1st impression Z06 Sway Bars
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: HOW FAST WAS I GOING OFFICER? Los Angeles Hating GM Dealership Service Dept.'s Since Sept. 2004
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Congrats on your install. 
Kinda related ...
If I get the Hotchkis front and rear ... do I need to do an alignment after? TIA.
Dave Q.
Kinda related ...
If I get the Hotchkis front and rear ... do I need to do an alignment after? TIA.
Dave Q.
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From: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18-'19
NCM Sinkhole Donor
I believe you can change the sway bars on the car, regardless of the suspension - F55, F45, etc. It's a pretty easy swap.
Dave, as far as needing the alignment - you shouldn't need one, but at about $65 or so for a four wheel alignment it couldn't hurt. I run the Z06 alignment specs with Hotchkis sways, urethane bushings and Bilstein Sport shocks.
Dave, as far as needing the alignment - you shouldn't need one, but at about $65 or so for a four wheel alignment it couldn't hurt. I run the Z06 alignment specs with Hotchkis sways, urethane bushings and Bilstein Sport shocks.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Tampa, Florida
Aside from spring I have a Z06 suspension under my '03 including a comparable tire. For what this costs you CANNOT go wrong. Shocks $300, swaybars $150, tires $1000 (only when you old ones are dead).
As far as shocks on a lowered car, well, my car is lowered to max on the factory bolts. I'm using '04 Z06 shocks and it never bottoms out. While the Bilsteins are an excellent shock I choose the Z06 shock to have more of an engineered matched setup with the sways.
As far as shocks on a lowered car, well, my car is lowered to max on the factory bolts. I'm using '04 Z06 shocks and it never bottoms out. While the Bilsteins are an excellent shock I choose the Z06 shock to have more of an engineered matched setup with the sways.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 25,350
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From: Frisco, TX
Thanks for the write-up, and congrats.
I've driven a Z06 and the cornering is great fun, but on pavement w/lots of little hills, it was a bit too much up and down for my daily driving. For you folks that have done this a part at a time, I'm curious as to what part gives this seemingly-vertical stiffness? I'm doubting it's the sway bars so I'd like to give that a try, but not if I'm going to get that up/down pickup truck (exaggeration) feeling. Or is it the springs and/or shocks?
I've driven a Z06 and the cornering is great fun, but on pavement w/lots of little hills, it was a bit too much up and down for my daily driving. For you folks that have done this a part at a time, I'm curious as to what part gives this seemingly-vertical stiffness? I'm doubting it's the sway bars so I'd like to give that a try, but not if I'm going to get that up/down pickup truck (exaggeration) feeling. Or is it the springs and/or shocks?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'08
I was talking to some guys yesterday and it seems that the 04 Z06 shocks would be a nice compliment to the Z06 sway bars. Looks like GM R&D did a good job with the combination....
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From: Section 326 Row A!! Finally. Go STARS!!
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St. Jude Donor '06
Originally Posted by blacksedan87
My car came with the FE1 suspension - but it now has the Hotchkis set up and the Bilstein Sport shocks. And it's been lowered...handles very good. The Z06 sways would be a HUGE improvement, and the improvement would be at the expense of a very small stiffening of the ride. Worth the $$$ in my opinion..... 
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Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,651
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From: HOW FAST WAS I GOING OFFICER? Los Angeles Hating GM Dealership Service Dept.'s Since Sept. 2004
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by blacksedan87
I believe you can change the sway bars on the car, regardless of the suspension - F55, F45, etc. It's a pretty easy swap.
Dave, as far as needing the alignment - you shouldn't need one, but at about $65 or so for a four wheel alignment it couldn't hurt. I run the Z06 alignment specs with Hotchkis sways, urethane bushings and Bilstein Sport shocks.
Dave, as far as needing the alignment - you shouldn't need one, but at about $65 or so for a four wheel alignment it couldn't hurt. I run the Z06 alignment specs with Hotchkis sways, urethane bushings and Bilstein Sport shocks.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,651
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From: HOW FAST WAS I GOING OFFICER? Los Angeles Hating GM Dealership Service Dept.'s Since Sept. 2004
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by Joe Diver
I'm considering the Hotchkis sways when I do the Bilsteins....I was also looking at Z06 sways...I have the Z51 now...what's the difference between the Z06 and Hotchkis?
T1's are almost the diameter of a half dollar.
Last edited by MyVetteDream; Feb 7, 2005 at 01:43 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 850
Likes: 2
Are the front stabilizer bars difficult to replace? I've seen some folks here report some difficulties with accessing one side on the front, with a tight clearance? Maybe not enough room to get a wrench in on them - or a tight fit?
The rear stabilizer is a piece of cake to access, so I imagine R&R on the back side is a breeze...
The rear stabilizer is a piece of cake to access, so I imagine R&R on the back side is a breeze...
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'08
Originally Posted by CE2004
Are the front stabilizer bars difficult to replace? I've seen some folks here report some difficulties with accessing one side on the front, with a tight clearance? Maybe not enough room to get a wrench in on them - or a tight fit?
The rear stabilizer is a piece of cake to access, so I imagine R&R on the back side is a breeze...
The rear stabilizer is a piece of cake to access, so I imagine R&R on the back side is a breeze...
They are a bit harder than the rears and that might only because I started with the fronts and learned a few things along the way.
The ony problem is that you need to get it up high enough to get under it. If you have plastic end links they are a PITA to get off, but the replacement metal ones are easy to install. All in all it took about 1.5 hours for me to do the front and back. I am still new at all this MOD stuff so that that into consideration.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 850
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by Wicked Weasel
They are a bit harder than the rears and that might only because I started with the fronts and learned a few things along the way.
The ony problem is that you need to get it up high enough to get under it. If you have plastic end links they are a PITA to get off, but the replacement metal ones are easy to install. All in all it took about 1.5 hours for me to do the front and back. I am still new at all this MOD stuff so that that into consideration.
The ony problem is that you need to get it up high enough to get under it. If you have plastic end links they are a PITA to get off, but the replacement metal ones are easy to install. All in all it took about 1.5 hours for me to do the front and back. I am still new at all this MOD stuff so that that into consideration.
Not bad... My 2004 has the metal endlinks already, so I'm in good shape. Been contemplating this mod ever since I put my GHL Bullets on a few months ago.
The Service Manual says to take the wheels off while you're changing the bar, so you'd need to get it high enough, on jack stands. Seems like it would be a fairly easy job to do though.
I liked your description of your first off-ramp with the new stabilizer bars installed. That is a perfect comparison to what it feels like with the base suspension.
