This is going to sound a bit odd, but I'm looking for a nice smooth ride (well, as much as possible) that I
can get out of my Vette...it's an 89 Coupe that is generally used for cruising only....

Any ideas?

 

I had Bilstein rebuild my shocks for a soft street ride. They were wonderful. Even better was that they were cheaper than a set of new shocks. Since my car didn't come with Bilsteins I found a set in a salvage yard and then sent them to Bilsten. Just tell them what you want in the way of ride quality.

[B]Bilstein[/B

Richard Newton

101 Projects for Your Corvette 1984-1996

Wheel and Tire Performance Handbook

 

Thanks very much! I wonder how close they are to teh standard non Z51 shock?






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Tires play a big role here too. I switched from a Z to an S rated tire on my 87. I think the 89 has 17" stock rims, which opens the door to more options. You might consider something like a Pirelli P Zero Nero. I had them on my TL and they were awesome. At least one C5 owner I know had them on his vette and he loved them. Plug your prefernces into the tire rack questionnare and see where it takes you.

 

If you have the standard suspension, try KYB shocks.
www.shockwarehouse.com

 

Eh, I have teh KYB's currently, and they are fairly new....I sell Monroe Sensa-Tracs, how do they compare, and against teh Bilstien standards...

BTW: I have 18 x 10.5 rear and 17 x 8.5 front with Michellin PS2's....

 

All the Bilsteins are stiffer than KYB's. I have Sensa-Tracts on my Grand Cherokee and I hate them. One of the rears started leaking at 10K. I have a Z51 with Sport Bilsteins and they are STIFF.

 

Hmm....I hate teh Monroe too, but do have good access to them, so that's why I considered them.
So, basically, teh KYB's I'm currently running are about teh best I'll find?

 

If you want a soft ride.....yeah.

 

Crap....It's not horrible, but really I just take my wife on teh cruises anymore, and by teh end of them,
she's beat down from teh rough ride and teh resonance...

 

The Edelbrock IAS shocks have the "softest", least jarring ride of anything out there. Not particularly cheap, but a real lifetime warranty to go along with the nice ride.

That, and getting away from Z rated tires, will get you there.

 

I'm pretty much stuck with teh tires, but I look into teh Edelbrocks'....

 

Tire pressure has a lot to do with your ride, I was running 34lbs all way around then switched to 30lbs, big difference. Also the way you spell the is (the)

 

Trade it for a Caddy....

 

My tires were hell expensive, and I really hate to buy them sooner than I have to because I ran low air pressures....

By teh way, I spell 'teh' teh way I want to....

 

Sounds like you need a girl friend.....they don't complain as much!

 

Get one of those round, blow up hemorhoid pillows and try sitting on that.

 

You are cheeky.

 

Did I read this right? You are just crusin' with tje Z51 suspension?

You have tje Z51 suspension package and you don't like how stiff it rides? No one likes how stiff they ride. That car is not really meant for just crusin' around. That is an autocross or track tuned suspension. Tje problem is that your car came with Z51 springs (and swaybars, and steering rack, and bilstein shocks, and maybe oil cooler etc.)

Find someone who is searching the earth for a pampered Z51 and sell it to them. YOU would look cool in a C4 convertible!

 

i have had my 86 for 11 years.
I have tried and tried to improve the ride in many ways. Here are a few tips I can offer:
1. The KYB shocks are way stiffer than the bilsteins. I sold my KYB shocks and put the bilsteins back on.
2. The tire pressure in the rear is where you need to adjust.
You are pretty much sitting on the rear tires in a C4. If you leave the front tire pressures at 32 PSI , let the rear tires down to 30 PSI.
3. The front shocks are hampered by the rubber bushings that you have installed. The result is the bushings take up some shock, but then stop dampening when they compress, and the shocks have no road feel. Most modern day shocks have some sort of piston in them that "self adjusts" to control ride using some sort of adjustable orifice to port fluid through-out the shock. using rubber bushings negates the dampening that is built into the shock.
I had a spring shop make some duplicate polyeurethane bushings for the top of the shocks from the originals, and replaced the lower bushings with off the shelf polyeurethane bushings I got from a 4x4 off road store.
BIG DIFFERENCE.
I installed the polyeurethane bushings in the back that fit an 89 suburban 4x4 front shocks, (4 shocks in front option).
4. Sway bars, you can go to a large sway bar in the front, and go to the smallest sway bar in the rear. The sway bar in the rear transmits real time body control in curves, and a smaller bar doesn't transmit jolts as bad.
5. 1986 base springs are the softest in all of the corvette C4 years.
have someone swap out your springs for the early 86 springs.
6. try to keep your gas tank more than half full all the time.
7. switch your seat bottom for hers. usually the driver's seat foam is broken down a little more than the right side, and the firmness just isn't there.
8. I swapped out my cast iron heads for aluminum heads, and the springs don't seem to be so stretched and close to their non linear limits. unfortunately, you already have aluminum heads.
Try some of these little tips, and see what happens.