Harsh ride quality after lowering-
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 698
Likes: 20
From: Md
Harsh ride quality after lowering-
I lowered all the way xcept last turn all 4 corners.
02 coupe, garaged, babied, stock susp, 18k miles.
The alignment is dead nuts on.
1200-1500 miles since lowering; looks great
Most obvious example: Down grade, highway, 60-70 mph,
hit the metal expansion joint and thunk!
Also when weight shifted while turning w/ pothole type
(agressive) dip, it's not smooth like it was.
Is this the C6 Z06 shock cure?
Not smooth like before.
Thanks for all replies who've experienced this,
Mark
02 coupe, garaged, babied, stock susp, 18k miles.
The alignment is dead nuts on.
1200-1500 miles since lowering; looks great
Most obvious example: Down grade, highway, 60-70 mph,
hit the metal expansion joint and thunk!
Also when weight shifted while turning w/ pothole type
(agressive) dip, it's not smooth like it was.
Is this the C6 Z06 shock cure?
Not smooth like before.
Thanks for all replies who've experienced this,
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,543
Likes: 5
From: Toronto Ontario
St. Jude Donor '08
Hi..when I lowered my 00 coupe on stock bolts, I also installed Bilstein sports and Z06 sway bars f&r at the same time... it transformed the car completely with none of the negative issues you're having... I would suggest the shock upgrade..and BTW th Bilstien sports are not too stiff IMO...
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
Likes: 9,820
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
You are bottoming out the car on the bump stops inside the shocks. This not only causes a hard ride but drastically changes the spring rate when you hit them. This can cause you to lose control of the car as the handling will change drastically when this happens. You need to raise the car or get shocks that can accept the travel.
Bill
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,874
Likes: 253
From: Hillsboro OR
You'll need to raise it. FWIW, the GM Service Manual states these cars can only be lowered ~1/2". 
I lowered mine (03 Coupe w/MSR shocks) all of the way on the stock bolts and it only dropped it ~3/8 of an inch. I do have the f/r Z06 sway bars with poly bushings. The car still rides great. Do the sways keep it from lowering more?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,194
Likes: 10
From: New Smyrna Beach Florida
Raise it back up. The folks that designed the C5 knew more about these cars than any of us. If the GM manual says not to lower the car more than 1/2", lower it 1/2' max. Lowering the car changes the posture of the entire drivetrain. I guess if you just want to cruise around at low speeds, why not slam it. Otherwise,it just doesn't make sense to me to turn a capable sports car into another lame POS rolling down the road.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 1
From: Minnesota
Raise it back up. The folks that designed the C5 knew more about these cars than any of us. If the GM manual says not to lower the car more than 1/2", lower it 1/2' max. Lowering the car changes the posture of the entire drivetrain. I guess if you just want to cruise around at low speeds, why not slam it. Otherwise,it just doesn't make sense to me to turn a capable sports car into another lame POS rolling down the road.
If you want to go lower then stock bolts will let you I would say that shocks, sways and an immediate alignment are must haves.
OP: you may want to post your street to wheel well measurements and you can compare with the rest of us. I have seen a ton of posts that depending on your car your results vary when lowering.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,799
Likes: 1
From: Northern Virginia
St. Jude Donor '08
you are bottoming out the car on the bump stops inside the shocks. This not only causes a hard ride but drastically changes the spring rate when you hit them. This can cause you to lose control of the car as the handling will change drastically when this happens. You need to raise the car or get shocks that can accept the travel.
Bill
Bill
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
