Fitting Coil-overs
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,620
Likes: 81
From: Florence SC
St. Jude Donor '12
Hi Jim, these rod-ends/heim links are generic,
the bolt on the end of the sway bar is 7/16" so I chose that size for the rodends.
I used a 7/16 male right hand thread and a 7/16 female right hand thread.
the washers are 7/16 hardened, and the bolts are 7/16 high tensile zinc coated.
you guys in the states are lucky, you can find this stuff everywhere cheap with free shipping, or just go to the local fastener place that sells this type of stuff, and get chromemoly or stainless.
if you look at rsc337's thread he has the later model suspension arms so you can see they are slightly different, but you can just bolt the rodends straight to the arm (unlike the early arms where you need to fab a bracket to do this)
he moved his sway bar forward, or you can do what i did and grind the back of it for clearance as the rodends give you a bit more clearance as well.
the bolt on the end of the sway bar is 7/16" so I chose that size for the rodends.
I used a 7/16 male right hand thread and a 7/16 female right hand thread.
the washers are 7/16 hardened, and the bolts are 7/16 high tensile zinc coated.
you guys in the states are lucky, you can find this stuff everywhere cheap with free shipping, or just go to the local fastener place that sells this type of stuff, and get chromemoly or stainless.
if you look at rsc337's thread he has the later model suspension arms so you can see they are slightly different, but you can just bolt the rodends straight to the arm (unlike the early arms where you need to fab a bracket to do this)
he moved his sway bar forward, or you can do what i did and grind the back of it for clearance as the rodends give you a bit more clearance as well.
Jim
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,973
Likes: 341
From: Adelaide South Australia
I appreciate the info! With this I'll try to put a set together myself. With my coilovers, I had to use a sway bar relocation bracket which moved the upper mounting point forward about an inch. There's a guy within our Registry that makes these out of billet. Thanks again!
Jim
Jim
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 12,772
Likes: 17
From: Indianapolis IN
Front CO pics for Corvetteforum,, in retrospect, I would use a clevis on the TOP and not the rubber bushings, if you want to use the Rubber Bushings, use the Polyurethane bushings because the rubber would split on my car every summer due to the weight they are supporting, the Urethane solved that problem
Last edited by LD85; Apr 11, 2016 at 09:27 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,406
Likes: 2,744
Front CO pics for Corvetteforum,, in retrospect, I would use a clevis on the TOP and not the rubber bushings, if you want to use the Rubber Bushings, use the Polyurethane bushings because the rubber would split on my car every summer due to the weight they are supporting, the Urethane solved that problem
WAIT a minute - you didn't say HELLO you just showed your stuff LOL
Lots to be learned regarding C/O on an early car for sure from your install!
Last edited by WVZR-1; Apr 11, 2016 at 09:55 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 12,772
Likes: 17
From: Indianapolis IN
Evidently some of the pics went away and I dont throw anything out so.. I reposted the pics
I sort of miss making stuff like we do on the C4 's ,, I might be making a fan cooling system to keep the C6 Supercharger intercooler temps low in the fall, I'm waiting for my wife to forget that I sort of suggested that I maybe / might not mod the C6,, its working but very slowly
Last edited by LD85; Apr 11, 2016 at 03:46 PM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,973
Likes: 341
From: Adelaide South Australia
UPDATE - First competitive run for the car on Sunday with the new coil-overs, after some more work to get the 600 lb springs in.
Ran a 35.4 (previous best 35.3 last meeting of last year) with old Nitto 01's. I was getting brake lock up on the front and wheel spinning on the rear, but the tyres are 3 years old.
Had the car running low for this meet at 5" front chassis height, which is the lowest the car has been, didnt bottom out once. Compression set at 13 clicks out of 18.
Ran a 35.4 (previous best 35.3 last meeting of last year) with old Nitto 01's. I was getting brake lock up on the front and wheel spinning on the rear, but the tyres are 3 years old.
Had the car running low for this meet at 5" front chassis height, which is the lowest the car has been, didnt bottom out once. Compression set at 13 clicks out of 18.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,973
Likes: 341
From: Adelaide South Australia
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,973
Likes: 341
From: Adelaide South Australia
another update re lesson learnt from going to rod end sway bar links,
while the set up was good for 4 months of casual street use, first track outing showed up an issue.
when the sway bar is connected by rod ends there is nothing to stop the sway bar from sliding right to left, except the bend in the sway bar. This resulted in the top female rod ends bending,
some of problem went with trying to keep the poly bushes in the end of the sway bar giving a bit more angle.
after some research and talking to a couple of people, the poly mounts are gone and the rod ends will be bolted directly to the end of the sway bar.
the issue of the sway bar walking around is cured by the addition of go kart axle locating clamps, they are a 2 piece unit at $20 each.
Just a bit of info for anyone considering rod ends, particularly for track use.
while the set up was good for 4 months of casual street use, first track outing showed up an issue.
when the sway bar is connected by rod ends there is nothing to stop the sway bar from sliding right to left, except the bend in the sway bar. This resulted in the top female rod ends bending,
some of problem went with trying to keep the poly bushes in the end of the sway bar giving a bit more angle.
after some research and talking to a couple of people, the poly mounts are gone and the rod ends will be bolted directly to the end of the sway bar.
the issue of the sway bar walking around is cured by the addition of go kart axle locating clamps, they are a 2 piece unit at $20 each.
Just a bit of info for anyone considering rod ends, particularly for track use.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 125
Likes: 22
From: Colorado
another update re lesson learnt from going to rod end sway bar links,
while the set up was good for 4 months of casual street use, first track outing showed up an issue.
when the sway bar is connected by rod ends there is nothing to stop the sway bar from sliding right to left, except the bend in the sway bar. This resulted in the top female rod ends bending,
some of problem went with trying to keep the poly bushes in the end of the sway bar giving a bit more angle.
after some research and talking to a couple of people, the poly mounts are gone and the rod ends will be bolted directly to the end of the sway bar.
the issue of the sway bar walking around is cured by the addition of go kart axle locating clamps, they are a 2 piece unit at $20 each.
Just a bit of info for anyone considering rod ends, particularly for track use.
while the set up was good for 4 months of casual street use, first track outing showed up an issue.
when the sway bar is connected by rod ends there is nothing to stop the sway bar from sliding right to left, except the bend in the sway bar. This resulted in the top female rod ends bending,
some of problem went with trying to keep the poly bushes in the end of the sway bar giving a bit more angle.
after some research and talking to a couple of people, the poly mounts are gone and the rod ends will be bolted directly to the end of the sway bar.
the issue of the sway bar walking around is cured by the addition of go kart axle locating clamps, they are a 2 piece unit at $20 each.
Just a bit of info for anyone considering rod ends, particularly for track use.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,973
Likes: 341
From: Adelaide South Australia
the male rod ends are chromoly, but the females are mild steel, they didnt have them in chromoly.
the main thing is to get the rodend up against swaybar itself, to reduce the angle.
the main thing is to get the rodend up against swaybar itself, to reduce the angle.