Lowered C5
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
From: Kevil Ky
Lowered C5
I lowered my c5 today, i took the bushings and bolts out of the rear and cut all of the bushing except for one little round piece (if you know what im talking about) i did it all on every one... put the bolts back through, and left about 2 threads showing... it lowered my car pretty dang good 
,
Questions:
has any one did this?
If so, do u like it, and have you had any problems?
also how can i lower the front, i have the z51 suspension?????
, Questions:
has any one did this?
If so, do u like it, and have you had any problems?
also how can i lower the front, i have the z51 suspension?????
Lepus-temperamentalus
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,827
Likes: 5
From: Roswell Ga
This is for a Z06, but it'll work just as well for you.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=90&TopicID=1
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=90&TopicID=1
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 184
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by 1BAD97VETTE
I lowered my c5 today, i took the bushings and bolts out of the rear and cut all of the bushing except for one little round piece (if you know what im talking about) i did it all on every one... put the bolts back through, and left about 2 threads showing... it lowered my car pretty dang good ,
Questions:
has any one did this?
If so, do u like it, and have you had any problems?
also how can i lower the front, i have the z51 suspension?????
, Questions:
has any one did this?
If so, do u like it, and have you had any problems?
also how can i lower the front, i have the z51 suspension?????
yeah, the link above was what I went off when I lowered my front the other day. Very useful link. Definetly alot harder than the back but it certainly made the car look alot better. After a couple days the front settled on the new adjustment of the bolt and lowered another 1/2" or so... looks great, definetly worth the 2 hours it took to do
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,038
Likes: 3
From: Charlotte North Carolina
I also lowered mine today...but all I did was turn a few screws. I didn't cut bushings. Don't the bushings serve some purpose? What effect does cutting bushings have other than make more room for lowering? Anything negative?
Last edited by Prosecutor; Jun 26, 2005 at 02:04 AM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
From: Kevil Ky
Originally Posted by Prosecutor
I also lowered mine today...but all I did was turn a few screws. I didn't cut bushings. Don't the bushings serve some purpose? What effect does cutting bushings have other than make more room for lowering? Anything negative?
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 184
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by 1BAD97VETTE
What screws did u turn and what not... thats a great link by the way... i think i might go by that if a few screws being turned dont work, so i want to see what screws i can adjust with
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
From: Kevil Ky
Originally Posted by Slowvette001
well the first time i jacked up the front, took off the wheels, and just tried lowering the car by adjusting the 10mm bolt on the leaf spring(make sure you set it to loosen. Its reverse threaded). This lowered it but not enough. The next day I followed that link and actually took all the other parts apart(all this must be done to get the bolts and bushing off on the fronts). Takes awhile but its definetly worth it man
, but if i dont like it for some odd reason i can repurchase the bushings correct... also what about camber????
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,038
Likes: 3
From: Charlotte North Carolina
Originally Posted by 1BAD97VETTE
What screws did u turn and what not... thats a great link by the way... i think i might go by that if a few screws being turned dont work, so i want to see what screws i can adjust with
http://www.crossedflags.com/nuke/htm...=article&sid=7
This is all I did:
FRONT
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Used jack to lightly support leaf spring.
3) Used 10mm wrench to turn front bolts counterclockwise 4 turns.
4) Wheels back on and torqued to 100 lbs
5) Took car off stands.
REAR
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Held top nut on bolt with 13/16 in. wrench and turned the bottom bolt head clockwise 5 times with 18mm socket wrench.
3) Took car off stands.
Hopefully car will settle a bit without getting too low.
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Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 184
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by Prosecutor
This is the link I used for guidance:
http://www.crossedflags.com/nuke/htm...=article&sid=7
This is all I did:
FRONT
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Used jack to lightly support leaf spring.
3) Used 10mm wrench to turn front bolts counterclockwise 4 turns.
4) Wheels back on and torqued to 100 lbs
5) Took car off stands.
REAR
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Held top nut on bolt with 13/16 in. wrench and turned the bottom bolt head clockwise 5 times with 18mm socket wrench.
3) Took car off stands.
Hopefully car will settle a bit without getting too low.
http://www.crossedflags.com/nuke/htm...=article&sid=7
This is all I did:
FRONT
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Used jack to lightly support leaf spring.
3) Used 10mm wrench to turn front bolts counterclockwise 4 turns.
4) Wheels back on and torqued to 100 lbs
5) Took car off stands.
REAR
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Held top nut on bolt with 13/16 in. wrench and turned the bottom bolt head clockwise 5 times with 18mm socket wrench.
3) Took car off stands.
Hopefully car will settle a bit without getting too low.
THANKYOU. Almost forgot to remind him about that. Definetly need to use a jack to lift the leaf spring up a bit higher otherwise the bolts are EXTREMELY hard to turn...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,038
Likes: 3
From: Charlotte North Carolina
Originally Posted by Slowvette001
THANKYOU. Almost forgot to remind him about that. Definetly need to use a jack to lift the leaf spring up a bit higher otherwise the bolts are EXTREMELY hard to turn...
What kind of drop do you think I'll get after settling?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
From: Kevil Ky
Originally Posted by Prosecutor
This is the link I used for guidance:
http://www.crossedflags.com/nuke/htm...=article&sid=7
This is all I did:
FRONT
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Used jack to lightly support leaf spring.
3) Used 10mm wrench to turn front bolts counterclockwise 4 turns.
4) Wheels back on and torqued to 100 lbs
5) Took car off stands.
REAR
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Held top nut on bolt with 13/16 in. wrench and turned the bottom bolt head clockwise 5 times with 18mm socket wrench.
3) Took car off stands.
Hopefully car will settle a bit without getting too low.
http://www.crossedflags.com/nuke/htm...=article&sid=7
This is all I did:
FRONT
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Used jack to lightly support leaf spring.
3) Used 10mm wrench to turn front bolts counterclockwise 4 turns.
4) Wheels back on and torqued to 100 lbs
5) Took car off stands.
REAR
1) Jacked it up, out on stands and took off front wheels.
2) Held top nut on bolt with 13/16 in. wrench and turned the bottom bolt head clockwise 5 times with 18mm socket wrench.
3) Took car off stands.
Hopefully car will settle a bit without getting too low.
I dont think just loosening the bolt up is gona make that big of a difference on my car... but i dunno... how much did it lower yours???? i think im gona cut the bushings
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,038
Likes: 3
From: Charlotte North Carolina
Originally Posted by 1BAD97VETTE
I dont think just loosening the bolt up is gona make that big of a difference on my car... but i dunno... how much did it lower yours???? i think im gona cut the bushings
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,799
Likes: 0
From: Lake Ridge VA
Originally Posted by Prosecutor
Don't the bushings serve some purpose? What effect does cutting bushings have other than make more room for lowering? Anything negative?
TTT for my curiosity
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,348
Likes: 25
From: STL Mo
Ill tell you, I did mine last sunday in about 30 min..... easiest mod Ive ever done on any of the four vettes Ive owned. I didnt even have to remove the wheels front or back. I was really suprised at how easy of a job it was.. It took a bit more time for the front but Ill I did was put the car on stands take the jack and used my small block of wood to protect the leaf spring ,placed the jack and jacked up the spring untill it gave me enough space to loosen and adjust the 10 mm bolt.... hell like I said and that took only a few min each side. Im not 4x4ing any more 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,332
Likes: 32
From: USA
Originally Posted by AdamC5
Although I have read 4 thousand posts on lowering on stock bolts, I have never heard an answer to this question.
TTT for my curiosity
TTT for my curiosity
Adam,
The bushings are there to cushion the ride as 1bad97 will find out.
The rears should never be cut, in my opinion. Longer bolts work great.
If you can only lower the front a little over 1" even with cutting the bushings then why lower the rear 2". The rake is now off. The shocks at 2" drop probably do not work properly either. Alignment is also probably way off.
Dave
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,799
Likes: 0
From: Lake Ridge VA
Originally Posted by corvette dave
Adam,
The bushings are there to cushion the ride as 1bad97 will find out.
The rears should never be cut, in my opinion. Longer bolts work great.
If you can only lower the front a little over 1" even with cutting the bushings then why lower the rear 2". The rake is now off. The shocks at 2" drop probably do not work properly either. Alignment is also probably way off.
Dave
The bushings are there to cushion the ride as 1bad97 will find out.
The rears should never be cut, in my opinion. Longer bolts work great.
If you can only lower the front a little over 1" even with cutting the bushings then why lower the rear 2". The rake is now off. The shocks at 2" drop probably do not work properly either. Alignment is also probably way off.
Dave
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,142
Likes: 0
From: Time is a great teacher. Unfortunately, it kills all its pupils.
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by Prosecutor
I also lowered mine today...but all I did was turn a few screws. I didn't cut bushings. Don't the bushings serve some purpose? What effect does cutting bushings have other than make more room for lowering? Anything negative?
Originally Posted by 1BAD97VETTE
Ok i guess i will go at it tommorow , but if i dont like it for some odd reason i can repurchase the bushings correct... also what about camber????
, but if i dont like it for some odd reason i can repurchase the bushings correct... also what about camber????