1971 Suspension Upgrade Needed
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 3
1971 Suspension Upgrade Needed
Hi there,
I'm sure this topic has come across this forum many times but it seems hard to wrap my head around it.
I would like to upgrade my suspension on my 71 so it i can enjoy spirited driving through canyons and even some occasional auto-cross. I would like to be able to keep up in the canyons with some of the older foreign cars like Porsches and Alfa without breaking the bank to do it.
I like the "sports car" feel so I'm not afraid of a stiffer ride. Any suggestions or comments as to what your suspension set up is would be great to help me become more educated.
Please post pictures of your suspension if you have them!!
Here is a pic of my car that I want to upgrade. Thank you!!!!
I'm sure this topic has come across this forum many times but it seems hard to wrap my head around it.
I would like to upgrade my suspension on my 71 so it i can enjoy spirited driving through canyons and even some occasional auto-cross. I would like to be able to keep up in the canyons with some of the older foreign cars like Porsches and Alfa without breaking the bank to do it.
I like the "sports car" feel so I'm not afraid of a stiffer ride. Any suggestions or comments as to what your suspension set up is would be great to help me become more educated.
Please post pictures of your suspension if you have them!!
Here is a pic of my car that I want to upgrade. Thank you!!!!
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,939
Likes: 477
From: NSW, Australia
C3 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
Nice car! I don't know if it fits with your aesthetic preferences, but the single biggest improvement you can make, if your suspension and steering are in good condition, is tyres. For our cars, that really means you really need to go to 17" wheels or larger, your only 15" alternative is to run on expensive short lived tyres that are really more race oriented than street use (Hoosiers or similar). The BFG Radial TAs in your picture will never give more than pretty average handling and roadholding.
That out of the way, there is another thread further down the page with most of the answers you seek: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...provement.html The only real difference to keep in mind between your car and the one discussed is the original spring rates and swaybar sizes - I don't know but believe the earlier and non-gymkhana cars had softer springs and smaller swaybars, so springs and swaybars will probably be required for your car.
Not sure what pictures you're looking for, I posted a few pics of specific suspension modifications in that thread, but my '79 sits like this:
That out of the way, there is another thread further down the page with most of the answers you seek: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...provement.html The only real difference to keep in mind between your car and the one discussed is the original spring rates and swaybar sizes - I don't know but believe the earlier and non-gymkhana cars had softer springs and smaller swaybars, so springs and swaybars will probably be required for your car.
Not sure what pictures you're looking for, I posted a few pics of specific suspension modifications in that thread, but my '79 sits like this:
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 9
You can spend a BUNCH of money on your car, and make it DIFFERENT. But it's not so easy to make it BETTER.
IMHO, budget mods as follows:
Fresh suspension bushings, front and rear. Rubber preserves the factory designed NVH isolation.
460# front springs w/ either a 1 or 1 1/8" front bar. VB&P toe blocks on the steering arms. I safety wired mine in place. Also, a spreader bar across the spring towers, available from several suppliers, including VB&P. It's a bit of a nuisance to install if you have an engine driven radiator fan, but worth it. HD Bilstein shocks.
Stock rear spring, or a light fiberglass (300#). HD Bilsteins. I am running a Hyperco EZ Ride (200#) rear FG spring, and a 9/16 rear bar off a big block car.. If you want to use the 300# spring, you might not need a rear bar. I put a 1/2" aluminum spacer between the camber bracket and the diff. It reduces the camber change during suspension travel.
Finish up with a four wheel alignment by someone who knows how to do it.
If you want to get more extreme, of course you can. But if you want to spend an afternoon driving the car and not feel beat up when you get back home, you'll be happier with a conservative approach.
Have fun.
IMHO, budget mods as follows:
Fresh suspension bushings, front and rear. Rubber preserves the factory designed NVH isolation.
460# front springs w/ either a 1 or 1 1/8" front bar. VB&P toe blocks on the steering arms. I safety wired mine in place. Also, a spreader bar across the spring towers, available from several suppliers, including VB&P. It's a bit of a nuisance to install if you have an engine driven radiator fan, but worth it. HD Bilstein shocks.
Stock rear spring, or a light fiberglass (300#). HD Bilsteins. I am running a Hyperco EZ Ride (200#) rear FG spring, and a 9/16 rear bar off a big block car.. If you want to use the 300# spring, you might not need a rear bar. I put a 1/2" aluminum spacer between the camber bracket and the diff. It reduces the camber change during suspension travel.
Finish up with a four wheel alignment by someone who knows how to do it.
If you want to get more extreme, of course you can. But if you want to spend an afternoon driving the car and not feel beat up when you get back home, you'll be happier with a conservative approach.
Have fun.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 9
You can spend a BUNCH of money on your car, and make it DIFFERENT. But it's not so easy to make it BETTER.
IMHO, budget mods as follows:
Fresh suspension bushings, front and rear. Rubber preserves the factory designed NVH isolation.
460# front springs w/ either a 1 or 1 1/8" front bar. VB&P toe blocks on the steering arms. I safety wired mine in place. Also, a spreader bar across the spring towers, available from several suppliers, including VB&P. It's a bit of a nuisance to install if you have an engine driven radiator fan, but worth it. HD Bilstein shocks.
Stock rear spring, or a light fiberglass (300#). HD Bilsteins. I am running a Hyperco EZ Ride (200#) rear FG spring, and a 9/16 rear bar off a big block car.. If you want to use the 300# spring, you might not need a rear bar. I put a 1/2" aluminum spacer between the camber bracket and the diff. It reduces the camber change during suspension travel.
Finish up with a four wheel alignment by someone who knows how to do it.
If you want to get more extreme, of course you can. But if you want to spend an afternoon driving the car and not feel beat up when you get back home, you'll be happier with a conservative approach.
Have fun.
IMHO, budget mods as follows:
Fresh suspension bushings, front and rear. Rubber preserves the factory designed NVH isolation.
460# front springs w/ either a 1 or 1 1/8" front bar. VB&P toe blocks on the steering arms. I safety wired mine in place. Also, a spreader bar across the spring towers, available from several suppliers, including VB&P. It's a bit of a nuisance to install if you have an engine driven radiator fan, but worth it. HD Bilstein shocks.
Stock rear spring, or a light fiberglass (300#). HD Bilsteins. I am running a Hyperco EZ Ride (200#) rear FG spring, and a 9/16 rear bar off a big block car.. If you want to use the 300# spring, you might not need a rear bar. I put a 1/2" aluminum spacer between the camber bracket and the diff. It reduces the camber change during suspension travel.
Finish up with a four wheel alignment by someone who knows how to do it.
If you want to get more extreme, of course you can. But if you want to spend an afternoon driving the car and not feel beat up when you get back home, you'll be happier with a conservative approach.
Have fun.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 26
From: Harrisburg Pa
I went to Vette Brakes and Products and bought the performance plus kit.
The kit has full front and rear suspension including the upper and lower front A arms and massive sway bar, mono spring, shocks and full adjustable rear kit with sway bar, shocks, much more.
At about 3100 bucks its the best out there for the price.
I love it. very easy to adjust for street, strip or road course.
Click on my name to see my album.
The kit has full front and rear suspension including the upper and lower front A arms and massive sway bar, mono spring, shocks and full adjustable rear kit with sway bar, shocks, much more.
At about 3100 bucks its the best out there for the price.
I love it. very easy to adjust for street, strip or road course.
Click on my name to see my album.
Last edited by TOM B1; Jan 12, 2017 at 10:52 PM.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 281
Likes: 9
From: New England
I went to Vette Brakes and Products and bought the performance plus kit.
The kit has full front and rear suspension including the upper and lower front A arms and massive sway bar, mono spring, shocks and full adjustable rear kit with sway bar, shocks, much more.
At about 3100 bucks its the best out there for the price.
I love it. very easy to adjust for street, strip or road course.
Click on my name to see my album.
The kit has full front and rear suspension including the upper and lower front A arms and massive sway bar, mono spring, shocks and full adjustable rear kit with sway bar, shocks, much more.
At about 3100 bucks its the best out there for the price.
I love it. very easy to adjust for street, strip or road course.
Click on my name to see my album.
Last edited by dariopop; Jan 12, 2017 at 11:49 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 3
Wheel & Tire Size Matter That Much??
Thank you all for your responses, this is really great information and me and I assume a few other Corvette "newbies" out there.
I really like the period road racing look which were running 15" or 16" rims at that time. I can see that BFG T/A's probably are not the best handling tires so I would have to improve on those for sure.
Would someone give me and all us "newbies" a little lesson as to why bigger rims and less tire wall is so important to get the best handling out of these cars?? Thanks folks!
I really like the period road racing look which were running 15" or 16" rims at that time. I can see that BFG T/A's probably are not the best handling tires so I would have to improve on those for sure.
Would someone give me and all us "newbies" a little lesson as to why bigger rims and less tire wall is so important to get the best handling out of these cars?? Thanks folks!
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 4,886
Likes: 202
From: Jackson MS
The short answer is that there is a very limited selection of real performance tires available for 15" wheels. You will not experience the full benefit of an upgraded suspension when the sidewalls of the tires are flexing about in spirited driving.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,939
Likes: 477
From: NSW, Australia
C3 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
While the shorter sidewall helps responsiveness, the big issue is just that you cannot buy decent high performance tyres in the 15" sizes any more, unless you go to Hoosiers or Avons, which are basically race tyres that are expensive and will not have a long life on the road. I felt the same, and found that for me 17" wheels were the right balance between still having a bit of sidewall to try and maintain some of the classic feel, while being able to buy decent performance tyres. 18" wheels have significantly better tyre selection again, but were a step farther than I wanted to take aesthetically. I understand your predicament, your car has a great classic look, and it was a subject that I also wrestled with for a while when I bought my car.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 3
While the shorter sidewall helps responsiveness, the big issue is just that you cannot buy decent high performance tyres in the 15" sizes any more, unless you go to Hoosiers or Avons, which are basically race tyres that are expensive and will not have a long life on the road. I felt the same, and found that for me 17" wheels were the right balance between still having a bit of sidewall to try and maintain some of the classic feel, while being able to buy decent performance tyres. 18" wheels have significantly better tyre selection again, but were a step farther than I wanted to take aesthetically. I understand your predicament, your car has a great classic look, and it was a subject that I also wrestled with for a while when I bought my car.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 3
You are right…..One spends all this money on suspension upgrades but not being able to benefit fully from what the car is capable. Thank you!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 3
I have gone on-line and have done a bit of research on suspension upgrades and it seems that I am liking the VBP product line. I took a look at the Ridetech system and it is VERY cool looking but also VERY expensive for what you get. The VBP system seems to have more items like sway bars and bushings for half the price. Maybe the argument could be that it isn't the latest state of the art coilover system but 1960's technology.
I also looked at the Shark-Bite system for the rear but I've heard that it can be a little touchy in order to dial in the best ride. Any other comments regarding the Shark-Bite products??
Ed
I also looked at the Shark-Bite system for the rear but I've heard that it can be a little touchy in order to dial in the best ride. Any other comments regarding the Shark-Bite products??
Ed
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,939
Likes: 477
From: NSW, Australia
C3 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
Honestly, from an engineering standpoint, I don't think much of the design and geometry of the shark bite rear suspension, it seems more focused on aesthetics than functionality, but some owners are very happy with it. I don't think you need to go as far as some of those setups to get results that make you happy, if I had lots of money then I'd run all the Ridetech or Detroit Speed gear, but I would be curious how much better they would really be than my tweaked factory setup. Having said that, as I had factory gymkhana suspension I had the advantage of already having stiffer springs and bigger swaybars, having to purchase those as well may have put one of the vendor suspensions closer within reach. Have you read the Vette Improvement Program document?: http://corvette.wikia.com/wiki/Suspension I'd highly recommend you do if you haven't, so that you can understand what you're trying to achieve / improve.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 3
Honestly, from an engineering standpoint, I don't think much of the design and geometry of the shark bite rear suspension, it seems more focused on aesthetics than functionality, but some owners are very happy with it. I don't think you need to go as far as some of those setups to get results that make you happy, if I had lots of money then I'd run all the Ridetech or Detroit Speed gear, but I would be curious how much better they would really be than my tweaked factory setup. Having said that, as I had factory gymkhana suspension I had the advantage of already having stiffer springs and bigger swaybars, having to purchase those as well may have put one of the vendor suspensions closer within reach. Have you read the Vette Improvement Program document?: http://corvette.wikia.com/wiki/Suspension I'd highly recommend you do if you haven't, so that you can understand what you're trying to achieve / improve.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
A couple of points to bear in mind...
1) Best IMCO to view any pre-packaged kit as a starting point from which to work, as there's no one-size-fits-all setup that is likely to hit the bull's eye dead-center without further tuning for the specific application in question. That said, making a good choice at the outset will probably be close enough for many.
2) Not all chassis/suspension improvements come in a box. And, not all aftermarket chassis/suspension components actually improve anything. However well written may be the copy describing items, there's a bit more to this than simply adding items to your cart (to be taken both ways).
TSW
.
1) Best IMCO to view any pre-packaged kit as a starting point from which to work, as there's no one-size-fits-all setup that is likely to hit the bull's eye dead-center without further tuning for the specific application in question. That said, making a good choice at the outset will probably be close enough for many.
2) Not all chassis/suspension improvements come in a box. And, not all aftermarket chassis/suspension components actually improve anything. However well written may be the copy describing items, there's a bit more to this than simply adding items to your cart (to be taken both ways).
TSW
.
Last edited by TheSkunkWorks; Jan 31, 2017 at 07:07 PM. Reason: obsessive/compulsive