a slightly stiffer ride-believe it or not.
2. Competition Adjustable struts with heim joints-NO Bushings-this is a must.
3. I replaced the 7/16 rear oem sway bar with a 3/4 inch OEM type bar, NOT an aftermarket bar with the endlinks like the front bar-Allows more movement of the rear trailing arms.
4. Bilstein Sports (30% stiffer than the front HD's)
5. Modified Shark bar behind the rear seats that ties the bird cage to the floor.
6. 255/45/17 ZR tires.

The car rides, steers, and handles better than most C3's I have ever been in or seen! It's not harsh at all.

 

HOLY COW! Awesome responses!!!

Mike- great pics!!! Richard too!!!

Thanks all!!!

Well, I am looking for an all around car. I may track at a "RoadAmerica" type place, but really just a street car that can run and handle. Out by me the roads are typically 50mph, so there is alot of driving to be done. Seats are another thing to tackle, but another thread for that.

i was hoping to bring my 69 up to a modern day vette feel. Something streety, fast, good handler, that I can drive for more than "50" minutes. Of course, price always weighs in.

So best bang for buck if doing a frame off, and wanting to make a good resto mod for today's performance standards.

thanks,
Ron

 

Looks great!

 

Thanks! Whatever suspension upgrades that you decide on, you could also go with adjustable shocks like QA1, Koni, ect. Set them soft for the street and firm for when you need the performance. More money, but best of both worlds.

 

Great idea Mike! I have no experience with these...are they hard to adjust?

From seeing your post, I was looking at a smaller system like yours...Where would you start with suspension?

Thanks,
R

 

Coil Over from Speed Direct:

 

You have 3 choices. Buy a complete suspension kit front to rear, partial kit and piece together the rest of what you need, or just buy everything separate. You need to figure out how much money that you want to spend. Maybe just buy a kit/ parts for under $1000 now (many different level kits offered out there, but stick with a well known vendor like VBP, Van Steel, etc.), or a kit like mine or coil overs if you want to spend more, or wait and save up. You could also do a monoleaf or coilovers up front and a basic setup in back until you can upgrade it to match. I had my vette off the road for 7 years, so I saved up and bought the kit I wanted, along with a bunch of other parts. It's done the way I wanted it and now I don't have to mess with it anymore, on to other projects.

As to your question on where to start with the suspension. If you are doing a frame off then everything is going to need to be done. If you are using the vette while you are working on it, start with whatever is the worst, you want to make sure it is safe to drive. On mine the steering and every bushing on my vette was shot. The body bushings were also rotted out, so I decided to do the complete frame off, including welding new 3 piece rocker channel inserts to give the body a good solid, stiff support to the frame with poly bushings everywhere. On the frame, I cut out and welded fresh steel into all the body mounts since they were rusted, re-welded the entire frame with continuous welds, added gussets, and boxed the front where the swaybars connect for added strength, then acid dipped and powdercoated red.