C4 General Discussion General C4 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech

What next?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 30, 2012 | 10:25 AM
  #1  
tc63corvette's Avatar
tc63corvette
Thread Starter
Navigator
 
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Default What next?

Hi, Im ordering the vb&p anti sway bars tonight for my 96 corvette, and was wondering if there is any other suspension upgrade I could do while the sway bars were off, im not looking to do coil overs just yet, I want a stiffer ride with out having to spend 2grand , while all my friends are throwin money into there cars to try and go faster in a straight line, I want to go faster through turns(way more fun), any ideas would be much appreciated, Thanks
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2012 | 10:39 AM
  #2  
96GS#007's Avatar
96GS#007
Race Director
 
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
Default

Originally Posted by tc63corvette
Hi, Im ordering the vb&p anti sway bars tonight for my 96 corvette, and was wondering if there is any other suspension upgrade I could do while the sway bars were off, im not looking to do coil overs just yet, I want a stiffer ride with out having to spend 2grand , while all my friends are throwin money into there cars to try and go faster in a straight line, I want to go faster through turns(way more fun), any ideas would be much appreciated, Thanks
Tires, wheels, alignment, bushings, shocks, end links....just to name a few.

It's like everything else...how much money do you want to spend?
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2012 | 10:41 AM
  #3  
Aardwolf's Avatar
Aardwolf
Race Director
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,956
Likes: 706
From: WI
Default

I really liked adding bigger bars to my car. VBP had a great sale awhile back and I got them there too. They sent poly mounting bushings with them. The fronts are offset, installed to the rear on mine so the bar clears the fan housing. The rears I pushed as far forward as possible, so the end links are as vertical as I could make them.

The rear mounts bolted together and the bar rotated pretty well. The front was way to tight. I needed to put a large washer between the bushing clam shell to make the bar rotate without extreme force. If the sway bar cannot rotate freely it will make the ride much more harsh.

I also slotted each bushing and added zerks so they could be lubed. I found that the lube, even the thick bushing lube, didn't last that long.

Also while at this project I added ball joints for end links instead of bushings. I found poly on the end links especially in the rear to be poor. They would take a dent and get sloppy. Be sure to set the heim link to neutral tension with the car at ride height.

Other mods, I highly recommend Z51 springs from Ralph (Indianavette). At only $100 a piece they are great cost effectiveness. Then lower the car. Your year would need updated shock valving. The ones on mine are doing alright (Z52 '88).
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2012 | 08:16 PM
  #4  
tc63corvette's Avatar
tc63corvette
Thread Starter
Navigator
 
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Default

Originally Posted by 96GS#007
Tires, wheels, alignment, bushings, shocks, end links....just to name a few.

It's like everything else...how much money do you want to spend?
I have fresh tires, only about 50 miles on them, im running wheels from a 2004 z06, and i just had it aligned when i replaced all of the tie rods, the shocks are also fairly new, and im looking to spend about $500
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2012 | 08:20 PM
  #5  
tc63corvette's Avatar
tc63corvette
Thread Starter
Navigator
 
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Default

Originally Posted by Aardwolf
I really liked adding bigger bars to my car. VBP had a great sale awhile back and I got them there too. They sent poly mounting bushings with them. The fronts are offset, installed to the rear on mine so the bar clears the fan housing. The rears I pushed as far forward as possible, so the end links are as vertical as I could make them.

The rear mounts bolted together and the bar rotated pretty well. The front was way to tight. I needed to put a large washer between the bushing clam shell to make the bar rotate without extreme force. If the sway bar cannot rotate freely it will make the ride much more harsh.

I also slotted each bushing and added zerks so they could be lubed. I found that the lube, even the thick bushing lube, didn't last that long.

Also while at this project I added ball joints for end links instead of bushings. I found poly on the end links especially in the rear to be poor. They would take a dent and get sloppy. Be sure to set the heim link to neutral tension with the car at ride height.

Other mods, I highly recommend Z51 springs from Ralph (Indianavette). At only $100 a piece they are great cost effectiveness. Then lower the car. Your year would need updated shock valving. The ones on mine are doing alright (Z52 '88).
Whats involved in updating the valving, is that just buying new shocks, and are the springs you are talking about coilover or just replacing the leaf spring
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2012 | 08:57 PM
  #6  
Aardwolf's Avatar
Aardwolf
Race Director
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,956
Likes: 706
From: WI
Default

Originally Posted by tc63corvette
Whats involved in updating the valving, is that just buying new shocks, and are the springs you are talking about coilover or just replacing the leaf spring
If you get the sway bars go with the hollow bars and save weight. If you search my threads I made one on their rates.

To change the valving in the shocks send them back to Bilstein. They can convert them to coil overs too. By springs I meant the leaf springs yes.

Getting more camber really helps the car turn!
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2012 | 10:26 PM
  #7  
96GS#007's Avatar
96GS#007
Race Director
 
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
Default

Originally Posted by tc63corvette
I have fresh tires, only about 50 miles on them, im running wheels from a 2004 z06, and i just had it aligned when i replaced all of the tie rods, the shocks are also fairly new, and im looking to spend about $500
I'd move to poly bushings in the rear and Global West aluminum/delrin bushings in the upper and lower front a-arms. That'll be right at $500.

Global West stuff...







Reply

Get notified of new replies

To What next?





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:08 AM.

story-0
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-2
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE