[Z06] Lowering question zip-bolts or ?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 786
Likes: 3
Lowering question zip-bolts or ?
Hi. My car is lowered all the way on stock bolts and im not happy with the look. I'm running 19/20 wheels.
I have bilstein sport shock as well going in.
I have Zip-lowering bolts at home which are c6 front bolts.
My question is: I would like to get rid of wheel gap. So whats gonna lower me more in the front:
1: Cutting OEM bushings.
2: installing c6 bolts
I have been reading and searching for weeks and looks like removing front bolts completely would give me slammed look which i like but im afraid to damage my leaf spring.
heres few pic of my car the way it sits now and zip-bolts
My goal is to be lowered like this.
I have bilstein sport shock as well going in.
I have Zip-lowering bolts at home which are c6 front bolts.
My question is: I would like to get rid of wheel gap. So whats gonna lower me more in the front:
1: Cutting OEM bushings.
2: installing c6 bolts
I have been reading and searching for weeks and looks like removing front bolts completely would give me slammed look which i like but im afraid to damage my leaf spring.
heres few pic of my car the way it sits now and zip-bolts
My goal is to be lowered like this.
Last edited by 2003corvettez06; Feb 19, 2013 at 07:01 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 786
Likes: 3
Pro
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 590
Likes: 23
From: Orangevale Ca.
i'm with you on not being ready to pull the trigger on coilovers (hopefully soon, tho).
i see a lot of c5's (z0 or std) that have tried everything to lower their cars including removing the front bolts.
my front bolts are turned all the way up and the rear bolts are factory with one "section/slice" of the bushing cut away. i originally had the lowered bolt kit in the rear and when i put the 20's on it, they were just a little too close for my comfort. there seems to be a 1/2" "gap" between the lowered bolt kits raised up to their limit and the factory setup dropped all the way that i couldn't get to unless i cut that one section off.
i've also made my own side splitters and added a corvette creationz C5R front splitter to help protect my paint and to give it a more hammered look.
so until i can save the scratch to get some Pfadts or LG's this is going to have to do:
good luck to you and nice looking car with those new Ruff wheels.
rich
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 786
Likes: 3
Thank you for taking ur time to help me out here
few questions:
1: ur running 19/20 or 20/20?
2: ur running stock front bolts now or?
3: post more pic if u could plz
btw ur stance is dead on i like it car looks amazing
few questions:
1: ur running 19/20 or 20/20?
2: ur running stock front bolts now or?
3: post more pic if u could plz
btw ur stance is dead on i like it
car looks amazing 2003corvettez06,
i'm with you on not being ready to pull the trigger on coilovers (hopefully soon, tho).
i see a lot of c5's (z0 or std) that have tried everything to lower their cars including removing the front bolts.
my front bolts are turned all the way up and the rear bolts are factory with one "section/slice" of the bushing cut away. i originally had the lowered bolt kit in the rear and when i put the 20's on it, they were just a little too close for my comfort. there seems to be a 1/2" "gap" between the lowered bolt kits raised up to their limit and the factory setup dropped all the way that i couldn't get to unless i cut that one section off.
i've also made my own side splitters and added a corvette creationz C5R front splitter to help protect my paint and to give it a more hammered look.
so until i can save the scratch to get some Pfadts or LG's this is going to have to do:
good luck to you and nice looking car with those new Ruff wheels.
rich
i'm with you on not being ready to pull the trigger on coilovers (hopefully soon, tho).
i see a lot of c5's (z0 or std) that have tried everything to lower their cars including removing the front bolts.
my front bolts are turned all the way up and the rear bolts are factory with one "section/slice" of the bushing cut away. i originally had the lowered bolt kit in the rear and when i put the 20's on it, they were just a little too close for my comfort. there seems to be a 1/2" "gap" between the lowered bolt kits raised up to their limit and the factory setup dropped all the way that i couldn't get to unless i cut that one section off.
i've also made my own side splitters and added a corvette creationz C5R front splitter to help protect my paint and to give it a more hammered look.
so until i can save the scratch to get some Pfadts or LG's this is going to have to do:
good luck to you and nice looking car with those new Ruff wheels.
rich
Racer
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 431
Likes: 2
From: Kennesaw Georgia
take the front bolt out and put a longer bolt like the zip lowering kit in the rear. It will be as low as you want it then. It won't damage the spring or control arm without the bolt. I have about 4 years on mine now and no damage. The problem going low like this isn't damage to the car, it's that you'll be pretty close to riding on the bump stop in the shock when you go this low. The only solution is coilovers.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,460
Likes: 38
From: Broken Arrow Oklahoma
I removed the front bolts completely. I did put a very thin piece of very strong rubber to protect the leaf spring. I check it every 6 months or so and it has stayed in place and not worn all the way through. The back is on a lowering bolt. I may go a little lower in back as I have a lot more room to lower it on the bolt. It looks better when on a level surface. These C5's are weird. Some will lower very low on stock bolts and others won't go very low at all. They are all different. My C6Z will go as low as I want it.
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Racer
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 431
Likes: 2
From: Kennesaw Georgia
Yeah yours sits perfect. These cars are weird. I've noticed when I pull in my driveway and park it, the car will sit all crooked and has a different gap at every corner. But when you park it on a level surface the gap is the same all around. I think it has something to do with the springs cross talking and seems like it will lift the car on one side and be really low on the other when you bind the suspension up like going over a curb into a driveway.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 786
Likes: 3
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-z...hipping-6.html
there are pic of my car POST #114
they have 2 versions.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 786
Likes: 3
I removed the front bolts completely. I did put a very thin piece of very strong rubber to protect the leaf spring. I check it every 6 months or so and it has stayed in place and not worn all the way through. The back is on a lowering bolt. I may go a little lower in back as I have a lot more room to lower it on the bolt. It looks better when on a level surface. These C5's are weird. Some will lower very low on stock bolts and others won't go very low at all. They are all different. My C6Z will go as low as I want it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,075
Likes: 4
From: Asheville NC
I removed the front bolts completely. I did put a very thin piece of very strong rubber to protect the leaf spring. I check it every 6 months or so and it has stayed in place and not worn all the way through. The back is on a lowering bolt. I may go a little lower in back as I have a lot more room to lower it on the bolt. It looks better when on a level surface. These C5's are weird. Some will lower very low on stock bolts and others won't go very low at all. They are all different. My C6Z will go as low as I want it.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
From: Seattle WA
2003corvettez06 - The slammed cars in the pictures you posted most likely removed the front bolts or are on coilovers. However, you're car already looks lower than most lowered on factory bolts...and almost as low as mine on C6 bolts up front (i think the C6 bolts are the same as the Zip bolts). You got lucky! I wish mine sat that low on factory bolts. If you don't mind me asking, how many miles are on your Z? I'm curious to see if higher mileage cars sit noticeably lower...
If your car is that low now on factory bolts, I think the Zip bolts will get you very close to your goal. The other thing you have helping you is the 19-20" wheel combo. I already think you're front will look lower than other cars running 17 or 18" wheels up front.
C6 Front Lowering Bolt compared to Factory C5Z front bolt (pretty significant difference - meaning you still have a lot of adjustment to lower your car...considering it already appears to sit lower than others).
I wish mine sat that low on factory bolts. If you don't mind me asking, how many miles are on your Z? I'm curious to see if higher mileage cars sit noticeably lower...If your car is that low now on factory bolts, I think the Zip bolts will get you very close to your goal. The other thing you have helping you is the 19-20" wheel combo. I already think you're front will look lower than other cars running 17 or 18" wheels up front.
C6 Front Lowering Bolt compared to Factory C5Z front bolt (pretty significant difference - meaning you still have a lot of adjustment to lower your car...considering it already appears to sit lower than others).
Last edited by 02blackLS6; Feb 23, 2013 at 11:38 AM.
I guess some cars just sit noticeably lower/higher than others ...lucky! 
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque NM
I lowered mine a few weeks ago, but I haven't got any pictures yet. From the pictures I've seen, some that are lowered on stock bolts look lower than some I've seen that are lowered on the zip/c6 bolts. I wanted the front of mine right at 26" at the fender (yeah I know that's not the proper place to measure) and with the zip bolts it and new 265/40/17's it's at 26 1/4". With the zip bolts in the rear and 2 threads showing, it was too low compared to the front, plus the 305/35/18's looked like they would have rubbed on a good bump. Now I have them adjusted so the rear fender is at 27 1/4". Its been around 200 miles and I still need to take it in for an alignment.
