My car is lowered on stock bolts, and still looks like a 4X4. I have aftermarket bolts we are installing soon, but I don't see how they will lower the car any further than an additional .5" or so. I want a full inch. I may just remove them completely to get a little more if needed. I just don't understand why C5 Corvettes lower differently. They are the same cars with the same parts, and are lowered using the same bolts. What is different?

Here is my former '03Z. Lowered all the way on OEM bolts. Car had about 50K miles in this picture. It is slammed!




Here is my current '03Z. Also lowered all the way on OEM bolts. 26K miles on the clock. Had to raise the rear to match the stupid front!




So, what gives? Same car. Same year. Same bolts. Not the same drop. Any guesses?

 

same size wheels and tires ????? (sorry)

 

I'm certain ET or some of the others will chime in, but major issues that affect how C5s lower is both the construction of the sub frame jigs and that the C5 is both cross & corner weighed. Cross & corner weight relate to lowering a C5 because you're not supposed to just slam the car all the way around on the bolts when lowering; you're supposed to turn the bolts an even number of turns, even if there is a thread discrepancy from side to side. So for example if on the rear you turn one side roughly seven to eight revolutions (about an inch) then you should turn the other side the same even if the remaining thread pitch showing is not as much or more. When you just slam the car completely to the ground you can alter cross & corner weight, which will not become apparent until both the car has settled (it'll need a good fifty to a hundred miles of driving) and you start to perform spirited steering maneuvers.

This and the sub frames themselves are why there can be minor discrepancies when individuals ask "what is stock ride height?" Well... it varies, because every C5 is not 100% square to one another and the overall suspension geometry takes into account a lot of the above.

There would be other factors to consider also even on stock suspension. One example: If the leafs are still in pretty good shape they're likely to hold the car up better than worn components. However individuals that install components that can increase exhaust temp - so larger exhaust headers and cat back (or in some cases a dumped exhaust) - can sometimes see accelerated leaf spring damage as they're composite.

 

Same overall tire diameters.

Agreed. However, both cars above are in immaculate condition, with unworn components. To counter your second point (not that I disagree with it), the silver Z above ran shorty Borla headers and the stock catted h-pipe with a 2.5" Borla exhaust. The blue car is the one with 1 7/8" long-tube headers, 3" x-pipe, and 3" LG exhaust.

 

Exhaust temps will make zip difference to front ride height, which is clearly different car to car. You would have to get both cars up in the air to compare them in detail, such as spring deflection.

Both cars on the same style shocks? Gas charged units will ride higher.

My coupe, BTW, is on 18/19's and is lowered almost all the way on stock bolts. It looks more like your blue car than the silver one.

 

Yes, sir.

Same year (build dates within 2 months of each other).
Same shocks.
Same tire diameters.
Same everything.
Only difference is mileage. Silver car had around 50K miles in the photo, but looked the same when it had 35K miles. Blue car has around 26K.

 

Did you go on a diet in between? LOL

 

less miles on springs = stiffer ???? reaching here

 

I wish!

 

If you really want to find out, get them up in the air and check spring curvature. That has to be different

 

I don’t believe mileage be a factor in your case. My ‘04 has 8,300 miles and it’s lowered on stock bolts. I have Ridetech shocks which are designed for lowered cars. Maybe the shocks are limiting your drop?

 

Both cars shown are using OEM '03Z shocks. That is pretty much the point of my thread, and my question. If two C5Zs are identical, why does one lower more than another when both are lowered the exact same number of turns using the exact same bolts? If one car was using different components, I wouldn't question it. Just really strange...

 

When I did my 03 at 5300 miles when I bought it, with stock bolts in front both sides all the way down, both measured identical ride height, in the rear to get identical ride height each bolt was adjusted differently.

When I did my coilovers, in front to get my shock stroke identical for each side I had to add more preload to the passenger side, in the rear I had to add more preload to the passenger side as well.

 

Check post #11

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-it-works.html

You state that the car is slammed on lowering bolts, which is the silver car in the picture you posted. Just saying, I think with lowering bolts both cars should look the same.

 

Seller of the car I purchased it from claimed the bolts were from Zip. When I sold the car, the new buyer raised it up when installing new wheels and informed me that the bolts were OEM. Regardless, there are many pictures of other members' cars here that are lowered on OEM bolts. Some look slammed, and others look as high as my current car. Which brings us back to my original question...

 

It seems that all the hard parts such as bolts and A arms are not going to change from one car to the next or with time. However, I'm guessing the flexible spring could very easily be different from car to car and maybe even with time. I'm thinking the spring is probably the variable here.

 

Because it’s 90s GM

 

I made a couple sub standard Youtube videos discussing this very topic.

The problem I had with mine is the front would go down almost too low and the rear would be jacked up like an 80s high school car and that was with zero threads showing out back.

I finally ended up changing the rear bolts to longer ones and then lowering the front stock bolts all the way down to achieve a nice balanced level look.

Happy with it now.

 

We may have a winner here. LMAO