List what you have done, how your car handles, best improvement part, parts that didn't work or degraded handling, etc.

 

See my sig,and now it handles like its on rails!!Great mod for the price IMO!!
BUT,ALOT OF WORK----and I would do it all again!! :yesnod: :yesnod:
Matt

 

Full poly bushing kit, MAD lowering kit. Big improvement over 15 year old rubber bushings.

 

I upgraded my suspension in steps, each time it just got better:

1.) Installed the 92-95 Z07 swaybars and poly swaybar bushings. The 30mm solid front and 26mm solid rear keep the Vette flatter in the corners with no increase in ride harshness.

2.) Installed poly rear carrier bushings, poly camber rod bushings. Made the rear end tighter, esp why accelleting and around corners. I had heard that poly bushings make the ride harsh, not the case for these locations.

3.) I added ZR51 beam plates and a Hurst shifter and a 4.10 Viper gear at the same time I did the poly bushings upgrade when I had the diff out for a gear change. These are great chassis mods too.

4.) Camber brace. Really helps the car track through rough paved corners. Also stiffens the chassis when the top is off.

5.) HAL shocks. 12 way adjustable let's me tune the ride just right.

Eric

 

No comments on how it does since I am not done with the motor.. But I'll list anyways...

Front Poly bushing kit
30mm Front bar
26mm Rear Bar (poly sway parts)
Front Fiberglass spring (126.9n/mm; 102 stiffest stock for 84-87, 115 stiffest stock for 88+)
Rear Fiberglass spring (I cant find my spec right now, have to check the shock tommorow and log it, I beleie it around 89 or 92n/mm; stiffest was 87.5 in 84, after that 57.2 was stiffest stock)
Koni Adjustable Shocks (did these before the rebuild; made a NICE difference on the car, I didnt ever really tune them in either, picked up speed on the track and made the car nicer on street)

Thats it (for now). Springs are said to be matched and what was found best at willow springs.. we shall see how well they do... outta be better then stock/base suspension was ;)

Matt

 

I've got the standard Z07 springs from the factory. The lowering kit/urethane bushings was step 1....major improvement.

Step 2 was the shock rebuild from Bilstein. Major improvement with almost zero body roll through the corners.

Step 3 was the DRM rear-end modifications (camber bracket, trailing link brackets & knuckle tweaks). Not a MAJOR improvement, but it stabilized the car through the corners, especially where there were irregularities in the pavement. The car lays the power down earlier and handles like it is on rails. I keep up with coil-over cars on a regular basis.

Step 4 will be FX3 coil-overs....but that needs to fall behind the 427 SB project motor.

BTW: The sig pic is through a 180 carousel at 60 MPH. You can see that the car is flat and tracking well....


[Modified by Joe90, 10:55 AM 9/16/2002]

 

Who makes the springs? You have not driven the car with the new springs yet?

 

95wht6spd: The springs are GM springs it appears. I got them from Tommy Morrison, who was racing for GM/Mobile at the time. He didnt really have any stiffer ones for the front of the 88-96, only the Z51 (115 I think).

Hopefully later today or tommorow I will be ordered a 26mm rear bar and maybe some race shocks from him. I will ask about the front spring for your car if interested, as well as what rates he has for rear still...

I got the suspension stuff when I started on the motor, it all started by getting a 4+3 from him since my OD was burned out, got to talking, told him my passions and he sent me the suspension parts and brakes at a great deal... Time went on and I lost interest in the project and am just now getting back into it. I have some picture comparisons between the stock and my new springs, its amazing the difference in arch :)

Matt :cheers:

 

Yes, let me know what he has. Does he make them or are they left over from the Challenge cars? Does he recommend the springs you have for the streets? What kind of $ are we talking? Do you have a # where I can reach him if needed?

Does your car sit higher with the new springs, being they have the higher arch?

 

Left over from that era. Not challange car parts though (those were stock springs I beleive). I think GM made them for him, cause mine are GM coded/Stamped... might have been someone else though..

It never really came up in conversation, cause although the car will be driven on street, I dont care how it rides. Its being built for the track...

New springs are ALOT lower arch, I dont know how ride height will change, I would expect lower but hard to tell untill its running... Front I put wedges in so it should be lower... Rear spring I had to take the lowering bolts OUT and put the stocks in, still to long of bolts... I am going to get some fully threaded bolts for it and some nylon nuts when I do my sway bar...

I didnt end up ordering the bar from him, found one cheaper.. But I will be calling hopefully tommorow about the shocks and will ask him then...
http://www.morrisoncorvettes.com has their number and a brief stock count

Matt
113.x 88-96 spring I used to have compared to my stock 87 spring. http://www.vetteracer.com/pics/Vette...on/Springs.jpg
New rear spring vs stock rear spring (shorter one being new/stiff) http://www.vetteracer.com/pics/Vette...%20Closeup.jpg
Again (looks like it says 88.xx :p:) http://www.vetteracer.com/pics/Vette...Comparison.jpg
I think thats it for the pictures I took.... Shorter ones are the stiff/race ones, the tall ones are stockers...

 

Looks like a big difference, lower and a lot stiffer! I looked on his web site, but couldn't really figure out the codes. How much were the springs, if you don't mind saying? Are the bushings cut at all on the new spring?

 

Like I said, I dont have the spring code conversion anymore. Just the car code version.

I will have to check what I paid for them, and what his asking price last I checked was.

I got the stuff at a steal because of some business ethics... he had 3 4+3 trannies for auction on ebay, I was highest bidder but wasnt high enough (although my overall big would have been if it had been pushed that high) I talked to the auction house he went though and they said they would be for sale seperate now, and at a price about 25-50% more then what the highest bid would ahve equaled too a peice... I called the shop to get the deal underway and mentioned the highest bid, etc etc. He had already recieved money on one of the trannies so he said he would work it out with me on anything in stock (Almost bought a modded LT5 that needed top end assembly for something like $5k :eek: I now smack myself and want to cry everytime the ZR1/LT5 comes into my mind..) So I got springs, bars, brakes, transmission (supposidly race modified to handle high power and endurance, other then words, I dont know whats done :confused: )... He also (supposidly, no way to know for sure) checked his logs and saw the combo he sent was what he found best for an 84-87 at Willow Springs, which is my local track.

The new spring wasnt cut, was actually brand new looking all around, I did put the lowering kit on it myself, and had to swap the endpads if I remember right.

I will go ahead and answer the 88 to 95 post in here as well so its all easier to handle from here out....
The bushings appeared to be shaved to me, they werent clean as I would have expected, but I have never seen a stock 88-96 spring to know otherwise, the pad was about as tall as the lowering kit pads are.
DO NOT shave the lower pads, those are what helps keep the spring in place (from going side to side) its the top part that gets modified. Goto the directory of those pictures I posted and you can see the involvement of the lowering kit to the 87 spring. They pads have to be glued on (thats why I would just cut the stock ones).

Anyways, I just got home from work, I will check the pricing when I wake up. Sorry about making this a 10 page post, I tend to ramble on and on and on when I am sleepy. I hope I was able to help you out in some way though :cheers:
Matt