Does Lowering help or hinder handling?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 532
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From: Tampa FL
Cruise-In III Veteran
Does Lowering help or hinder handling?
About 5 years ago I lowered my C5 (Mainly for looks). Besides the obvious clearance issues, does it hinder or help handling at a road track?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Suspension needs room to travel.When you lower too much the suspension and shocks do not have the normal travel distance and bottom out.
Really Normal ride height is best. Lowering looks cool, I agree, but handles poorly at speed.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,510
Likes: 240
From: Coconut Creek FL
I started a thread about this a while back and got laughed at...
The previous owner lowered the rear of my 97 only...I guess to make it seem as low as the front was stock- the car under normal circumstances looks lower in the front than the rear- so he corrected that (if you want to call it that) when I brought it back to normal (before I did my suspension upgrade) the car felt quicker for some reason...this is where I got laughed at by CF...it went from feeling like towing a trailer to the snappiness of a vette again.
There is something to be said for the proper rake as mentioned above- lowering can throw off the weight distribution of the car if done like mine was...someting you don't want on a track car...balance is key to success.
The previous owner lowered the rear of my 97 only...I guess to make it seem as low as the front was stock- the car under normal circumstances looks lower in the front than the rear- so he corrected that (if you want to call it that) when I brought it back to normal (before I did my suspension upgrade) the car felt quicker for some reason...this is where I got laughed at by CF...it went from feeling like towing a trailer to the snappiness of a vette again.
There is something to be said for the proper rake as mentioned above- lowering can throw off the weight distribution of the car if done like mine was...someting you don't want on a track car...balance is key to success.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Winchester TN
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'11
Hi JMon -
Lowering on the stock adjusters is supposed to help handling slightly.
The video that came with my 2002 Z06 new (from GM) shows the lowering bolts and recommends lowering the car for track use.
I lowered both of my cars (on the stock limits) for the looks alone.
My Z seemed to have a little quicker steering after I lowered it, but I am by no means a driving "Expert" - that was just my impression.
I can speculate that if the center of gravity of the car is slightly lower, there is less effect of the cars weight being thrown back and forth in direction changes.
I would also add that most serious track cars are lowered extensively, using coil-overs, and the also have altered alignment specifications to aid in cornering - at the expense of tire life.
best regards -
mqqn
Lowering on the stock adjusters is supposed to help handling slightly.
The video that came with my 2002 Z06 new (from GM) shows the lowering bolts and recommends lowering the car for track use.
I lowered both of my cars (on the stock limits) for the looks alone.
My Z seemed to have a little quicker steering after I lowered it, but I am by no means a driving "Expert" - that was just my impression.
I can speculate that if the center of gravity of the car is slightly lower, there is less effect of the cars weight being thrown back and forth in direction changes.
I would also add that most serious track cars are lowered extensively, using coil-overs, and the also have altered alignment specifications to aid in cornering - at the expense of tire life.
best regards -
mqqn
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
I can speculate that if the center of gravity of the car is slightly lower, there is less effect of the cars weight being thrown back and forth in direction changes.
I would also add that most serious track cars are lowered extensively, using coil-overs, and the also have altered alignment specifications to aid in cornering - at the expense of tire life.
best regards -
mqqn
I would also add that most serious track cars are lowered extensively, using coil-overs, and the also have altered alignment specifications to aid in cornering - at the expense of tire life.
best regards -
mqqn
Most coil over suspensions do not allow you to lower your car too much. again, then you run into shocks bottoming out.
PLUS a bump steer kit may be needed and more often then not specialty made drop spindles. LG makes some. Not cheap.
For the most part and most vette owners, just slightly lower is OK.
Let other ppl laugh, Heck I laugh ( but hold my tongue) when I see chrome in the engine bay and contrasting colors in the interior FAKE carbon fiber graphics on parts. but then again, each to their own and more power to the person who makes their vette unique.
PS anyone who has a slammed vette and says it does not effect handling is lying or just does not drive there car at speed. But DAMN slammed vettes sure look
Last edited by AU N EGL; May 31, 2008 at 11:35 AM.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
From: Belews Creek N.C.
Yes and NO. If you are doing track days HPDEs, then yes having your vette corner balanced and aligned by an expert is worth the few hundred dollars it will cost.
PS anyone who has a slammed vette and says it does not effect handling is lying or just does not drive there car at speed. But DAMN slammed vettes sure look
PS anyone who has a slammed vette and says it does not effect handling is lying or just does not drive there car at speed. But DAMN slammed vettes sure look
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,827
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
In the Z06 video GM recommends lowering only 10 to 15 mm front and rear with equal amounts of drop from side to side. By lowering equally from side to side you avoid putting wedge into the car. You do not judge equal drops by setting an equal clearance to body parts from side to side as they may not be that accurately placed on the car and you will drop one side more than the other.
10 to 15 mm is in the range of a half inch given that there are 25.4 mms in an inch. Drop below that and you are close to getting in the jounce bumpers and really srewing up the handling. Base suspension cars seem to drop a little more and that may be because they have slightly more suspension travel than the Z51 or Z06.
Bill
10 to 15 mm is in the range of a half inch given that there are 25.4 mms in an inch. Drop below that and you are close to getting in the jounce bumpers and really srewing up the handling. Base suspension cars seem to drop a little more and that may be because they have slightly more suspension travel than the Z51 or Z06.
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 5,267
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From: Syracuse NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
I lowered my C5 on the stock bolts by counting the number of full turns and kept that even on driver and passenger sides. Like Bill said, it is important to be even with both sides. Ultimately, my Z51 suspension dropped 1/2". It does look better and the steering is somewhat sharper.
Unfortunately, the car was lowered, had new sway bars and new wheels and tires installed during the winter hibernation period, so all three affected the ultimate handling.
Chuck
Unfortunately, the car was lowered, had new sway bars and new wheels and tires installed during the winter hibernation period, so all three affected the ultimate handling.
Chuck
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Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 250
Likes: 1
From: Woodbridge NJ
I as well lowered my rear on the stock bolts for looks alone. Roughly half and inch or so and I did see some improvement in handling as well... I do however agreed that going to low for looks will overall hinder the handling of your vette...
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
My left side is 1/8" higher then my right. When I get ( 200 lbs of me) in the drivers seat, the car is dead even left to right
I use 200 lbs of old brake rotors 11 fronts and one rear piled in the driver seat to balance.
But then again, I tend to go to extreems. For normal street use get the left and right sides as close as possible. Mesuere to the frame, just in front of the front jacking puck holes, and just behind the rear jacking puck holes is the easiest to get at. Where the lower A-arms attach to the frame is the best place.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 749
Likes: 3
From: West Yarmouth MA.
Personally i'm not for hindering any aspect of my cars performance for the sake of astetics. Whether it be lowering to look cool or nice looking HEAVY chrome wheels. The more educated I become of performance the more aware I am of being careful about which mods to do.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 543
Likes: 1
You can lower your car nearly 1'' front and rear on stock bolts.
This will lower your center of gravity. Be sure to have all 4 wheels realigned after you have driven your car afew miles. You will improve handling. This is fact, not opinion.
I hope this helps.
Roger T
This will lower your center of gravity. Be sure to have all 4 wheels realigned after you have driven your car afew miles. You will improve handling. This is fact, not opinion.
I hope this helps.
Roger T
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 768
Likes: 6
From: Newport Beach, Southern California
Hinders to the point it is bad for handling. Lowering NO MORE then 1" in front from stock and keeping the proper rake.
Suspension needs room to travel.When you lower too much the suspension and shocks do not have the normal travel distance and bottom out.
Really Normal ride height is best. Lowering looks cool, I agree, but handles poorly at speed.
Suspension needs room to travel.When you lower too much the suspension and shocks do not have the normal travel distance and bottom out.
Really Normal ride height is best. Lowering looks cool, I agree, but handles poorly at speed.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 768
Likes: 6
From: Newport Beach, Southern California
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,193
Likes: 3
From: Miami, FL
The Corvette C5 Z06 is one of only a precious few cars to have broken the 8-minute barrier for lap times at the Nürburgring circuit.
Wasn't this done on STOCK HEIGHT?
Why would i want to mess with my suspension...
Wasn't this done on STOCK HEIGHT?
Why would i want to mess with my suspension...
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: McKinney TX
That being said, it is definitely true that lowering the car much more than that will have adverse effects on handling. It's not all about how low your center of gravity is. When you lower the car excessively you are negatively effecting your roll center and suspension geometry.
