C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

Correcting ride height

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Old Nov 1, 2002 | 10:35 AM
  #1  
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Default Correcting ride height

hi all

maybe some of you have read my topic, where i said, that my vette have to be aligned...

i measured the ride height of the car a year ago, and i found out, that driver side is front and rear approx. .4 inches deeper than passenger side..

so, while i´m in alignement, i want to correct this .4 inches too, so that driver and passenger side are equal

how can it be done?
put some metalplates under the rubber boot of the spring in front and adjust rear height with the bolts? (you know, i mean the bolt through the end of the spring, secured with a cotter pin, don´t know the exact name)

i ´ve read this a time ago..

is anybody in here who have gone through this procedure?

thank you :cheers:
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Old Nov 2, 2002 | 03:49 AM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (corvette90)

Anybody?? :confused:
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Old Nov 2, 2002 | 11:24 AM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (corvette90)

nobody??

don´t let me alone.... :cry
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Old Nov 2, 2002 | 12:11 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (corvette90)

My car is a '91 so I think it's the same as yours. First of all, the bolts you are talking about are in the back only. They should be adjusted to the same legnth. If that is not your problem I have two suggestions. First, has the car been owned by a really heavy guy that made the passenger side of the car sag? If so, then replace both springs. Second, Has one side of the car been damaged? If you are taking the measurements from the fender it's possable that the fender was put on .4 out of spec. Take more measurements to find out more. Hope this helps. Jim
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Old Nov 2, 2002 | 01:18 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (Skipzoom)

I don't think there is a C4 made that sits perfectly level on all 4 corners from the factory. None of the 3 that I've owned did... the rear you might be able to get level, but since the front is non-adjustable, you would be in for a lot of work shimming the spring.
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Old Nov 2, 2002 | 03:36 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (Springer's LT4)

ok..the pre owner i don´t think he was so heavy ..car have never been in an accident..

this topic was discussed here a year ago, and many of you said that the height was not adjusted very carefully from factory..

but also many of the people in here adjusted their vettes in ride height..but how?

i knw, with the bolts, you can easy adjust rear, but ive heard also, to put some plates under the rubber end boot of the front spring..

any opinions, or somebody done this?

thanks
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Old Nov 3, 2002 | 04:07 AM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (corvette90)

anybody?? :confused:
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Old Nov 3, 2002 | 02:15 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (corvette90)

nobody can help me? won´t believe this :cry
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Old Nov 3, 2002 | 02:28 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (corvette90)

I think it has all been covered. The nut on the rear bolts do the rear (easy) and shims for the front spring(hard).

I lowered mine with the $40 kit a year and a half ago. The front is relatively equal, whereas the rear was about .5" off with teh nuts equal both sides. I adjusted one to make it equal. The cars handling vastly approved in autocross.
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Old Nov 3, 2002 | 02:51 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (cOvette)

Yeah, you need to order the lowering kit to get the new bolts since the cotter keyed stock bolts probably wont allow for too much adjusting. That will simply fix the rear as you will have much more adjustability there. The front?? First off, don't measure any body panels as these are shimmed as well. You would have to measure a chassis point and hope that the chassis was welded together deadass straight from the the factory.
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Old Nov 3, 2002 | 03:14 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (Goody)

thank you,

ok, rear is easy to adjust, so far so good

the problem is the front..from what i heard inthe past, is to put some metal plates under the rubber boot on the end of the spring..

i took my measurements from the ground, tire inflated to specs, through the middle of the wheels..to the wheel housing of the hood and the rear panels
and this turns out that right side of the car is higher than left one, about .4 inches

ground was even, i mean real even, i measured the ground with a levelling apparatus

thanks for any further inputs

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Old Nov 4, 2002 | 01:43 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (corvette90)

anybody out there??
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Old Nov 4, 2002 | 03:01 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (DOCTOR J)

thank you doctor...

do you think that the spring is worn?

from what i heard , the corvette isn´t set very carefully in height..

i´ve also heard that many vette owners correct thier ride height, altough thier cars are not old, and have only a few kmiles on them..

thanks for answer
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Old Nov 4, 2002 | 06:02 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (corvette90)

Lets say you buy a new $350 spring and it is still off by .4 inch....then what?? Just too many variables in my opinion. .005 in here, .003 there, .2 here and so forth....I'm sure uneven tire wear is worth a few .001's alone. You could lower the opposite side by .4 inches by shaving the rubber bumper on the stock spring.
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Old Nov 4, 2002 | 06:56 PM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height

1. Composite springs sag with age
4. VBP sells an adjustable front spring similar to the C5 design.
Seems clear to me.
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Old Nov 5, 2002 | 03:47 AM
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Default Re: Correcting ride height (Goody)

thats the point...i don´t think the springs are soo weak, the feel fine ( compared my riding comfort to a friends corvette, he has everything new, and feel similar)..

thanks
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