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Hey guys, I recently bought a 2002 C5 convertible. I love the car but hate the way it rides on the road. It has the selectable ride option and I'm wondering what are the opinions on how I can improve the ride quality. Do I replace the OEM shocks? Do I delete the the selectable ride option and go with coil-overs? What have y'all done and whats the good, bad and ugly?
I have C6 Z06 shocks on my 2004 vert-one of the best upgrades on these cars. Completely re-done my suspension as well as that on a couple other C5 verts for friends.
What tires are on the car?
What is your intended use for your vert? That goes a long way in the responses you will receive here.
I would agree with the rest of the guys on ditching/selling the runflats. Also check the suspension for shipping blocks that were supposed to be removed by the dealer. You'd be surprised how many people who complain about the magnetic ride suspension riding harsh find them still in place!! That's why the magnetic ride suspension was created in the first place, to have a soft ride when desired, and a stiff ride for HPDE's. The shipping blocks make them ride like they're set in the stiffest position at all times, regardless of what the actual **** setting indicates!!
You probably have the F45 suspension since I don't think the magnetic ride (F55) suspension came out until the 2003 model year. I had to remove the pucks on mine. I bought the car in 2019, so I guess they have been on the car for 16 years??? What I don't understand is that the carfax shows the car was serviced at the dealer multiple times over the years and they never said anything about it? What a difference in ride once I removed them... I have put new shocks on in the past year.
Welcome! My 02' came with run flats on it and the factory adjustable suspension. I ended up replacing the factory shocks with Bilstein sports and had the shop turn off the adjustable suspension. I then picked up a set of C5Z wheels with non run flats and the car rides SOO much better now.
Welcome to the forum. Congrats on your car. I have C6 Z06 shocks and C6 Z51 sway bars. I do recommend them. Post up some pictures of your car (other than the front suspension).
Don't forget to save the wave!
On a different note, I hate the 17” Cray Scorpions that are on the car! Looking to get a bigger wheel 19”F 20”R. Does anyone know if the C6 grand sport wheel fit the C5 base? The ones I’m looking at don’t have tires so suggestions there would help also!
On a different note, I hate the 17” Cray Scorpions that are on the car! Looking to get a bigger wheel 19”F 20”R. Does anyone know if the C6 grand sport wheel fit the C5 base? The ones I’m looking at don’t have tires so suggestions there would help also!
Man, I'd think about it hard. Car looks great. 17s also have more sidewall for a somewhat better ride, and better straight line grip. Handling difference wouldn't be noticeable to 95+% of owners.
Hmmm...
F45 can be removed and deleted. The shocks can be physically replaced with whatever you like C5, C6, aftermarket, coilovers replace shocks and springs too.
Any working parts of the shocks and the computer in the driver side trunk compartment can be sold to someone wanting to replace broken parts on their own car which cannot be sourced anymore.
A Tech2 scanner clone is used to delete the F45 option. You then can permanently remove the trunk computer or simply disconnect it if you wish to preserve the F45 setup as an option for the future.
As for wheels, yeah 17" is a bummer. They're not bad looking to me, not far off from a ccw sp505, but yeah not hot either. 18 has tons of affordable tire options. 19 looks baller, plenty of options too. I'd never go higher wheel diameter than that. The world is your oyster for new wheel options, and I bet you can sell the crays with ease.
2002 C5 new to me
