lowering front question
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,394
Likes: 12
From: Leon Iowa
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09
lowering front question
Can a person lower the front anymore than what the stock bolts will allow? It looks like the spring is already down to the bushing.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,394
Likes: 12
From: Leon Iowa
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09
Originally Posted by Y2Kvert4me
Sure.
Cut the bushing or remove the bolt completely.
Cut the bushing or remove the bolt completely.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
The bolt is simply threaded through the spring.
The bottom end of the bolt (the bushing) presses down on the control arm. It always touches the arm, even when you jack the car up.
By adjusting the bolt up, you reduce the space between the control arm and spring itself, thus the control arm rises, and that is what drops the car. If you cut the bushing or remove the bolt, you reduce that distance between spring and control arm even more, further dropping the car. Once the sping is riding directly on the control arm, there is nothing more you can do to lower it further, short of removing the fiberglss monoleaf spring and installing coilovers.
The rear bolts are a different story, since the spring rides below the control arm, the spring is actually pulling the arm down via the bolts...in this instance, yes, a bolt is absolutely necessary.
The bottom end of the bolt (the bushing) presses down on the control arm. It always touches the arm, even when you jack the car up.
By adjusting the bolt up, you reduce the space between the control arm and spring itself, thus the control arm rises, and that is what drops the car. If you cut the bushing or remove the bolt, you reduce that distance between spring and control arm even more, further dropping the car. Once the sping is riding directly on the control arm, there is nothing more you can do to lower it further, short of removing the fiberglss monoleaf spring and installing coilovers.
The rear bolts are a different story, since the spring rides below the control arm, the spring is actually pulling the arm down via the bolts...in this instance, yes, a bolt is absolutely necessary.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,394
Likes: 12
From: Leon Iowa
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09
Originally Posted by Y2Kvert4me
The bolt is simply threaded through the spring.
The bottom end of the bolt (the bushing) presses down on the control arm. It always touches the arm, even when you jack the car up.
By adjusting the bolt up, you reduce the space between the control arm and spring itself, thus the control arm rises, and that is what drops the car. If you cut the bushing or remove the bolt, you reduce that distance between spring and control arm even more, further dropping the car. Once the sping is riding directly on the control arm, there is nothing more you can do to lower it further, short of removing the fiberglss monoleaf spring and installing coilovers.
The rear bolts are a different story, since the spring rides below the control arm, the spring is actually pulling the arm down via the bolts...in this instance, yes, a bolt is absolutely necessary.
The bottom end of the bolt (the bushing) presses down on the control arm. It always touches the arm, even when you jack the car up.
By adjusting the bolt up, you reduce the space between the control arm and spring itself, thus the control arm rises, and that is what drops the car. If you cut the bushing or remove the bolt, you reduce that distance between spring and control arm even more, further dropping the car. Once the sping is riding directly on the control arm, there is nothing more you can do to lower it further, short of removing the fiberglss monoleaf spring and installing coilovers.
The rear bolts are a different story, since the spring rides below the control arm, the spring is actually pulling the arm down via the bolts...in this instance, yes, a bolt is absolutely necessary.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 7,788
Likes: 6
From: Winchester TN
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'11
Originally Posted by Y2Kvert4me
The bolt is simply threaded through the spring.
The bottom end of the bolt (the bushing) presses down on the control arm. It always touches the arm, even when you jack the car up.
By adjusting the bolt up, you reduce the space between the control arm and spring itself, thus the control arm rises, and that is what drops the car. If you cut the bushing or remove the bolt, you reduce that distance between spring and control arm even more, further dropping the car. Once the sping is riding directly on the control arm, there is nothing more you can do to lower it further, short of removing the fiberglss monoleaf spring and installing coilovers.
The rear bolts are a different story, since the spring rides below the control arm, the spring is actually pulling the arm down via the bolts...in this instance, yes, a bolt is absolutely necessary.
The bottom end of the bolt (the bushing) presses down on the control arm. It always touches the arm, even when you jack the car up.
By adjusting the bolt up, you reduce the space between the control arm and spring itself, thus the control arm rises, and that is what drops the car. If you cut the bushing or remove the bolt, you reduce that distance between spring and control arm even more, further dropping the car. Once the sping is riding directly on the control arm, there is nothing more you can do to lower it further, short of removing the fiberglss monoleaf spring and installing coilovers.
The rear bolts are a different story, since the spring rides below the control arm, the spring is actually pulling the arm down via the bolts...in this instance, yes, a bolt is absolutely necessary.
Great explanation!
I will likely try cutting one step from the front bushing on my Z and then longer bolts on the rear. I run 19" CCW's with 30 series tire4s, so the stock bolts did not take it quite far enough.
I have been warned by several folks about the ride deteriorating etc when you go too low, but I will experiment and go a little at a time. It is much easier with a lift....
best regards -
mqqn
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 884
Likes: 1
From: McKinney TX
Originally Posted by mqqn
Hi Y2Kvert4me -
Great explanation!
I will likely try cutting one step from the front bushing on my Z and then longer bolts on the rear. I run 19" CCW's with 30 series tire4s, so the stock bolts did not take it quite far enough.
I have been warned by several folks about the ride deteriorating etc when you go too low, but I will experiment and go a little at a time. It is much easier with a lift....
best regards -
mqqn
Great explanation!
I will likely try cutting one step from the front bushing on my Z and then longer bolts on the rear. I run 19" CCW's with 30 series tire4s, so the stock bolts did not take it quite far enough.
I have been warned by several folks about the ride deteriorating etc when you go too low, but I will experiment and go a little at a time. It is much easier with a lift....
best regards -
mqqn
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
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
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,394
Likes: 12
From: Leon Iowa
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09
Originally Posted by SeaLawyer
I was a little leary about removing the bolts too, until I took it all apart and really understood how it works. My bolts are GONE and I LOVE the look!
Supporting Tuner
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 51,896
Likes: 39
From: ================== Houston, Texas www.englandgreen.com ================== Necessary Evil™ __________
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 7,788
Likes: 6
From: Winchester TN
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'11
Originally Posted by t56gen3
Pic of mine with all the front rubber bushings cut, but bolts and pad still in and all the way in (the CCWs raised the car up overall vs stock):
Oh yea! That's the look!
you are right - I notice that my wife's coupe is lower on the stock bottoms than my Z is - and there is a lot more room in the wheel wells on my Z with the CCW / Pirelli combo.
I assume you did some linger bolts on the rear as well - mine looks almost factory with the 4x4 look even though it is all the way down on the stock bolts.....
This might be how I spent my sunday.....thanks for the great pic and info!
best regards -
mqqn
Racer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Calabash NC
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 3,088
Likes: 61
From: NY- 2013 Corvette Challenge Champion-2013 Index Combo Champion 2015 CC/MM Champion
St. Jude Donor '07
