tires and physics. when you get to the limit of traction one end or the other will always go. the z06 stock is really neutral meaning you can make either end go depending on what you do with the brakes, throttle and steering inputs

increasing roll stiffness will actually make the car more "snappy" the benefit is that it increases your transition speed.

honest to god it sounds like you A. could use a top tier tire and B. could get more out of driving practice either with a skilled instructor or watching a few videos and practicing what you learn over and over.

of all the street tires i have ever driven the michelin pss is my new favorite. the re11 and ad08 are able to handle more heat and have a bit more ultimate dry traction when warm, but, they let go easier when cold and cold driving is 90% of the street

it was pouring down rain here last night and i had fun being able to carry some really amazing speed on that tire. when the limit of traction was reached it was very easy to correct. that's in the rain mind you

suspension mods give a person the most when they want to increase roll stiffness for slicks. if you tried to drive a stock z06 on slicks it would feel REALLY soft. on the track with more traction it makes sense. on the street i just don't see it addressing the complaint you're making

 

Tire and physics- Sway bars will transfer weight to the tires at a different front/rear ratios. Yes a driver can use the throttle and brakes, but if the sway bars can help transfer the weight to the tires that need more grip for that driver...he will be faster.

In other words, all things being equal, if a driver is losing his rear end too easy he can 1. let off of the gas 2. get sway bars that make the rear grip better. Which do you think will be faster without having to spend months perfecting a driving style?

 

There are a lot of different ways to go faster. Some believe seat time is best, some use parts to help them get faster, and the best use both

 

bars can work but even doing that you have to know what you're looking for. most folks complain about oversteer, which may be throttle induced in a lot of cases. if the op wants to dial out understeer simply increasing the rear bar can do that, but, the stiffer you make a car the more "snappy" it becomes

 

One thing's for sure. Tuning your suspension is not a simple task. I'm glad the OP started this thread. It has become abundantly clear that I have a lot to learn.

 

Before spending any money in parts get your alignment checked and set to be a little more aggressive.
Make sure you know what it was before the changes as it could explain why the car doesn't feel as balanced.
I was goofing around with my alignment a year ago before a track event and the car felt really sloppy.. afterward I dialed it in better and got the camber/caster set the same from side to side and it took the slop out and the car felt 10x better.

 

Do you guys want me to write a general suspension guide? While we have a variety of packages that will take almost all of the guesswork out of suspension, I think it still might be a helpful tool. Feel free to PM me any time as well

 

i think it would make you money personally. here's why

if you listed a guide on how sway bars effect weight transfer and how shock valving has an effect on body motion and the pros and cons of being tight vs loose along with spring rate

guess where people would be shopping when the literature you provide turns on the light

some guy, just like this one may think man, my car pushes. they read your guide and see that a larger rear bar can help dial that out, they call and you get to talk to a potential customer and help them out with their needs and grab a sale

 

ABSOLUTELY!! I have entertained purchasing a number of different suspension mods but I seem to have "analysis paralysis". I have no idea what will give me the best balance for what I am looking for without upsetting the car. Should I go sways first oor coilovers amd if sways which ones lite racing or heavy racing or fronts first or rears or shoukd I bite the bullet and do front and rears?

 

I've held off from purchasing any suspension components for that same reason. There's a ton of information out there on "handling" mods, I just haven't had time to dive in and become sufficiently educated on this complex (and seemingly subjective) area. If someone would write a "Cliff's Notes" version that is specific to the C5Z, that would be great.

 

Sounds great. Don't want to ruin his thread, I will start a thread shortly.

 

Bilstein sport shocks.

Johny O sway bars and end links.

Sticky STICKY tires.

Aggressive alignment.

If you want to get crazy then you can pull the A/c, and sound system. Install light racing seats and relocate the battery to the rear with a light weight unit. Light 2 piece brake rotors and if you're really devoted (desperate) huge ricer rear wing and front canards/lip...

 

Or -1.25 fr, -1 rear camber with JRZ DA's or Penske DA's, T1 front bar links, and proper tire pressures, Oh and don't go craze low with the ride hight. The real roads are just to beat up for a true Track set-up.

Mark

 

I have the JOC sway bars and they are great. I had them on a C6 daily driver/track duty car and a dedicated C5 race car. No brainer, do it. I also have the Pfadt single adjustable inverted shocks, again I'm a big fan but if I had to do it over again I would be the JOC stage 1. I've adjusted my shocks twice in two years of track time. IMO a well set up valved shock is better than adjustability unless you really know what you are doing AND have the track time to test different results.

 

Book Marked!

 

 

Stickys, sways, good shocks and good alignment.

 

The JOC stuff is a night and day difference from a stock C5. If you look at the balance of our JOC bars, they are essentially the same balance as a GM Racing stuff. It shouldn't come as surprise since Johnny O'Connell worked on the design with our engineers. The reality is, there are a lot of world class drivers that have learned what it takes to make these cars really fast, and the JOC stage 1 the result of this knowledge.

The only downside, is that this package has become so insanely popular, I have some long lead times. Luckily, in the next 2 weeks I'll have them on the shelf again for anyone considering the upgrade


The important thing to take away from this chart, is that a the balance between the front and rear bars on a Pfadt JOC or GM racing setup are completely different from stock.



Pfadt Race Engineering
888-972-2464
info@pfadtracing.com

 

High speed run on a private road mainly, meaning multiple time above 187mph with sometime lateral wind to manage...

The very best set-up without compromising comfort and drive-ability:

The PFADT Racing Control Arm Bushing Kit (not anymore on their website!!!) complemented by the Corvette Coilovers - FeatherLight Generation - Single Adjustable:











Tires that are holding the stress:



And finally, geometry, rake, corner weight...
Christian

 

Nice! Beautiful car as well