I lowered my C5 about a month ago and I noticed this but now it's just kind of annoying me so maybe someone can help! ........

I lowered my car all the way on stock bolts, 2 threads in the rear showing and all the way in the front and a 1/4" turn back. For some reason the drivers side front & back sit almost exactly a 1/2" higher then the passenger side! The only thing I could think was 1. The bushings were wore out on both front and back on the driver side causing it to sit lower. 2. Car was in accident that kind of pushed it up BUT there is no sign of accident and why would both front and rear be almost exactly 1/2" higher? I double checked and both the front and rear are exactly same turns and whatnot. Anyone have any ideas? its just really driving me nuts. I have a FRC so I have the z51 suspension if that helps!

 

My guess is the bushings. I replaced the front and rear bolts on my Z51 and the front bushings were pretty rough looking for a car only having 30,000 miles on it. The rear bushings looked new so I reused those.

 

Was it just once you took them off they looked rough? Mine look brand new from the outside. Im going to look into that thoug, Just would be weird for both front and rear to be the same?

 

First of all, these cars aren't even from side to side. The body panels are plastic and can vary considerably from side to side... It has nothing to do with accidents, it's just the way they are.

Second, you screwed up in lowering it to the bottom of the adjustment on both sides. When properly lowered and corner weighted the adjustment can easily be three of four threads different from side to side. If you had done it correctly you would have turned the screws on each end the same amount. That is, if you lower the left front 4 turns, you should have lowered the right front four turns. Same thing for the rear.

Since you just went in and turned screws, you now have to get the car corner weighted to get it right, or you could use the measuring procedure in the shop manual (which requires special tools). The last and not as good way of fixing it is to get a proper FLAT surface (and your garage isn't flat enough for this, it needs to be flat ans square within 1/8 of an inch) and set the ride height at the jacking points on each side to be equal from side to side.

If you get it on a flat floor and then get it equal in height from side to side the body panels won't be the same, but the car will handle correctly and that's the best you can get.

 

Thx for the input! I just went off the guide on lowering and it just said lower until it bottoms out, Didn't know it could still be off. Thank you! I might just go ahead and remove the front bolts, that should take care of the front, and the rear ill prolly just get some c6 bolts and even out each side.

 

First of all, you don't want to lower it more than you have it now if you have stock shocks. Lowering it more than that will cause the rear shocks to bottom out and you shouldn't do that. Putting in longer bolts in the back is a bad thing to do with stock shocks.

The front bolts aren't the issue, taking out the bolts won't make any difference, it will just make the car lower.

In order to get the car right you need to adjust the bolts to get the corner weights right. Otherwise the car will handle funny and will oversteer turning in one direction and push turning the other way.

This is really simple. Find a flat surface and measure the ground clearance at the jacking points. Then adjust the bolts accordingly. Most of the cars that I've lowered and corner balanced had the right rear screw showing about three threads more than the left rear. The front screws were pretty close to equal.

 

I have Bilstein Shocks so I should be fine going lower, I could even the sides out but then I will be sitting too high, I want it lower and still even. Just so I understand what your saying....your saying its not just my bolts that may be off but my fenders can be slightly off, so if I remove the front bolts, it will still be uneven?

 

You will also bottom out the Bilsteins if you go too low. It's best not go go lower than the minimum OEM ride height value.

 

Not calling you guys liers....but what are all the other people that are dropped on aftermarket bolts using for shocks? Ive seen alot with stock shocks, and no problems. Just curious not calling you out!

 

i was lowered on stock bolts, stock shocks - no issues but wanted to go lower.
Got aftermarket bolts, with Bilstein Sports.. and would occasionally bottom out my passenger side rear.
Finally got LG coilovers and i'm the lowest yet and things seem ok

According to Bilstein, you can go 1" lower with the sports. They don't recommend you go lower than that.

Everybody has a different experience.

 

Thanks for the input!

 

If you are sure there will be no problems then don't waste anyone's time by asking for our experience and input. It's your car, lower it as low as you want.

 

Dont have to get all upset now....I simply was wondering if you had any more proof...YOU may be 100% right but how do I know that? I don't beleive something just because 1 person on the interernet said it. I didn't mean it in a negative way at all.

 

I'm not suggesting that you take my word or anyone elses word on this issue nor do I care if you do. If you want definitive information, I suggest you get yourself an OEM service manual and stop asking for opinions and conjecture.

 

I'm Pretty sure this is what this website is for....QUESTIONS....why would I go buy a damn manual after you say it will bottom out???? Can't I get more opinions??? WOW You have a problem.

 

ipug is correct, he has been listening to what is basically a continuing thread and is tired of having some people ask the same question again and again.

If you lower the car all the way on stock bolts in the back you will have very little travel left on the stock rear shocks. That is an absolute fact and is the primary reason that the video that came with the Z06's recommends that you don't lower the car more than 3/4's of an inch.

Since the shocks have dirt covers to protect the shafts, you can't see where you are relative to the bump stops. The bump stops are on the shafts and they are progressive. That is, when you hit them, if you aren't hitting a pothole, you may not even notice that you are into them.

The danger from being this close to the bump stops is that when you go around a corner or off ramp at a good clip you are going to be very close to having no travel. If you hit a bump at that point it WILL cause oversteer and you could easily wreck your car. Do a search and you will find lots of posts of people who didn't understand why their cars were going almost out of control when they were cornering hard and hit even a small bump.

In addition, if you hit a strong bump with the car that low it very often screws up the rear end alignment. Again, do a search and you will find lots of posts where the guy has handling problems because the rear end alignment keeps slipping. The reason for this is that when you hit the bump stops the laid over rear shock angle wedges the lower rear control arm outward. The forces doing this can be very high and the result is that the excentrics doing the rear alignment slip and change the toe and camber in the rear suspension.

Now, there are people running very low ride heights with stock shocks. Most of them are waxers who don't drive the car much and wouldn't know what it's like to corner at more than half a g. Lots of them complain that the car "rides rougher" with it lowered, but it isn't that bad. These guys are stupid and don't understand that bottoming out the suspension is dangerous. If you are living in a place where the roads are very smooth, you don't drive agressively and you like the look of a low car, then go for it. If you do, you can expect alignment problems and if you find the car suddenly tail happy in mid corner, don't say we didn't warn you.

If you understand handling and want a performance car you shouldn't lower it any more than 3/4 of an inch from stock all around, and you can do that easily with the stock bolts. That is true even for cars that have custom or shorter shocks and can be lowered more. The suspension geometry for these cars works well within a range and that is with the car lowered about 3/4 of an inch. Lower it more than that and the handling is not going to be as good no matter what shocks are on the car.

 

ipuig & Solofast are correct.

I hear that Koni FSD's are good shocks to look into if you're slammed.

 

Great write-up Solofast! Thanks for taking the time to explain this again.....

 

Maybe somebody needs to put it into a sticky... From now on I'm just going to cut and paste....

 

Thx solofast, I appreciate you taking the time to explain everything...not just saying no it will bottom out.