hello, i recently got a 2001 z06 and i love it. I have saved up a little $$ and its time to give the car a little drop and stiffen the ride a little bit. i know that suspension dynamics are very complicated and im sure that there are some products that will not improve the cars handling at all. with that said im looking for a setup, probally springs and shocks that will give me a mild drop and some noticable improvment, i do not need a full race setup, this car is not a daily driver but some comfort would be nice. please let me know thanks.
CHASE.

 

the '04 ZO6 shocks are a bit stiffer. That maybe all you need.

 

2004 shocks and lower it. We don't change the springs on these cars generally.
T1 sway bars will help a lot too.

 

Definately!

 

You don't have to get springs to lower a C5, just turn 4 bolts and the car lowers up to 1". If you want more you can cut the bushings in the front of the car and buy longer bolts for the rear.

 

A few guys have mentioned t1 sway bars...where can i find these. and as far as lowering the car without springs does anyone know where i can find more info on this? maybe somone has done a write-up but i ran 2 searches and found nothing relevant. thanks.

 

Check the sticky for this forum, lots of great information and there is a link to a tech tip to lower your car:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...75&forum_id=49

 

I think a good alignment and lowering adds a lot to the C5.

If you've ever driven a C5 that has a slighty more aggresive alignment you will notice how much better the car reponds to inputs. Transitions feel much different.

 

where would the best place be to pick up a set of 2004 shocks. im sure theres somewhere cheaper than the stealership. also where should i go to order the T1 sway bars, looking to get this stuff done ASAP. thanks.
CHASE/.

 

If you aren't going to run the car on the track I would suggest that you just lower it, put on a bit more agressive alignment (look at some of the threads on what to set into it and go from there) and add the 04 shocks.

If you want more than that you might go to a bit more agressive tires and wheels, since the GDYRs are a bit of a compromise. There are a lot of threads on replacing the GDYR's with other tires so I won't weigh the merits of the different ones that are available. Just realize that if you put on some more serious meats and the 04 shocks it may harsh enough...

For the street that is pretty much all you need and you aren't going to mess up the balance of the car.

My car is lowered to the maximum allowed by the stock bolts and that is plenty low for street use, you will need to be careful getting out of parking lots and driveways or you will be dragging....

If you aren't going to race it or run it on the track there isn't a lot to be gained from the T1 bars for street use. The T1 bars are really designed to work as a package with the T1 springs and other shocks and that package is going to be real uncomfortabe on the street...

Remember stiffer isn't necessarily better, and tires are more important than just about anything else that you can do for handling.

 

I agree with Solofast. The Z06 swaybars are perfect for street use, but an upgraded shock, lowering, and a more aggressive alignment will help a lot. Nitto 555 R2's or Toyo RA-1 are similar tires that are a combination street/r compound tire that will make the car handle and brake better than any other, but will only last 6000 to 10,000 miles.

T1 bars are really best for cars that see track time occasionally.

 

where is the best place to pick up the 04 shocks. also where do i get the T1 sway bars.

 

You can get T1 sway bar kits from Fred beans and GMPartsdirect. Both are site sponsors

 

i called up a local dealership and he said the rears were $188 each and the fronts were 160 each or 786 EACH! depending " on the vin # were his exact words. how the hell can one be 5 times more than the other ??

 

What is your infatuation with the T1 sway bars? You really should listen to solofast advice. The stock Z06 bar is almost too much up front, and has a tendency to push / understear. I switched to the 04 Z51 up front and the car is a little better balanced. Keep in mind that there is no difference between the Z51 and Z06 rear sway bar, they are the same dia. LAPD advertises 04 Z06 sach shocks for about $400. Sway bar at a dealer is about $200 thats 100% mark up so you might be able to get them to deal with you....
If your not going to go with the complete T1 package you will most likely be way out of balance. And as stated before, if its not strictly for track use you’ll probably get tired of the ride real quick.

Karl

 

Forget the local dealer.

This is Fred Beans website for ordering.

http://www.trademotion.com/splash/in...?siteid=214152

Look to the right on the main page and you'll see popular part numbers for ordering. One is 04Z06SHOCKS. Put in that code and Chevrolet for vehicle type in OEM parts search. You'll see the 4 shock pakage for $350.

Graham

 

The Bilstein Sport shocks are great for a lowered car. Depending on how low you are planning on going I would recommend those. I went from Z06 swaybars to T1's and the felt a huge difference. The ride is a noticibly stiffer but I don't mind since I spend quite a bit of time on the track. If you're not going to be AutoXing or running track days I would go with the Z06 swaybars.

 

Fred Beans is the place to deal with. Fred's logo is on the left. Also he posts price listing for the forum on the parts sections.

I would upgrade just a hair more though than the 04 shocks from the Z06. Go with the new 06 Shocks from the new Z06. They fit the C5 aswell and are supposed to be a bit better then the 04 Z06 shocks, and the price is right.
The sway bars are good from a Z06 and the springs too. Spend your money elsewhere unless you are tracking the car. You should really try lowering the car with the new shocks, you will see your improvement.