Z-52 suspension??
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: VA BEACH VA
Z-52 suspension??
I have an 87 vert and was told by the previous owner it had a Z-51 suspension. I asked the FORUM how to verify this and you guys said check the service panel under the consol lid. I checked it and could not find any markings showing Z-51 but there was one showing Z-52. Is this a designation for the suspension in this car? The reason I'm asking is I plan to replace my rotors and I want to make sure they are the right ones. Mid-America shows different rotors for Z-51 but I don't have any idea what the differences are.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 965
Likes: 13
From: turn 12 at Road America or TX
Z52 is a suspension option, but I think all 87s have the same rotors. According to the Black Book the 88s with Z52 have different rotors - meaning the later style front and rear calipers. Looks like MAD has their catalog info hosed. Check with your local NAPA store first, you can probably beat MAD prices locally.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Ive seen owners sell there Z52's as Z51's many times. There was even one on eBay being referenced as a 1 of 1300 car with Z51. (It was an 88 Automatic which was never made with Z51.) It is in fact back on eBay as a Z52. I think its just a common error in termonology. If it says Z52 in the console than that is what you have. Its not bad at all. It's actually suppossed to be a better controled suspension for the street. Z51 is stiffer for racing. I have an 88 with Z52 and mine has the standard 12" rotors. Th HD 13" Rotors were another J55 option all together. None the less and I could be wrong but I did think that 87 only came with one size rotor front and rear.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Ive seen owners sell there Z52's as Z51's many times. There was even one on eBay being referenced as a 1 of 1300 car with Z51. (It was an 88 Automatic which was never made with Z51.) It is in fact back on eBay as a Z52. I think its just a common error in termonology. If it says Z52 in the console than that is what you have. Its not bad at all. It's actually suppossed to be a better controled suspension for the street. Z51 is stiffer for racing. I have an 88 with Z52 and mine has the standard 12" rotors. Th HD 13" Rotors were another J55 option all together. None the less and I could be wrong but I did think that 87 only came with one size rotor front and rear.
Z52 cars had slightly small sway bars than the Z51 cars. Also Z51 cars got poser steering coolers where the Z52 card did not. Both Z51 and Z52 got the quick steering rack and pinion.
All 84-87 cars had the same size rotors at 11.9" diameter in front. Because the front suspension was re-designed in '88, the front rotors had a different "hat" design than the earlier cars. The J55 13" front rotors first appeared in 88 as part of the Z51 suspension and 17" wheels.
