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After going over all the suspension options, I went with Bilstein B8 sports. Should be interesting to see how well they react to OEM suspension. The overall ride should be a good fit. The price was about the same as C6 Z06 shocks.
I just switched the B8 shocks yesterday and went for a short drive. They do feel a little firm but I like them so far. I plan on going out for a longer drive today to get a better feel for them.
Switching the shocks out really wasn’t bad either. I replaced the sway bar bushings and end links while I was there too.
What suspension do you guys have? Have read mixed opinions on the B8's, with some saying they are amazing and others saying they are too harsh for DD. Wondering if this is more to do with whether the car is base vs Z51 vs Z06 springs.
Was thinking about the B8's as well, so can't wait to hear some more real world feedback.
Last edited by chrisf00; Apr 24, 2022 at 05:07 PM.
Reason: spelling
I had these put on last November. I finally got the car out in some warm weather this weekend and LOVE them. The car lowered moderately on stock bolts too, but the shocks are great.
What suspension do you guys have? Have read mixed opinions on the B8's, with some saying they are amazing and others saying they are too harsh for DD. Wondering if this is more to do with whether the car is base vs Z51 vs Z06 springs.
Was thinking about the B8's as well, so can't wait to hear some more real world feedback.
The car came with FE1 suspension. I spent a lot of time researching different shocks. I started sourcing out what is actually hard facts about strictly DD street use with the emphasis on lowered suspension. Not much to go on.
Online responses about lowered C5's, everybody talks up basically the "track style" use with a licensed car. I'm merely after a controlled ride with daily use.
After the shocks arrive and are on for a couple weeks a four wheel alignment is needed to get a proper feeling of suspension use. The improvement in ride quality will definitely be better than my OE shocks but to what level? Fingers crossed
I run the B8 and when at stock height I didn't notice a huge difference - but once I dropped it down did notice a big difference. Its like once the car is lowered it gets the shocks into a different "response zone" - which is I guess what you want to prevent bottoming. This is mine post-B8 install - on 18 + 19 wheels
I run the B8 and when at stock height I didn't notice a huge difference - but once I dropped it down did notice a big difference. Its like once the car is lowered it gets the shocks into a different "response zone" - which is I guess what you want to prevent bottoming. This is mine post-B8 install - on 18 + 19 wheels
Your car looks very well done and cohesive. Great job.
I also went with 18/19’s so the ride quality should be somewhat comparable. I’m not super low but on aftermarket front and rear bolts.
Thses are the wheels getting powder coated soon
What suspension do you guys have? Have read mixed opinions on the B8's, with some saying they are amazing and others saying they are too harsh for DD. Wondering if this is more to do with whether the car is base vs Z51 vs Z06 springs.
Was thinking about the B8's as well, so can't wait to hear some more real world feedback.
I put the Bilstein sport shocks on my Z51 coupe, lowered on stock bolts. I hated them.
When driving on really nice & smooth roads, they were okay. But the typical roads I drive have tar snakes, cracks and uneven patches and they were super harsh. It was as if the shocks were constantly bottoming out. If the targa was stowed in the back, it would rattle every time I went over the smallest little bump. I finally got sick of it and ordered new oem Z51 rear shocks and C6 Z06 in front. (oem Z51 front shocks were out of production, now both front and rear FE3 are non available)
The C6 Z06 front shocks feel similar to what I recall the oem shocks felt like before they leaked
I put the Bilstein sport shocks on my Z51 coupe, lowered on stock bolts. I hated them.
When driving on really nice & smooth roads, they were okay. But the typical roads I drive have tar snakes, cracks and uneven patches and they were super harsh. It was as if the shocks were constantly bottoming out. If the targa was stowed in the back, it would rattle every time I went over the smallest little bump. I finally got sick of it and ordered new oem Z51 rear shocks and C6 Z06 in front. (oem Z51 front shocks were out of production, now both front and rear FE3 are non available)
The C6 Z06 front shocks feel similar to what I recall the oem shocks felt like before they leaked
Thanks for the feedback. Like many others, I am just looking for a controlled but reasonably comfortable ride on a mildly lowered car on stock bolts. Bilstein implies you *must* use the sport shocks on a lowered car, but in my case we are only talking about an inch, so wonder if that statement really applies. Truth is my back didn't want the car any lower but my eyes wanted less fender gap, so here we are.
Suspension setups after being lowered can make a unique and individual car ride quality issue. I do hope Corvette #2 you find a better balance
After changing my shocks and allowing 100 mi or so of wear, plans are for a performance 4W alignment. That way it gives the chassis settings the car was built for and hopefully the shocks will respond accordingly.
Thanks for the feedback. Like many others, I am just looking for a controlled but reasonably comfortable ride on a mildly lowered car on stock bolts. Bilstein implies you *must* use the sport shocks on a lowered car, but in my case we are only talking about an inch, so wonder if that statement really applies. Truth is my back didn't want the car any lower but my eyes wanted less fender gap, so here we are.
They might work out better on a dramatically lowered car, like with drop spindles. They were a mismatch for my car, objectively bad. Their stroke is shorter than the HD shocks. So that's probably why they were so harsh on a mild 1" drop or whatever you get with stock bolts.
Altering ride height is easy to do. Correcting all the suspension settings is the difficult part after lowering.
Something that may effect a transleaf spring alot when lowered is upsetting the balance of the car. To check how your car is sitting it has to be corner balanced. The car is put on 4 separate scales and each corner is raised/lowered to set the amount of force each wheel has to work as it rides down the road
I’m finally able to work like I have before.
The shocks are now going in well! I didn’t have to pull anything else apart on the front end. With a little articulation they fit in just fine as is.
Rears are next. I also have to adjust the DS muffler section. Somehow it shifted and needs to be re aligned.
FWIW; the bottom cross bar mounting attachment fit like butter. No alignment issue. Bolt holes were the same width as OE
Install done and torqued. Went for a short ride and I like how they feel so far. The test was only low speed and a couple miles but the ride was much better overall.
I drove 40 mi on Freeway and mixed city streets today. I love how the car rides now. It doesn't bottom out and there's none of the previous vibrations emanating from the suspension. It's just a smoother overall ride. Win, win
I installed them on my lowered Z06 and never was impressed. They were harsh and tended to bottom out, too easily.
YMMV
All I can comment on is my ride has changed for the better dramatically. Everyone has a unique driving style, location and most importantly the car and that may or may not play well with any replacement shock
The overall reasons B8's may not play well with a car could be the overall low ride height below the design of the shock would be the most prevalent. That and a slight bit of over heavy single corner weight balance.
The only cure would be adjustable ride height coilovers in such a case
Bilstein B8 Sport Shocks
