I am going to buy a c5 and some are lowered on stock bolts , are there any issues with speed bumps and driveway ramps or entrances on stock c5' s or lowered c5 's this will be a daily driver and 100 mile a day commuter . thanks

 

Yes, you will drag at least the front air dam. Maybe more depending on how low the car is.

 

I'm lowered on stock bolts as far as they can go. I rub going in and out of my driveway everyday...but it is only the front airdam which I have gotten used to.

Speed bumps I usually can get over without any rub as long as I go slow and at an angle.

Certain crazy-assed angle driveways will screw your stuff up. You get pretty good at realizing what is not good to go over.

Its worth it in my opinion given how GREAT the car looks after being lowered.

 

Even at the stock height, I've run into some speed bumps that cause my front air dam to scrape. Lowering the car will most certainly cause other parts of the car to scrape - at least around here.

 

I've had my car for 7 years now, and it has been lowered the entire time I have owned it, until recently. Over the Christmas break I raised it back up to stock ride height because I couldn't make it into my parking garage at work because of the speed bumps. It is so much better driving now that it is raised back up. It drives better, rides better and I don't have to worrry as much. No worse sound than bottoming out on a speed bump. Maybe I'm just getting older.

 

My car was lowered all the way down on the stock front bolts when I bought it and lowered on C6 bolts in the rear. The air dam hit pretty much everything, being that it was maybe 1.5 inches off of the ground at best. Even the smallest of speed bumps, like the plastic ones that are bolted to the ground, gave me problems not with just the air dam but with hitting the exhaust too.

I raised my car up some in the front and a high as it would go with the c6 bolts in the rear, and I don't have to worry about getting into my driveway or going to some of my favorite places any more. Plus it still looks good.

Depending on where you live and where you drive, you may not have to raise it up. But if you decide to change the ride height, which is very easy thing to do, make sure you get an alignment afterwords.

HTH

 

I wouldn't lower ,I have a buddy who is lowered and has had problems getting in and out of places.Looks good but causes problems.

 

 

Stock hieght here. Rule of thumb = "If you are looking at it in the road and it wont fit in your mouth, go slow or get out and look"

Mine is 4.5 inches at the frame just behind the front wheel, so a regular speed bump is ok, just have to go slow, if you hop at all over it you stand a good chance of cracking the rocker panel which wraps around under the body. There are frame savers (rails you bolt on under the length of the frame along each side) that lower your clearance by about a half inch but supposedly save the body if you slide along something. Hevent needed them yet so I dont know about them.

The front flexible air dam (on a stock hieght car) will rub a bit on regular parking lot speed bumps, but dont even think about it. Its spring loaded and made to rub on stuff. Worst case is after many years you have to replace it, its $90 and three bolts.

The front frame (bumper carrier? radiator carrier? cant recall what its called but its the non flexible metal forward most portion under the front end) will be toast if you park nose in in a spot with the regular hieght concrete bumpers you see in any parking lot. You really have to back in when you are new to the car, or stop two feet before you think you have to. They also make small "frame saver" wheels you can bolt on there that halp to at least guide the front end over something you hit that you shouldnt have, but (just in my opinion) Id rather just avoid hitting them in the first place.

Other than that, the car very likely will not scrape or give you any aggrevation on and regular road/highway, just drive it, no problem.

Driveways ? hit or miss (literaly ), if it looks like a steep angle of attack, try approaching at an angle. The general rue I guess is, when in doubt, go slow.

 

I have had the same problem, that's why I'm reluctant to lower

 

Lowered on stock bolts here. Wasn't a problem on the streets and freeways in So Cal, but my recent move back to the Northeast has been an interesting adventure to say the least. Problems with pulling in and out of places. Recently ripped my "hideaway" license plate mount off for the second time. Shredded the heat wrap off of my x-pipe a few months back when pulling out of a friends driveway. Looks good but probably going to raise it back up in the Spring. Not worth the headache.

 

The front air dam is self leveling.

 

Ive been lowered stock bolts since 2004. On the crappy stock F45 shocks I used to bottom out on speed bumps from the bounce. After swapping to Bilstein sports shocks I have never bottomed out on a speed bump ever again.

Yeah lower that bitch!

 

Yes... that is the definition of "lowered".

Lowering a Corvette is like lowering a go-cart - even caterpillars will not be safe and you will scrape and drag on everything. If you think making everyone's head turn to the sound of grinding metal and body panels is cool, then go for it!

 

Mine is lowered all the way on stock bolts. Your car is a Vette and it is gonna scrape here and there. Mine is not going back up! Know your path and be careful when you don't and you will be fine!

 

Thanks for all the input it sounds like I am going to have to adjust my driving style over speedbumps and stuff

 

mine is lowered about as low as i can go, the only thing i occasionally scrape is the front air damn.


you have common sence, use it