Need help lowering C5
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 74
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From: LONG ISLAND New York
Need help lowering C5
Tried to lower front end of car with stock bolts. I read that you should turn bolt with 10mm wrench counter clock wise to lower the car's front end on stock suspension. But the bolt doesn't move. Am I doing something wrong? How do I lower the front end with the stock bolts? Please Help!
Ok tried to lower bolts in front but they won't budge. The threads are stripped. The washer on bushing looks welded to thread. Is that how its supposed to be? Should I cut the bolts and buy new ones? Please help
Ok tried to lower bolts in front but they won't budge. The threads are stripped. The washer on bushing looks welded to thread. Is that how its supposed to be? Should I cut the bolts and buy new ones? Please help
Last edited by rdny74; Sep 14, 2006 at 08:01 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,439
Likes: 6
From: Newark, DE
St. Jude Donor '06
Try relieving some of the spring pressure by jacking lightly on the spring with a floor or bottle jack, using a wood block to spread the load. You want to be outboard of the spring support clamp (see below), as close as possible to the bolt.
Spraying the bolt threads with WD40 or penetrating oil probably wouldn't hurt either.
Spraying the bolt threads with WD40 or penetrating oil probably wouldn't hurt either.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 7,179
Likes: 2
From: Charlotte, NC
the bolts could be siezed to the spring.. I see it all the time with the earlier C5's 97, 98, 99 ect.. they are right in the wheels wells where water from rain and washing gets into the threads... you can put some penatrating oil on the threads, let it soak, take the load off the pushing by loading the spring as shown above.. and hope for the best..
You can't really heat the studs since the spring would melt... So it leaves you with little options..
Good Luck..
-=Rick
You can't really heat the studs since the spring would melt... So it leaves you with little options..
Good Luck..
-=Rick
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,276
Likes: 227
From: Farmington CT
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Originally Posted by Old Rotor Head
I think your also dealing with a left hand thread. It's been 3 years but I think I turned it ccw.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,439
Likes: 6
From: Newark, DE
St. Jude Donor '06
Originally Posted by connecticut
the left hand thread is urban/forum legend;
but if you've never seen the other end of the bolt, it's easy to understand why people think it is reverse-threaded.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,439
Likes: 6
From: Newark, DE
St. Jude Donor '06
If you have followed all the advice here and still can't get them to budge, I think you only have two options left.
- If you are feeling lucky, slip a length of pipe over your 10mm wrench, to gain a leverage advantage (i.e., use it as a breaker bar). I have never heard of anyone breaking the bolt, but...do this at your own risk.
- If you're not feeling so lucky, go to an alignment or Corvette specialty shop that does corner weighting, and tell them you also want the car lowered. Adjusting those ride height adjustment bolts is part of the procedure (thus it becomes their problem).
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,572
Likes: 9
From: Jackson Tn
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09
There's just not much surface on the head to take the torque. Make sure it's free from the A arm. If you soak the bolt enough it should come free, just make sure you use a 6 point socket.
You can always pull the spring out to get better access.
You can always pull the spring out to get better access.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
From: LONG ISLAND New York
Still Need Help
Ok tried to lower bolts in front but they won't budge. The threads are stripped. The washer on bushing looks welded to thread. Is that how its supposed to be? Should I cut the bolts and buy new ones? Please help
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,675
Likes: 58
From: Hayward (Bay Area) CA
Lowering the FRONT
Just to add to the thread, can someone suggest an easy way to cut off those bushings in the front. I think there are 3 of them, and we can easily get rid of one and live with just two. Would that work fine, or create any kinda problem. (Cutting the bushing would be after its lowered all the way to last 2 threads on stock bolts in front.)