New shocks question?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 2
From: Ramona CA
New shocks question?
2 questions:
1. Anyone have experience with Gabriel Guardian shocks. I called Gabriel and they suggested the Guardian. He said the one for the Corvette is designed for the Corvette and will give back shock absorption without loosing ride control. They are $17.00 a piece through Autozone. About $75.00 out the door for 4 shocks - not bad. A set of KYB are nearly $200.
2. I'm wondering how BMW does it? Their sedans like 325 to 330 corner like no tomorrow on low profile tires like a Corvette. I rode in one and man the ride was smooth. What shock do they use. Remember they have to appeal to housewives and performance people. A housewife is not going to put up with a ride like a truck.
I'm trying to find that balance between a decent ride. Your teeth don't rattle or the whole car shifts when you hit a bump and decent performance such as no lean plus a reasonable price.
1. Anyone have experience with Gabriel Guardian shocks. I called Gabriel and they suggested the Guardian. He said the one for the Corvette is designed for the Corvette and will give back shock absorption without loosing ride control. They are $17.00 a piece through Autozone. About $75.00 out the door for 4 shocks - not bad. A set of KYB are nearly $200.
2. I'm wondering how BMW does it? Their sedans like 325 to 330 corner like no tomorrow on low profile tires like a Corvette. I rode in one and man the ride was smooth. What shock do they use. Remember they have to appeal to housewives and performance people. A housewife is not going to put up with a ride like a truck.
I'm trying to find that balance between a decent ride. Your teeth don't rattle or the whole car shifts when you hit a bump and decent performance such as no lean plus a reasonable price.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 0
From: MANDEVILLE, LA La
Couldn't find any Reviews on the Gaurdians. If I were you,I'd get a set of Low Mileage Bistiens.They virtually last forever.Some reports over 200K Miles and still within factory Specs.
What year do you have ?
What year do you have ?
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 787
Likes: 1
From: Hialeah Florida
Do not I repeat do not by anything Gabriel or Monroe. I have Gabriel Ultras which are supposed to be better than the Guardians.....$110 all 4. One word... CRAP! I had the original Bilstiens with 140,000 miles on them and they were beyond shot. When I put the new Gabriels on the car improved not as much as I wanted though. After 6000 miles they are already crapping out on me. The front is getting soft and the rear has too much rebound. I have not tried the KYBs on a vette.. I had them on a Foxbody Mustang 5.0 and they sucked. Went with Tokico after that. My next choice for my vette will be Bilstien or Tokico. Spend the money the first time cause if you dont you wont be happy and are going to want to buy shocks again like I do.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,172
Likes: 672
From: Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
St. Jude '03 thru '24
But as the OP has been rattled to death by bad roads and such, maybe he should give some of these a try.
For less than a C note he can give us a first hand comparison and maybe some CF'rs may benefit.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 0
From: MANDEVILLE, LA La
2. I'm wondering how BMW does it? Their sedans like 325 to 330 corner like no tomorrow on low profile tires like a Corvette. I rode in one and man the ride was smooth. What shock do they use. Remember they have to appeal to housewives and performance people. A housewife is not going to put up with a ride like a truck.
BMW's come from factory with Bilsteins just like our Vettes.That's why they ride/handle so good.
BMW's come from factory with Bilsteins just like our Vettes.That's why they ride/handle so good.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,172
Likes: 672
From: Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
St. Jude '03 thru '24
BMW spends much more time working with spring rates and shock valving to get the ride quality and handling. It took the big 3 fifty years to finally figure out how to design a car for the public. Instead of simply designing a car........
Race Director
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 14,924
Likes: 9
From: Merritt Ils Fl
My 85 had some standard shock on it when I bought it, all were trashed. Got a deal on a set of Monroes. Six months and they were trash. Traded them in on a set of KYB's and haven't looked back. Before you ask, no I don't race, AutoX only cruise.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
I used monroe (junk), KYB's, Bilsteins and Koni's on my F-bodies. The Koni's were hands DOWN, the best. They are worth the money (on an F-Bod). Haven't tried them on a Y body yet.
BMW's also drive and ride well because they have a very solid, rigid, structure. C4's do not.
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,642
Likes: 0
From: Suwanee,Ga
2 questions:
1. Anyone have experience with Gabriel Guardian shocks. I called Gabriel and they suggested the Guardian. He said the one for the Corvette is designed for the Corvette and will give back shock absorption without loosing ride control. They are $17.00 a piece through Autozone. About $75.00 out the door for 4 shocks - not bad. A set of KYB are nearly $200.
2. I'm wondering how BMW does it? Their sedans like 325 to 330 corner like no tomorrow on low profile tires like a Corvette. I rode in one and man the ride was smooth. What shock do they use. Remember they have to appeal to housewives and performance people. A housewife is not going to put up with a ride like a truck.
I'm trying to find that balance between a decent ride. Your teeth don't rattle or the whole car shifts when you hit a bump and decent performance such as no lean plus a reasonable price.
1. Anyone have experience with Gabriel Guardian shocks. I called Gabriel and they suggested the Guardian. He said the one for the Corvette is designed for the Corvette and will give back shock absorption without loosing ride control. They are $17.00 a piece through Autozone. About $75.00 out the door for 4 shocks - not bad. A set of KYB are nearly $200.
2. I'm wondering how BMW does it? Their sedans like 325 to 330 corner like no tomorrow on low profile tires like a Corvette. I rode in one and man the ride was smooth. What shock do they use. Remember they have to appeal to housewives and performance people. A housewife is not going to put up with a ride like a truck.
I'm trying to find that balance between a decent ride. Your teeth don't rattle or the whole car shifts when you hit a bump and decent performance such as no lean plus a reasonable price.
Welcome to the C4 Forum!!!!! Nice C5 you got there....
Buy Bilsteins.
Call Randy at Doug Rippie Motor Sports [DRM], he is a supporting memeber and you can trust him.
TJM
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 2
From: Ramona CA
Thanks TJM. My C5 is beautiful in and out with a ZO6 engine and performance. When I'm done with this C4 I just picked up it will be just as beautiful with very good performance. Right now I'm just learning about second Gen C4s (1992 - 1996). I had an '84 which I made beautiful and almost 300 HP but did research on the Crossfire Forum.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
The type of spring used isn't what's causing the symptom that the OP is talking about. The C6 has very good ride quality and also uses transverse monoleaf springs. They TYPE of spring isn't the problem.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,783
Likes: 15
From: Northern California
That's the nature of the Transverse Leaf spring, It acts like a sway bar which is desirable in auto crossing.
When going to work, I travel over a freeway expansion joint on a banked curve going about 65 mph and when I hit the expansion joint, my "91" Vette feels like the rear end hops and skips over the expansion joint which is kind of scary if you don't have both hands on the steering wheel.
Driving my wifes "07" Jetta over the same banked freeway expansion joint has no effect on ride quality.
So, I think Coil spring and Leaf spring designed vehicles do differ in the quality and type of ride you prefer.
When going to work, I travel over a freeway expansion joint on a banked curve going about 65 mph and when I hit the expansion joint, my "91" Vette feels like the rear end hops and skips over the expansion joint which is kind of scary if you don't have both hands on the steering wheel.
Driving my wifes "07" Jetta over the same banked freeway expansion joint has no effect on ride quality.
So, I think Coil spring and Leaf spring designed vehicles do differ in the quality and type of ride you prefer.
Last edited by GKK; Jul 2, 2010 at 09:56 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
NO! Please explain how the C5 and C6 manage to handle the same type bumps, with aplomb...when they're equipped w/Transverse leaf springs.
It's not the TYPE of spring. The C4 is not condemned to ride poorly b/c of the TYPE of spring used. If it were, the later Corvettes would ride the same. And they don't.
Youre logic is like saying that the Jetta is a 4 door, and the Corvette is a 2 door, so the Jetta Rides better over those joints because it's a 4 door. Obviously that's not true. The jetta rides better over expansion joints because:
It has a much stiffer, stronger frame
It has struts, which places the spring loads all the way out above the lower ball joint
It has less unsprung weight (smaller wheel/tire/brake package)
Better matched springs and shocks.
NOT because it's a 4 door....or because it has coil springs.
It's not the TYPE of spring. The C4 is not condemned to ride poorly b/c of the TYPE of spring used. If it were, the later Corvettes would ride the same. And they don't.
Youre logic is like saying that the Jetta is a 4 door, and the Corvette is a 2 door, so the Jetta Rides better over those joints because it's a 4 door. Obviously that's not true. The jetta rides better over expansion joints because:
It has a much stiffer, stronger frame
It has struts, which places the spring loads all the way out above the lower ball joint
It has less unsprung weight (smaller wheel/tire/brake package)
Better matched springs and shocks.
NOT because it's a 4 door....or because it has coil springs.
Last edited by Tom400CFI; Jul 3, 2010 at 04:34 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 900
Likes: 3
From: Cary illinois
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,783
Likes: 15
From: Northern California
Here's a quote from "mundo" in a recent thread he started,
"The worst thing I ever did was put Bilstien shocks on my C5. The C5 had a decent ride but I knew the shocks were bad. So on went the Bilsteins. Now it rides like a pickup truck."
So, the C5 does seem to have a similar ride quality as the C4 with the similar Transverse leaf spring and Bilstein shocks, confirmed by mundos' experience with owning both generation Vette's.
To answer the OPs' original question, for the best balance between ride quality, performance and price I'd go with Tokico HP shocks. http://search.corvetteguys.com/?quer...&go.x=0&go.y=0
"The worst thing I ever did was put Bilstien shocks on my C5. The C5 had a decent ride but I knew the shocks were bad. So on went the Bilsteins. Now it rides like a pickup truck."
So, the C5 does seem to have a similar ride quality as the C4 with the similar Transverse leaf spring and Bilstein shocks, confirmed by mundos' experience with owning both generation Vette's.
To answer the OPs' original question, for the best balance between ride quality, performance and price I'd go with Tokico HP shocks. http://search.corvetteguys.com/?quer...&go.x=0&go.y=0
Last edited by GKK; Jul 4, 2010 at 03:26 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,344
Likes: 48
From: San Marcos CA
$17 Gabriels sounds like they aren't even gas charged. The Monroe sensa-tracs are also going to be too soft (I have some 6 month old ones with a lifetime reciept if you want them for free, I can arrange that if I have something else to hang on my car), but common wisdom says that the KYB shocks for a C4 are the minimum buy in because they offer a level of damping that isn't an embarrassment to the car's capability.
That said, the softer spring rate of the 94-96 base suspension works ok with softer shocks and good tires. They don't skip out as much over rough roads with a good tire. The whole suspension feels 'wiggly' with the softness and the chassis flex, but it still goes where you want it to.
It is certainly cushy with standard shocks though- you might like it.
That said, the softer spring rate of the 94-96 base suspension works ok with softer shocks and good tires. They don't skip out as much over rough roads with a good tire. The whole suspension feels 'wiggly' with the softness and the chassis flex, but it still goes where you want it to.
It is certainly cushy with standard shocks though- you might like it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 787
Likes: 1
From: Hialeah Florida
i have a 94 with the base suspension and crappy gabriel shocks and yeah the ride is soft and whatever. But i feel like im driving a regular car. on the highway its ridiculous. I want the stiffest shocks out there! plus there is no way this car will ride as bad as my foxbody stang it was almost riding on the bumpstops.