[Z06] Can it be too low?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Huntington IN
Can it be too low?
O.K. I've read lots of threads and lowered my Z06 all the way down on the stock bolts, but I would like to go about 1/2 inch lower.
Has anyone lower below stock and regretted it? I am concerned about clearance. I have no problems at the bottom of the stock bolts. If I cut 1/2 inch out of the front bushings and replace the rear bolts am I going to be scrapping frame rails and headers?
If you gone lower than stock and regretted it, save me your pain! Of course, every shot of ALLKAR's car, makes me want to slam it to the weeds!
Has anyone lower below stock and regretted it? I am concerned about clearance. I have no problems at the bottom of the stock bolts. If I cut 1/2 inch out of the front bushings and replace the rear bolts am I going to be scrapping frame rails and headers?
If you gone lower than stock and regretted it, save me your pain! Of course, every shot of ALLKAR's car, makes me want to slam it to the weeds!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Dana Point Ca
Re: Can it be too low? (Matt69-ZO6)
I am scraping my oil filter and would like to go lower. My car gets almmost the attention of my buddies viper because its so low you've never seen another corvette like it. Its a pain to drive sometime but I wouldnt give it up for anything. 
Melting Slicks
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From: Fly Over State
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Re: Can it be too low? (Matt69-ZO6)
Here is 2/3 cut front bushing and longer bolts out back.
I drive this car with NO Problems. Even drove over the speed bumps @ NCM.
Go for it !! You can always raise it back up.
I would suggest getting different shocks (Like Bilsteins) if you go lower.
I drive this car with NO Problems. Even drove over the speed bumps @ NCM.
Go for it !! You can always raise it back up.
I would suggest getting different shocks (Like Bilsteins) if you go lower.
Last edited by ALLKAR; Jul 8, 2004 at 01:16 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,141
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From: Huntington IN
Re: Can it be too low? (ALLKAR)
ALLKAR - Compared to your yellow car, that must be your four wheeler! Just kidding it looks awesome.
I wasn't going to cut that much off the front bushing, but maybe I should.
How long of a bolt did you use in the rear of the SW car and how much thread was left showing (might make my set-up go quicker!).
We (and a group of all Yellow vettes) are going NCM on the 30th - I'm gonna hold ya to it!
I am leaning heavily toward cutting those bushings on Sunday!
Can I just use a longer bolt on the rear? i.e. 1/2 x 6 1/2 Grade 8 as I've read in other threads and re-use bushings, washer? OR should I cut the rear bushings the same as front to maintain the stance?
[Modified by Matt69-ZO6, 6:17 PM 7/7/2004]
I wasn't going to cut that much off the front bushing, but maybe I should.
How long of a bolt did you use in the rear of the SW car and how much thread was left showing (might make my set-up go quicker!).
We (and a group of all Yellow vettes) are going NCM on the 30th - I'm gonna hold ya to it!
I am leaning heavily toward cutting those bushings on Sunday!
Can I just use a longer bolt on the rear? i.e. 1/2 x 6 1/2 Grade 8 as I've read in other threads and re-use bushings, washer? OR should I cut the rear bushings the same as front to maintain the stance?
[Modified by Matt69-ZO6, 6:17 PM 7/7/2004]
Team Owner
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From: Virginia Beach
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Re: Can it be too low? (Matt69-ZO6)
Mine's lowered w/ the stock bolts and it's good for me, for now. It still gets in and out of my driveway, in most strip malls, and over the speed bumps. I've got the rocker rails and those have only hit once when I went over a speed bump too fast.
I'm looking ot buy a house and it'll have a better driveway (I'll make sure of it) then I'll lower her a bit more like ALLKAR's wife's Z (the white one)
I'm looking ot buy a house and it'll have a better driveway (I'll make sure of it) then I'll lower her a bit more like ALLKAR's wife's Z (the white one)
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
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Re: Can it be too low? (Matt69-ZO6)
I went lower than stock on the rear and lost too much travel, she didn't handle well at the track and sometimes on the street. I put the stock bolts back in and lowered them to the max.
Melting Slicks
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From: Fly Over State
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Re: Can it be too low? (Matt69-ZO6)
We (and a group of all Yellow vettes) are going NCM on the 30th - I'm gonna hold ya to it!
Great looking rides you have!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh Yeah..... NEVER Too LOW!!!!!!!!!!
[Modified by ALLKAR, 10:43 PM 7/7/2004]
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,145
Likes: 3
Re: Can it be too low? (Matt69-ZO6)
O.K. I've read lots of threads and lowered my Z06 all the way down on the stock bolts, but I would like to go about 1/2 inch lower.
Has anyone lower below stock and regretted it? I am concerned about clearance. I have no problems at the bottom of the stock bolts. If I cut 1/2 inch out of the front bushings and replace the rear bolts am I going to be scrapping frame rails and headers?
If you gone lower than stock and regretted it, save me your pain! Of course, every shot of ALLKAR's car, makes me want to slam it to the weeds!
Has anyone lower below stock and regretted it? I am concerned about clearance. I have no problems at the bottom of the stock bolts. If I cut 1/2 inch out of the front bushings and replace the rear bolts am I going to be scrapping frame rails and headers?
If you gone lower than stock and regretted it, save me your pain! Of course, every shot of ALLKAR's car, makes me want to slam it to the weeds!
Mine has longer rear bolts and the front bushings have been removed. I love
the way it looks and feels. One of these days I'll take some pictures...
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Pro
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From: Buffalo NY
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by 04msmZ06
Do it...
Mine has longer rear bolts and the front bushings have been removed. I love
the way it looks and feels. One of these days I'll take some pictures...
Mine has longer rear bolts and the front bushings have been removed. I love
the way it looks and feels. One of these days I'll take some pictures...
Same here. I scrape the air dam quite often but that's OK. Frame Savers and Rocker Rails are a MUST. It's all worth it... I'd go lower if I could afford coilovers. And I DID take some pix - see my sig.Hey vettethret, you gotta shrink your sig pix so they show up now... your ride is simply out-fn-rageous!!!
Keep
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,141
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From: Huntington IN
It went lower! Cut 2/3's of the front bushings and put in 6 1/2" bolts in the rear with 3/4" of thread showing. 26 7/16 to the wheel wheel on the front and 27 1/4 on the rears with only about 5 miles of driving.
We'll see how I like it after a 12 hour trip to NCM and the plant, but so far so good.
Lowering is like horsepower, its never enough!
We'll see how I like it after a 12 hour trip to NCM and the plant, but so far so good.
Lowering is like horsepower, its never enough!
Team Owner
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From: [Enter Unoffensive Comment Here]
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St. Jude Donor '06
ALLKAR is my hero!!
I was in Racer44's when we used the rocker rails. His was real low but I was actually surprised how easy it got hung up. There's probably a pretty fine line on having no problems to being a pain in the ars. They look sweeet though. ALLKAR would be cooler if he had a s/c.
ALLKAR would be cooler if he had a s/c.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Dana Point Ca
Originally Posted by 1hotZ06
Same here. I scrape the air dam quite often but that's OK. Frame Savers and Rocker Rails are a MUST. It's all worth it... I'd go lower if I could afford coilovers. And I DID take some pix - see my sig.Hey vettethret, you gotta shrink your sig pix so they show up now... your ride is simply out-fn-rageous!!!
Keep
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,151
Likes: 1
From: N.CHARLESTON SC
I removed my front bolts all together and shaved 1/3 off the rear bushings and cranked it down as far as I could I would like to go lower but just can't justify coilovers just to go lower 
. I scrape the plastic air dam in the front but no biggie. I say put that bad boy in the weeds
I would like to go lower but just can't justify coilovers just to go lower . I scrape the plastic air dam in the front but no biggie. I say put that bad boy in the weeds
Racer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 324
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From: Lake Mary FL
It would seem to me that lowering a car that is meant to be a factory race car (the Z06) at all would cause the handling aspects to change for the worst. Is this true? I would want to lower mine one day but not if it even sacrifices the tiniest shred of performance and handling.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Huntington IN
Originally Posted by Mike04Z06
It would seem to me that lowering a car that is meant to be a factory race car (the Z06) at all would cause the handling aspects to change for the worst. Is this true? I would want to lower mine one day but not if it even sacrifices the tiniest shred of performance and handling.
Having lowered mine (twice), I would highly recommend you twist down the stock bolts all the way (take you an hour tops!), get her aligned and answer the questions for your driving style. If you cut the front bushings and get longer rear bolts, you can always go back up. I did not notice any degradation in ride quality.
I'll bet ALLKAR's money you won't raise it back up!
I've put a few more miles on the car since my previous post, which included a bit of high speed flogging on a certain curvy area without traffic. With the car lower (and a slightly lower center of gravity), it turns in much quicker than the stock height. In turn, that also will make the car slightly more tail happy, partially because you are entering the corner slightly faster (Competitive Driving Mode is your friend). My guess is, it would take a professional race drive to tell if there is really any difference. But, damn, it looks better!
By the way, ALLKAR, no IM! But, your cars were the deciding factor!
Melting Slicks
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From: Fly Over State
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Originally Posted by Matt69-ZO6
By the way, ALLKAR, no IM! But, your cars were the deciding factor!
You did good!!!
Racer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 324
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From: Lake Mary FL
So how does one tighten down the stock bolts? Where are the bolts? What does tightening the bolts down actually do? Does it compress the springs or something? I'm interested to learn more about this 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,151
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From: N.CHARLESTON SC
Originally Posted by Mike04Z06
So how does one tighten down the stock bolts? Where are the bolts? What does tightening the bolts down actually do? Does it compress the springs or something? I'm interested to learn more about this
Try this link for instructions
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=27&TopicID=1
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,141
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From: Huntington IN
Here is another good link with pics...
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=90&TopicID=1
Make sure you have a 21 mm wrench, 10 mm socket and a 7 mm Allen Key (some appear to be Torx bits?).
The pics are very good and the process is straightforward.
Let us know if you have any questions!
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=90&TopicID=1
Make sure you have a 21 mm wrench, 10 mm socket and a 7 mm Allen Key (some appear to be Torx bits?).
The pics are very good and the process is straightforward.
Let us know if you have any questions!