Supposed to Ride Like This???
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 863
Likes: 362
From: Maumelle AR
Supposed to Ride Like This???
Hey, this is my first Vette, in fact my first time driving a Vette. (2002 Coupe - 90K miles) My question is this .... The Vette feels somewhat .... "floaty" to me compared to what I expect in a sports car. I've driven nothing but foreign sports cars for the past 25 years and was surprised to get this "floaty" feel with the Vette. I expected quicker damping and stiffer suspension. The car handles great in the curves and corners flat, .. but kinda feels like a big cruiser otherwise. Steering also feels underboosted. Is this how C5's were designed? My reference comes from my previous Japanese sports cars: '97 Prelude, '99 3000GT SL, '04 RX8GT, and '05 G35 Coupe.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 863
Likes: 362
From: Maumelle AR
Yeah, I was wondering if it was time for shocks. It doesn't bounce, it just feels "floaty". I hear people all the time say that a Corvette can do duty as a daily driver, and I wondered if perhaps its sprung this way for ride comfort? I prefer a stiff suspension. My RX8 and G35 were ... Tight, Agile, light, Stiff, & Quick. Kinda hard to say that about this car at city speeds. Becomes more of what I'd expect at highway speeds. I need something to compare against.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 47,647
Likes: 1
From: Queens, New York Life begins at 183 mph....
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Is the vette lowered, if so, maybe the springs are worn out, after all, it has 90k miles and it might be on its original shocks. If you get a set of Z06 shocks and lower it just slightly (don't slam it), you'll feel like your on rails!! Don't forget to have the vette aligned with the proper toe, camber and rake. Vettes have a slight rake, the rear being just slightly higher.
Racer
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 312
Likes: 2
From: Elizabeth City North Carolina
I have a 2000 with 65K and Z51 package. There is nothing "floaty" about mine. It feels like you are on rails and the slightest steering adjustment and it is responding. Very solid feel.
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Instructor
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 219
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Mine has a slight float to it also.. Mine is lowered on stock bolts with active suspension set to performance at all times. It handles good but I feel a little float in the front. Not as much as when it wasnt lowered. Also with the new wider wheels, come to think of it, havent felt it since then.. 9.5 up front and 11 out back.. I just picked up a set of zo6 sways and in the market for shocks. I will def keep you in mind after the install and let you know if I feel a difference.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 863
Likes: 362
From: Maumelle AR
I don't have the selectable suspension control. How do I tell if I have the Z51 option? Is that the one with the selectable suspension? Oh, and my car is bone stock ... not lowered.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 863
Likes: 362
From: Maumelle AR
apevet, you description is just like mine. Seems to be just the front that has this slow vertical motion. Again, I wouldn't say its bouncing, but rather more like a slow damping motion. My previous cars would damp immediately, but most would also consider them to have a "rougher" ride quality.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,728
Likes: 142
From: Iowa
I just picked up a z06 with 28k miles and it's still not as stiff riding and driving the way I thought it would. It seems to hold well enough, but I can't really say I'm impressed. I thought the same thing about my FRC that was at 28k miles. 
I'm just going to slap these Hotchkis swaybars I have sitting here on the car and order up some Bilsteins. Hopefully it has a better feel to it.
However, I could immediately feel the difference in the way sharp bumps were felt. The z06 shocks impact a bit sharper feeling but do still dampen it. The bump impacts are just as I thought they would be, I know it is much stiffer riding. It's the long sweeping turns that don't feel right to me...
This kind of sounds similar to what I might be feeling.
I'm just going to slap these Hotchkis swaybars I have sitting here on the car and order up some Bilsteins. Hopefully it has a better feel to it.
However, I could immediately feel the difference in the way sharp bumps were felt. The z06 shocks impact a bit sharper feeling but do still dampen it. The bump impacts are just as I thought they would be, I know it is much stiffer riding. It's the long sweeping turns that don't feel right to me...
like a slow damping motion.
Last edited by Quickshift_C5; Jul 20, 2009 at 10:48 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 219
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apevet, you description is just like mine. Seems to be just the front that has this slow vertical motion. Again, I wouldn't say its bouncing, but rather more like a slow damping motion. My previous cars would damp immediately, but most would also consider them to have a "rougher" ride quality.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,868
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From: Kelso Washington
St. Jude Donor '09, '13, '15
I've heard that the stock C5 was intentionally sprung a bit on the soft side so it would ride nice but still handle well. I think they accomplished that very well.
But it also has some problems compared to cars that are engineered with more sophistication...but you're going to pay a lot more for sophisticated suspension engineering.
I think new/stiffer shocks would be in order and perhaps even stiffer springs. Sway bars certainly couldn't hurt.....but your butt might pay the price
But it also has some problems compared to cars that are engineered with more sophistication...but you're going to pay a lot more for sophisticated suspension engineering.
I think new/stiffer shocks would be in order and perhaps even stiffer springs. Sway bars certainly couldn't hurt.....but your butt might pay the price
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 473
Likes: 1
From: Newport Oregon
Trust me on this. Take 300.00, buy some Bilstein's then wonder why you tried telling yourself your shocks were fine. You can't 'bounce test' a vette. Mine had 68K on it and it too seemed 'boaty'. Cornered fine but just like you describe. No leaks, yadda yadda. When I swapped 'em out the front right was totally dead. 300.00 bucks and it's a whole new car.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 863
Likes: 362
From: Maumelle AR
I may invest in a pair of Bilstein shocks. The sway bars might tie it down some more in sweeps, but I noticed it in straight travel over bumpy terrain, so I'll think shocks for the time being. This car is very different from the foreign setups.