Lately driving the vette has been almost scary. On the highway it actually feels as if its jumping and bouncing when hitting bumps. Bumpsteer also. So I jacked her up this morning to see whats going on and see what is leaking on my garage floor (very small drips) I found that my drivers side shock has what looks like grease, not oil leaked out of it and has been smeared by the boot. The car has 135k and the shocks are not stock. I forgot the name of them, but they are yellow and blue. So im guessing that shock is dead. I never did take the wheels off, so I had the leverage of having the wheel to see about possible bad pieces. When grabbing at 12/6 o clock nothing moves, however when grabbing at 3/9 o clock and with the wheel full turn lock, when I pull on the wheel I can see what looks like the upper control arm bushing being bad. It looks like the bushing is sliding over the pin thats bolted to the frame? Has anybody ever seen this? is this normal? The bushing does not move within the control arm from what it looked like. This was only the rear bushing on the upper control arm that I could see it doing this and was very minimal. Also, the steering rack is my leaking component, its leaking out the passenger side of the rack and leaking from the boot to the control arm.

Sorry for the ramble, but if someone could give me some insight on the bushings that would be good. Also, has anybody ever seen a rebuild kit for these racks?

Thanks all!

 

For the rack, I'd recommend you get a rebuilt one from Zip Products in Richmond, VA. Their price is about half what you will find anywhere else. The rack is about $200.00 and they have a core charge that is refunded once you send your old rack back. I've had one in my car for about 20,000 miles and had no problems.

 

Your only OEM stock option is a new control arm. You can order the ZIP polyurethane bushings and replace the worn rubber bushings with poly bushings. Get a good 4 wheel alignment and BAM,, you will not believe the difference.

Change those nasty shocks out for some C6 ZO6 shocks and you can also bolt on a C6 Z51 sway-bars and metal end links. Contact Gene Culley or Patrick for a killer deal:
www.gmpartshouse.com

The are 100% OEM bolt in requiring ZERO modifications. You will need a crow bar to pry the grin off your face after you up-grade!

 

Good words guys, im liking what im hearing! Does this sound like the bushings are actually bad? I guess I would have imagined by what I have read about these bushings that they would not fail like this. Some of the posts I have read is that people have heated up the rod part with a torch (the part that bolts to the frame) to get it out. If mine are actually sliding on that, it cant be good! But when i try to pull on the arm's I cant even get enough leverage to make them move? Maybe its just the fact that this shock appears to be blown out? Or maybe that my rack has some play from age over the years and now that its leaking its fluid out needs to be rebuilt or replaced anyway.
I will check out these options.
Thanks guys!

 

Another acceptable option on the shocks is to get Bilstein Sport shocks...not the standard Bilsteins for C5 or C6...only the Sports version. But as mentioned, the C6 ZO6 DO fit C5 and are very good...If you are getting a package deal from GM the C6 ZO6 shocks may come in at a good price... I do agree 100% with the C6 ZO6 bars and end links....and the poly bushings...Huge bang for the "suspension buck"...

 

I have bilstein sports right now. I have heard that they can be sent back to bilstein to be re-valved? Im assuming that basically means a rebuild? You guys possibly may know, I may look into this today as well.

 

Ok, so this was so bad on the way home last night it felt like the car was hopping and my headlights were "jiggling" and the beam was jumping up and down. When I jacked it up, the wheel would not move like it had play like a bad wheel bearing. However, it sure feels like that when i drive. Also, I have a c1225h, and whenever i see the code its always an h, i can never catch it being a C. Ideas?