Ride quality upgrade
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,624
Likes: 48
From: Saudi Arabia
Ride quality upgrade
My '94 got the FE1 suspension.
Should I get new suspension or there is something I can change to make it better ? I think it's too soft that make the car bounces
Dont want to make it hard though !!
FE1 - base "soft" suspension
FE3 - "sport" suspension, w/`96 Z-51 only
FE7 - "heavy duty" suspension, w/ `84-90 Z-51, `91-95 Z-07
FX3 - adjustible shock absorbers "selective ride control" `89-95
F45 - adjustible shock absorbers "real time dampining" `96
Z07 - heavy duty adjustible suspension package, `91-95 (cpe. only)
Z51 - heavy duty suspension package `84-90 (cpe. only)
Z51 - sport suspension package `96 (cpe. only)
Z52 - sport handling package `87-88
ZR1 - special performance package `90-95 (cpe. only)
FE3 - "sport" suspension, w/`96 Z-51 only
FE7 - "heavy duty" suspension, w/ `84-90 Z-51, `91-95 Z-07
FX3 - adjustible shock absorbers "selective ride control" `89-95
F45 - adjustible shock absorbers "real time dampining" `96
Z07 - heavy duty adjustible suspension package, `91-95 (cpe. only)
Z51 - heavy duty suspension package `84-90 (cpe. only)
Z51 - sport suspension package `96 (cpe. only)
Z52 - sport handling package `87-88
ZR1 - special performance package `90-95 (cpe. only)
Should I get new suspension or there is something I can change to make it better ? I think it's too soft that make the car bounces
Dont want to make it hard though !!
Racer
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 343
Likes: 9
From: Long Beach Ca,
KYB or Bilstien shocks maybe the heavy duty ones would be the cheapest way to go. I think some guys here say the Z51 shocks work pretty good. It should firm up the ride. All the other packages listed would involve spring changes or wiring harnesses and computer hookup.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,381
Likes: 66
From: SF bay area C.A.
C4 of the Year Finalist
KYB or Bilstien shocks maybe the heavy duty ones would be the cheapest way to go. I think some guys here say the Z51 shocks work pretty good. It should firm up the ride. All the other packages listed would involve spring changes or wiring harnesses and computer hookup.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 7,634
Likes: 324
From: Greenville SC
For the street I would keep the soft springs, do bigger sway bars, poly bushings, and talk to Bilstein or DRM about getting a custom valving based on what kind of ride you want.
I had mine done before, nd just got new Bilsteins on my Z06 that DRM designed the specs. They ride very nice, but still feel the road, they probably have something like this for the C4.
I had mine done before, nd just got new Bilsteins on my Z06 that DRM designed the specs. They ride very nice, but still feel the road, they probably have something like this for the C4.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
Although on my '94 FE1 car the previous owner put the Z51 Bilsteins on and I really liked the feel. I suspect that you can't really go wrong with the Bilstein's (either the Z51 or the HD ).
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,624
Likes: 48
From: Saudi Arabia
What effect a bigger sway bars will have on the car ?
are those the one that I need to look for ?
http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette...r-kit-628053-1
http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette...r-kit-617211-1
What's the difference between solid and tubular ?
are those the one that I need to look for ?
http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette...r-kit-628053-1
http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette...r-kit-617211-1
What's the difference between solid and tubular ?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
Generally bigger sway bars make it corner flatter with less lean. There is usually little change to the ride stiffness/harshness.
Tubular or Solid has very little effect on the flexing of the sway bar since twisting it is primarily controlled by the outside diameter and the material used (although everything uses a similar steel).
It is important to keep a balance between the front and rear. For example if you go too big on the rear it will induce oversteer, too small will understeer. How big on the front and rear to keep that balance depends on other things too, like the weight balance of the car, the spring rates, and the tire sizes, etc. That is why so many vendors offer a package of both front and rear that are generally right sized for the car with normal options. You might try checking with some of the racers to get sizing recommendations. There is also an autocross section on the forum to look at.
For reference you may want to look at the following suspension chart.
http://corvetteactioncenter.com/tech/c4/susp_chart.html
Good luck.
Tubular or Solid has very little effect on the flexing of the sway bar since twisting it is primarily controlled by the outside diameter and the material used (although everything uses a similar steel).
It is important to keep a balance between the front and rear. For example if you go too big on the rear it will induce oversteer, too small will understeer. How big on the front and rear to keep that balance depends on other things too, like the weight balance of the car, the spring rates, and the tire sizes, etc. That is why so many vendors offer a package of both front and rear that are generally right sized for the car with normal options. You might try checking with some of the racers to get sizing recommendations. There is also an autocross section on the forum to look at.
For reference you may want to look at the following suspension chart.
http://corvetteactioncenter.com/tech/c4/susp_chart.html
Good luck.
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Pro
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 549
Likes: 13
From: Richmond VA
tube vs. solid is weight, solid is about twice the weight and being the same size the solid will be slightly better. The stiffness of the solid bar is determine by the out 1/3 of the bar which makes for a thick wall.
Do some google searches on sway bar thickness and make your decision.
VBP has solid bars for around 150.00 each
Do some google searches on sway bar thickness and make your decision.
VBP has solid bars for around 150.00 each