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'04 C5 LS1 ride

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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 02:58 PM
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Default '04 C5 LS1 ride

I recently bought an '04 Corvette. I drove it from Sacramento to our home in Tucson, Great Ride. Upon getting it home and driving on the streets of Tucson, " Lousy " would be kind. The car has 70K miles. I received no " History ", mechanical or other. The cars ride is quite Harsh, I can feel everything on the road. It is also getting more Rattles than I care for. With 70K on the odometer I am wondering what it might need to help these problems? Being that I have never owned a Corvette before, maybe these things are " Normal"? I am not looking for a " Cadillac " ride, I just want to hear the Radio. Yes, I am certifiably crazy!!
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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 03:30 PM
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some of the C 5's came with shipping blocks on the shocks and were never taken off, seems that is the only complaint that I have heard for harsh ride ??
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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 03:53 PM
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My ride got much better when I ditched my runflats.
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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 04:58 PM
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Originally Posted by akapounder
some of the C 5's came with shipping blocks on the shocks and were never taken off, seems that is the only complaint that I have heard for harsh ride ??
That happened to me with a new Nissan 240SX.
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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 04:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Koufax
My ride got much better when I ditched my runflats.
Same here. Like night and day.
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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 06:22 PM
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yep , ditch the run flats . just put b f goodrich on one vette and have michelin on other . we prefer the ride and quiet of the goodrich with no other parameters judged .
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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by bigcypress
yep , ditch the run flats . just put b f goodrich on one vette and have michelin on other . we prefer the ride and quiet of the goodrich with no other parameters judged .
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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 06:51 PM
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Vert or coupe? Is it a Z51? A Z51 IS going to ride rougher and you will feel the road a LOT more. Just the nature of the beast.

Yes, run-craps will affect the ride but tires really don't have a whole lot to do with things rattling. Unfortunately, to find the rattles it's just going to take some dedicated detective work.
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Old Oct 29, 2016 | 08:06 PM
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Good advice above. Non-runflat tires can make a world of difference in the ride.
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Old Oct 30, 2016 | 02:43 PM
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Default run flats

Originally Posted by 8VETTE7
Does the car have RPO F55? Look at the sticker on the glove box door to see which RPO's came on the car.









































































































































































































































































































































































































































There are still some F55 setups that still have the shock stuffers in place :

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...uspension.html Post 2

What tires are on the car? Run flats ? If so how old are they?? Manufacture week and year is branded on the side wall:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...161029192742:s

Fun flats have very rigid side walls to begin with and the older the tire is the harder the rubber gets...


Has the car been lowered? Lowering the car reduces shock travel and makes the ride far less forgiving.

Lastly the street in Tucson are among the worst in the country. I speak from first hand experience..........


























































































I was looking in the Glove Box and saw no RPO F55. The tires are Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Zero Pressure Plus ( I think I smell a Run Flat tire). 245/45 ZR17 95Y M&S front, and 275/40 ZR 18 99Y M&S rear.
The car has not been lowered. If the Date starts with DOT it reads, 4m FP 003x, if that is not it then I can't read the small print. Old Eyes.
The Tires look fairly new, but I have no papers on them. Everything looks original; shocks, exhaust, and suspension.
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Old Oct 30, 2016 | 02:49 PM
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Default run flats

Originally Posted by calvins
Vert or coupe? Is it a Z51? A Z51 IS going to ride rougher and you will feel the road a LOT more. Just the nature of the beast.

Yes, run-craps will affect the ride but tires really don't have a whole lot to do with things rattling. Unfortunately, to find the rattles it's just going to take some dedicated detective work.
The car is a coupe, no Z51. I am sure that the Michelins are Run Flat, says Zero Pressure on the tire.
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Old Oct 30, 2016 | 04:12 PM
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Default air pressure

Originally Posted by 8VETTE7
The info you posted is NOT the tire manufacture date. It may be on the sidewall facing the inside of the car . I would look on all 4 tires and perhaps one of the 4 will have the date code on it facing OUT.

Zero Pressure is definitely a "Run Flat" tire. Have tou checked the pressures on the tires????? Perhaps they are inflated much harder that the 30lbs that is on the door placard.

Have you checked to see if the shocks have leaked out all their oil? Perhaps the shocks are gone and providing no useful function.

If you have a smart phone take a picture of the RPO sticker on the glove box door and post it............
When I purchased the Vette, the previous owner had written in the manual that he found 28lbs was the best. I saw the sticker in the car that said 30lbs, and that is where it is now. No leaking shocks unless they went dry before I bought the car. Would the date be 4412?
The tires seem to be wearing more on the outside than the inside, too little air?
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Old Oct 31, 2016 | 01:17 PM
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I was told scalloping was due to worn shocks.

You should change the spark plugs, don't wait till 100k as suggested. Michelin tend to give a softer ride. If you have a coupe there is a foam divider available goes behind the seats. Also a divider for vert. available.
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Old Oct 31, 2016 | 03:23 PM
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Default just have to wait

Originally Posted by 8VETTE7
4412 could be the 44th week of 2012. or approximately mid November. That would make the tires just about 4 years old.

If the front tires were wearing on BOTH the inside and outside edge then the issue would likely be too little air. If only the outside edge is wearing it could be an alignment issue. Might also be a balance issue if the outside edge is also scalloping. I just went through outside edge scalloping wear on the front of my truck. While the tires were balanced OK they were way out of spec for a "Road Force" Balance. I had Discount Tire do a Road Force Balance on all 4 tires and it is like driving a different truck from a vibration perspective. Time will tell if that totally corrects the outside edge scalloping wear. Alignment is well within specs.
I want to tell you THANKS, for all the help you have been. I believe it is a Air Issue. From my experience this car just tracks to good to be out of alignment by much if any. We are Snowbirds, so the car is only driven 6 mo. out of the year, and during that time very little. Is a "Road Force" balance the same as a " 4 wheel balance "?
I'll just keep the tires at 30lbs. until they wear longer, I'll wait until I can afford new tires and shocks.

The cars oil was changed when I bought it, and it still looks brand new. Being that is not driven that much, how often should I change the oil? I would think that I would have to go by time instead of mileage. Thanks again!
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