Suspension advice needed!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 900
Likes: 0
From: New Bern NC
Suspension advice needed!
My car is a 97 C5 coupe. The only suspension upgrade is QA1 dual adjustables on the front and single adjustable for the rear shocks. This mod was for the drag strip. Car also puts down 530 rwhp. Anyway, I need to replace the tie rod ends and some bushings, and thought this would be the perfect time to up grade my sway bars and end links. I have read and read, but have not found the exact information I want.
I would like some advice for the best scenario for my car. I will not track the car on a road coarse, but really enjoy spirited driving. I want the car to be up to date, feeling good and tight, still handling well. I really enjoy the performance aspects of my car. A friend of mine suggested the car could have not enough sway causing it to easily skid. So, nothing to nasty, just time to do some up grading.
Considered choices
-keep existing bars and upgrade to medal end links
-C6 Z51 sway bars and end links
-C3 Z06 sway bars and end links
- Either of the C6 options w/ medal end links
Thank you for your time and input!
Rob Edwards
I would like some advice for the best scenario for my car. I will not track the car on a road coarse, but really enjoy spirited driving. I want the car to be up to date, feeling good and tight, still handling well. I really enjoy the performance aspects of my car. A friend of mine suggested the car could have not enough sway causing it to easily skid. So, nothing to nasty, just time to do some up grading.
Considered choices
-keep existing bars and upgrade to medal end links
-C6 Z51 sway bars and end links
-C3 Z06 sway bars and end links
- Either of the C6 options w/ medal end links
Thank you for your time and input!
Rob Edwards
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,003
Likes: 89
From: Indy IN
If you are looking for an improvement in handling and not trying to make the car a track day car, an upgrade to the C5 Z06 bars is a good start.
If you want a bit more you can upgrade to a C6 ZR1 front bar and a C6 Z51 rear bar.
Here is a chart with the relative stiffness of the bars..
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...of-pfadts.html
What you want to do is make sure you match the stiffness so that your car remains balanced. If you put too big a bar on the back the car will oversteer and if you put too big a bar on the front it will push like a pig.
You will note that on your car the front bar is stiffer than the rear bar, and that is by design since you don't have huge tires on the back like a ZR1.
So what you want to do is select a set of bars that will give you more stiffness in the front than in the rear. Note that you can upgrade to a set of C5 Z06 bars and that will maintain that relationship. So will the ZR1 front bar and the C6Z51 rear bar. You will need the bushings for each bar and you also need to make sure that the C6 bar will fit on the back of your car. I'm not sure about that. Also you can talk to ADDCO, their bars are relatively inexpensive and explain that you want something that is balanced and they will be able to set you up.
Hope this helps.
If you want a bit more you can upgrade to a C6 ZR1 front bar and a C6 Z51 rear bar.
Here is a chart with the relative stiffness of the bars..
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...of-pfadts.html
What you want to do is make sure you match the stiffness so that your car remains balanced. If you put too big a bar on the back the car will oversteer and if you put too big a bar on the front it will push like a pig.
You will note that on your car the front bar is stiffer than the rear bar, and that is by design since you don't have huge tires on the back like a ZR1.
So what you want to do is select a set of bars that will give you more stiffness in the front than in the rear. Note that you can upgrade to a set of C5 Z06 bars and that will maintain that relationship. So will the ZR1 front bar and the C6Z51 rear bar. You will need the bushings for each bar and you also need to make sure that the C6 bar will fit on the back of your car. I'm not sure about that. Also you can talk to ADDCO, their bars are relatively inexpensive and explain that you want something that is balanced and they will be able to set you up.
Hope this helps.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 900
Likes: 0
From: New Bern NC
If you are looking for an improvement in handling and not trying to make the car a track day car, an upgrade to the C5 Z06 bars is a good start.
If you want a bit more you can upgrade to a C6 ZR1 front bar and a C6 Z51 rear bar.
Here is a chart with the relative stiffness of the bars..
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...of-pfadts.html
What you want to do is make sure you match the stiffness so that your car remains balanced. If you put too big a bar on the back the car will oversteer and if you put too big a bar on the front it will push like a pig.
You will note that on your car the front bar is stiffer than the rear bar, and that is by design since you don't have huge tires on the back like a ZR1.
So what you want to do is select a set of bars that will give you more stiffness in the front than in the rear. Note that you can upgrade to a set of C5 Z06 bars and that will maintain that relationship. So will the ZR1 front bar and the C6Z51 rear bar. You will need the bushings for each bar and you also need to make sure that the C6 bar will fit on the back of your car. I'm not sure about that. Also you can talk to ADDCO, their bars are relatively inexpensive and explain that you want something that is balanced and they will be able to set you up.
Hope this helps.
If you want a bit more you can upgrade to a C6 ZR1 front bar and a C6 Z51 rear bar.
Here is a chart with the relative stiffness of the bars..
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...of-pfadts.html
What you want to do is make sure you match the stiffness so that your car remains balanced. If you put too big a bar on the back the car will oversteer and if you put too big a bar on the front it will push like a pig.
You will note that on your car the front bar is stiffer than the rear bar, and that is by design since you don't have huge tires on the back like a ZR1.
So what you want to do is select a set of bars that will give you more stiffness in the front than in the rear. Note that you can upgrade to a set of C5 Z06 bars and that will maintain that relationship. So will the ZR1 front bar and the C6Z51 rear bar. You will need the bushings for each bar and you also need to make sure that the C6 bar will fit on the back of your car. I'm not sure about that. Also you can talk to ADDCO, their bars are relatively inexpensive and explain that you want something that is balanced and they will be able to set you up.
Hope this helps.
Thanks a lot, very helpful. My tire and wheel sizes may make a difference. Fronts-275/35/18 CCW'S
Rear -295/35/19
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,003
Likes: 89
From: Indy IN
You are essentially using a similar tire setup as I've got on my Z06. The stagger in width is about the same as with a Z, so you will want a stiffness distribution like a Z. The bars that I recommended should work fine with that kind of setup.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Contact Gene Culley www.gmpartshouse.com He has a superb C6 Spring and sway bar deal going on. It wil make your car handle outstanding for a very small cash out lay.
Let us know what you choose and how it turns out.
BC
Let us know what you choose and how it turns out.
BC
