Sway bar and shocks
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 165
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From: Louisville Kentucky
Sway bar and shocks
I have a 98 stock vette with 50,000 miles. It has the original shocks, should I get new shocks and which ones?. Sway bar??? Should I get one and which one?
The one upgrade I got was the axle back Magnaflow exhausts. I love them. I drive more now than I used to. Hardly ever listen to the radio>
The one upgrade I got was the axle back Magnaflow exhausts. I love them. I drive more now than I used to. Hardly ever listen to the radio>
Pro
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 633
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
A lot of people go with c6 z06 sway bars and shocks, I'd go with Pfadt's Johnny O'Connell Stage 1 package though. After driving a base non-z51 c6 (with the spongy leafs) with the Johnny O'Connell package it's definitely the route I'm going on my FRC.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Rotonda West, FL 2015 Z51 M7 3LT
Oldtimer
I think that's the route I'm going as well for my '03 coupe after talking to our local Vette shop.
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I'd bet your current shocks/sway bars are just fine, but if you want an upgrade, go with the C6 Z06 shocks and sways. You should be able to feel the difference. They can be bought at gmpartshouse.com for a good price.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Apache Junction, Arizona
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Regardless of what you do you need new sway bar end links. Yours are plastic and most likley are shot.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Newark Delaware
Z06 shocks and either Z06 or Z51 sways - best value and great upgrade and economical enough that you can justify changing out your old ones even if they aren't totally done yet. Oh, and get the metal end links to replace the plastic ones.
I did mine last year - got rid of the F45 shocks and had the F45 programmed out. My shocks weren't done yet but I knew when they were I was not replacing them - they're way outrageously expensive and I could not feel any difference among the three settings. Got a good deal on lightly used 2004 Z06 bars and 2010 Z06 shocks but even going new would have been a bargain.
Great deal here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...rts-house.html
K9Leader
Red cars are faster. They did a study on it.
I did mine last year - got rid of the F45 shocks and had the F45 programmed out. My shocks weren't done yet but I knew when they were I was not replacing them - they're way outrageously expensive and I could not feel any difference among the three settings. Got a good deal on lightly used 2004 Z06 bars and 2010 Z06 shocks but even going new would have been a bargain.
Great deal here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...rts-house.html
K9Leader
Red cars are faster. They did a study on it.
Last edited by K9Leader; Sep 26, 2013 at 11:09 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Unless you are pushing your 98 , hard into the corners and pushing its performance limits, you will be giving up a softer street ride for a harder and stiffer set up. If your goal is to make your 98 a road course contender then going with the 2013 Z06 shocks and 2013 Z51 sways with the upgraded 2013 silent metal end links, are the best choice. GM parts house has a great deal on the package at under 600 dollars is 400 dollars cheaper than anything else that is out there with the same level of performance characteristics. If you are happy with your present ride, don't waste your money, If your car is lacking a stiffer ride needed to control high speed maneuvering, then invest the money. There is nothing wrong with your sways and shocks at this point. If you have 600 dollars to spare and want to make a suspension change, then Gm parts house 2013 set up is the best possible choice.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
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From: South Dakota
Another vote for the C6 Z51 sway bars and metal end links.
I put them on my '99 Z51 and I notice that it corners flatter with the C6 Z51 bars. It didn't make it any stiffer ride, just no lean.
Mine is pretty low mileage and I thought the shocks were still good so I didn't replace them.
I also got rid of the run flats.
Between the sways and better tires it is a lot better handling car.
I put them on my '99 Z51 and I notice that it corners flatter with the C6 Z51 bars. It didn't make it any stiffer ride, just no lean.
Mine is pretty low mileage and I thought the shocks were still good so I didn't replace them.
I also got rid of the run flats.
Between the sways and better tires it is a lot better handling car.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3,475
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From: Wake Forest NC
Regardless of the mileage, isn't one going to get better performance from an aftermarket shock such as Bilstein or Z06?
Again, at about 60k I didn't need new shocks, but what a difference I noticed after swapping out my OEMs for Bilsteins.
In fact, I noticed marginal performance gains after the C6 Z51 sways, but the car didn't really flatten out till I added the aftermarket shocks. I wouldn't recommend one without the other.
I didn't notice any additional harshness in handling, (although it may have been incremental because I waited a few weeks between the sways and the shocks.)
.
Again, at about 60k I didn't need new shocks, but what a difference I noticed after swapping out my OEMs for Bilsteins.
In fact, I noticed marginal performance gains after the C6 Z51 sways, but the car didn't really flatten out till I added the aftermarket shocks. I wouldn't recommend one without the other.
I didn't notice any additional harshness in handling, (although it may have been incremental because I waited a few weeks between the sways and the shocks.)
.