Got a great buy on a set of used sway bars taken from a salvaged 2004 C5 Commemorative a Edition (the Commemorative wasn't made in 2003?). I measure things for a living so I measured both bars in order to get the proper bushings. The front bar measured, accounting for error, between 28.45 and 28.66, consistent for a C5z51 front sway bar. But the rear measured between 25.27 and 25.50. I've written the seller. What sway bar would you order bushings for. They are in great shape perhaps they are aftermarket. They are most likely painted black because the bushing have worn through to the metal. You can find the diameters of various sway bars with a search of the forum. They look to be a match but either I need to re-measure in places beside where the bushings were or the back one is off of a C6Z51. Tell me I'm wrong and which size bushings I should buy.

 

Your measurements match to the late C5 Z51 front and the C6 Z51 rear bars from what I have researched too.

Do they still have any of the tags that have part numbers on them? If so, they can be looked up to confirm. The C6 Z51 rear bar is 10339124.

 

Here is some info that will help.

* C5 Base Suspension: 23 mm-front / 19.1 mm-rear
* C5 Z51 (97-99): 25.4 mm-front / 21.7 mm-rear
* C5 Z51 (00-04): 28.6 mm-front / 23.6 mm-rear
* C5 Z06: 30.0 mm-front / 23.6 mm-rear
* C6 Z51: 31 mm-front / 25.4 mm (1")-rear
* C6 Z06: 31 mm-front / 28.8 mm-rear
* C5 Hotchkiss: 31.75 mm-front / 25.4 mm-rear
* C5/C6 Addco: 32 mm-front / 25.4 mm-rear
* C5/C6 Addco: 35 mm-front / 25.4 mm-rear
* C5 Pfadt (Adjustables): 32 mm-front / 26 mm-rear
* C5 Pfadt (Adjustables): 35 mm-front / 28.5 mm-rear
* C5 T1 (GM Racing): 38.4 mm-front / 27.5 mm-rear
* C6 T1 (GM Racing): 38.4 mm-front / 27.5 mm-rear

 

The important question here is will these two pieces work well together? Any thoughts? Anybody who really knows what they are talking about wanna chime in? Lol!

 

I had thought about getting some really wide tires for the back at some point in the distant future. It seems like people recommend a wider rear sway bar when doing this. Is it true?

 

That size bars will create an oversteer condition.

I would get the C6 Z06/Z51/GS front bar (they are all the same bar) to go with the rear bar you have. That would make it a C6 Z51 set. I have those sizes and love it.

 

Talking with the buyer I noticed the rear bushing is kind of a half circle while the front is diamond shaped. The other thing about the front is that the inside is lined with a mesh weave material. Oh yea, I've got the vin number off of the car they said both came from. I need to run that through a program. I'm having a brain fart. The Corvette museum be of any help?

 

I'm going to call this case solved. I was measuring for new bushings right where they are installed and kept getting about 25.5. I just went out with an old pair of my dad's calipers, the kind you set with a thumb screw, and set them at 23.6mm. With a set screw it was easy to measure what parts of the sway bar fit within the 23.6 gap so I measured every straight part of the bar. The calipers fit nice and snug over every part of the bar but was too tight only where the bushings fit. And even then I could find one place on each side where the bushings go that the calipers slipped over easily. I should have done this before I made a fuss. These are used sway bars 5x,xxx miles on them. They came off of a 2004 commemorative edition car. I think the difference, which was a little less than 2mm, is due to me measuring them at the point where the twisting forces on the smaller bar would be greatest. In other words, I wanted a bargain and I got it. I think they are C5Z51 sway bars and a set. I'm sure they will perform better than the tiny ones I have on there now. If my wife wasn't so cheap I would have got the C6 deal to begin with! I love the fact that the front bushings are lined with a what is probably some kind of plastic fibers woven together. It's gotta keep them quiet.

 

I'm gonna piggy back on this tread since the OP got resolved.

I locally bought low miles take-off Z06 Shocks and sways from a great guy building up his tracked C6 Z06.

The shock part numbers are correct for Z06.

I also measured the bars like the OP.
The Sway's measure 31mm front, 28.5mm rear, so that is correct compared to:
* C6 Z06: 31 mm-front / 28.8 mm-rear
The package also came with extra brand new Urethane front sway bar bushings, and (4) alum endlinks still attached! (yes, a nice bundled package!)

I'm planning on putting this all on my stock 01 Vert having OEM polished Alum 5-ThinSpoke wheels, so the tires are 275/40/18 Rear, 245/45/17 Front.
It's my DD, and the roads are pretty good (smooth) around here.

Two questions:
1) I'm thinking about installing the C6 Z06 shocks first, and then evaluate the change before doing sways. Probably do the rear shocks first, because rear looks easier? I'll adjust the Emergency Brake shoes while the wheels are off too. I'll probably do the rears one weekend and the fronts the next. Does the staged-approach sound reasonable? I use the car as DD, but I have another car I could use if I fall behind on the work or if the car doesn't drive well in half stages.....


2) I know that sways/tires are supposed to be balanced to avoid altering OverSteer/UnderSteer, so I'm thinking the 28.5mm Z06 Rear bar will be too big for my stock 17/18 tires & wheels! I have no intention of ever changing to widebody, wheels, etc.... Should I try to trade/cash the front Urethane 31mm bushings plus the C6 Z06 rear bar (28.5mm) with its rubber bushings for a like-new C6 Z51 (25.4mm) Rear bar w/bushings?

I'm pretty sure someone with C6 Z51 would jump at the chance to upgrade to
Front urethane bushings plus the rear Z06 Bar & bushings! It would tighten up both their front and rear roll stiffness at the same time!

Am I correct in assuming that the Z06 rear bar would be too much for my C5 Vert (stock tires & wheels? Or should I just install it and give it a try? Personally I think it would lead to oversteer tendencies?

Am I correct that someone else (C6 Z51?) would really want the stiffer front urethane bushings and the stiffer rear Z06 swaybar in some type of trade/cash combo??

Let me know what you think. I'm thinking about doing the Rear Shocks tomorrow.
I'm pretty sure the Z06 shock install is a no-brainer - - I should do all 4 shocks without hesitation, but my questions mostly revolve around the rear Bar. I have a couple weeks to hash this out because it's probably a few weeks before I get the shocks installed and start considering the Bar installs....

Thanks!