C3 suspension rebuild?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 204
Likes: 5
C3 suspension rebuild?
A friend has a 1980 corvette and wants to redo all the suspension. Bushings, shocks...etc.
Does someone make a decent kit? e.g. Like a shock, bushing...etc all in one package?
Anything i should know before tackling this?
This is for him and his wife to drive on the weekends and enjoy. Its not for high performance racing, track...etc.
He is also looking for a good wheel and tire combo.
I am a C6/7 owner so the technology is very different than the 80s. I will be doing all the work at my house on the lift.
Thanks
Does someone make a decent kit? e.g. Like a shock, bushing...etc all in one package?
Anything i should know before tackling this?
This is for him and his wife to drive on the weekends and enjoy. Its not for high performance racing, track...etc.
He is also looking for a good wheel and tire combo.
I am a C6/7 owner so the technology is very different than the 80s. I will be doing all the work at my house on the lift.
Thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 948
Likes: 1
From: ANGLETON TX
From my understanding vette brake products makes all the C3 suspension kits least that's what they told me when I call them I ordered the slalom kid and they told me it would take 4 to 5 weeks to get here
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,851
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
In my shop we use the Su01a kit more often than the super deluxe kit. The reason is that the tie rod tubes are re-usable. Here is a link to all the USA made kits.. https://willcoxcorvette.com/catalogs...year=20&q=su01
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
My question was more of..... Have you personally done an a-arm bushing job before? I've done one or two per year for many years. A powerful forked end air hammer is your best friend for ball joints and bushings. A big hammer to get the spindle ball joints out. I leave the front shock in as a coil spring safety device. Just loosen or sometimes take off the top nut on longer stock type springs. I put a floor jack right up under the lower a-arm about 1/4 inch away. the spring helps the spindle arm come apart. Then you just lower and remove the spring
I put tape around the steering arm threads as to where the existing ball joins are set to. So the alignment is close when you put the new tie rod ends on. The top stackable alignment forked washers I take a picture of so I know how it was previously set.. So you can drive it to the alignment shop after you get done.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,765
Likes: 254
From: Catlett VA
suspension kits
A friend has a 1980 corvette and wants to redo all the suspension. Bushings, shocks...etc.
Does someone make a decent kit? e.g. Like a shock, bushing...etc all in one package?
Anything i should know before tackling this?
This is for him and his wife to drive on the weekends and enjoy. Its not for high performance racing, track...etc.
He is also looking for a good wheel and tire combo.
I am a C6/7 owner so the technology is very different than the 80s. I will be doing all the work at my house on the lift.
Thanks
Does someone make a decent kit? e.g. Like a shock, bushing...etc all in one package?
Anything i should know before tackling this?
This is for him and his wife to drive on the weekends and enjoy. Its not for high performance racing, track...etc.
He is also looking for a good wheel and tire combo.
I am a C6/7 owner so the technology is very different than the 80s. I will be doing all the work at my house on the lift.
Thanks
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
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
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 799
Likes: 26
From: Lexington Park Maryland
A friend has a 1980 corvette and wants to redo all the suspension. Bushings, shocks...etc.
Does someone make a decent kit? e.g. Like a shock, bushing...etc all in one package?
Anything i should know before tackling this?
This is for him and his wife to drive on the weekends and enjoy. Its not for high performance racing, track...etc.
He is also looking for a good wheel and tire combo.
I am a C6/7 owner so the technology is very different than the 80s. I will be doing all the work at my house on the lift.
Thanks
Does someone make a decent kit? e.g. Like a shock, bushing...etc all in one package?
Anything i should know before tackling this?
This is for him and his wife to drive on the weekends and enjoy. Its not for high performance racing, track...etc.
He is also looking for a good wheel and tire combo.
I am a C6/7 owner so the technology is very different than the 80s. I will be doing all the work at my house on the lift.
Thanks
Another recommendation is to go with the composite rear spring (if funds are not an issue, Vansteel coil overs trailing arms) and coil overs in the front.
If he decides to re-build the trailing arm; if he does not do them himself, make sure whoever does the work has the proper tool to do the proper bearing stack up, along with all the tools to separate the bearing housing from the trailing arm and to press the bearings in.