I'm looking into coilovers for my '03 and I see spring rates all over the place. One vendor is 500/550, another is 6k/10k, another is 12k/8k, another 10k/7k, and on and on, etc.
How can so many companies all claim that their spring rate is the best???
For those that are running coilovers, what's your experience?

My car is not meant to race, maybe a run or two down the strip, but I don't intend to rally it (well, maybe once) or anything, just a fun weekend warrior/car show type of car. I don't want it to ride too harsh or to lower it too much, a little would be ok.
I might not even go with coilovers, just a decent "normal" shock, if I'm not happy with, or have any more issues with, the F55's.

 

If you want it a little stiffer and don't lower it a lot the Z06 springs might be what you need.

 

Coilovers are great... for track days and autocross. I suggest they are massive overkill for a street car, but also they tend to make street ride quality less friendly (harsher, if more responsive). Stick with the smooth shocks. There are many options for these that are good value.

 

That would save me a ton of money.

 

I have 2004 ZO6 springs on mine with 2013 grand sport sway bars the ride is 10% stiffer than stock base corvette,
Pure waist of time and money for my intended use.

get LG 650 rate track auto cross springs,

I use my vette in the canyons where it’s all about handling, C5 Z06 springs are extremely soft for that type of driving.
if you don’t plan to use your car in any type of handling required roads, then C6 Z06 springs will make you very happy.

 

No-autotrans. - yes, not chasing performance parts on a car that doesn't need it will indeed save you a lot of money. I'd say that anything over, say, $700 for a set of four is probably overkill. Whether you go with stock C5 or C5Z shocks, C6Z shocks, Bilsteins, Vikings, etc, you'll be fine for a street car. I have Viking double adjustable shocks, they're great, but you don't even really need adjustable shocks, just something adequate. Also if you've fully decided to refresh your F55 setup, then you'll be fine for another ~60-80k miles at least on the new shocks. That's about how long they last.

C7ZO6 - with all due respect, if you find stock C5 Z06 shocks extremely soft for driving in the canyons, I feel I should remind you that public streets are maybe not the best place to test the limits of your grip and handling. A fully stock C5 base, on reasonable tires, should be able to be driven far harder on canyons, with good handling, than is safe due to blind corners often containing rocks and other surface/grip related problems, animals, bikers, cars, that one guy dragging a log on a chain, etc. If I find myself thinking the C5's handling is reaching its limits on a public street that isn't shut down for a rally or something, either there's something horribly wrong with the car or I'm driving beyond what's safe for even good conditions.