Stiffer Springs, Shocks or Both?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Stiffer Springs, Shocks or Both?
A while back I added about 500 lbs. to the rear of my C5 coupe with a stereo install. Added another 150 lbs. to the entire car with sound deadener. Since then the car has felt, understandably, "mushy", More so in the rear, but also some in the front.
Thoughts are to swap out the leafs for Z06 springs, or shocks, or both to stiffen it back up again.
What says the group?
Thoughts are to swap out the leafs for Z06 springs, or shocks, or both to stiffen it back up again.
What says the group?
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
What C5 Suspension do you have in the car now?? FE1, F-45, F-55, Z-51 or ZO6??
Springs , shocks and sway bars are designed to BEST work as a package. For best over all suspension performance, Ide stick with an entire ZO6 theme.
That said,, Adding or UP-GRADING to C6 ZO6 shocks over the C5 ZO6 Shocks seems to be the favored swap. (for most)
NEW HIGHER RATE:
Springs will restore the added weight sag.
Shocks will provide the proper DAMPEMNING to control the springs
Sway Bars will control the body roll.
There are several post (I wish I have saved them) that show you the actual springs rates and sway bar sizes for each package. Its important because if you have a Z51 package, some of the ZO6 package stuff is the same in some places. (example: front and or rear springs..) Cant remember off the top of my head.....
What do you mean by MUSHEY?? Body Roll, Response to steering input,????
If you want to start with an inexpensive first strike, I would get better shocks. My 02 ZO6 lost some of its handling performance. It was scary in high speed sweeping turns. NEW C6 ZO6 shocks fixed that!!
Like I stated previously,, what you have NOW will help guide you in a proper suspension up grade path..
Bill
Springs , shocks and sway bars are designed to BEST work as a package. For best over all suspension performance, Ide stick with an entire ZO6 theme.
That said,, Adding or UP-GRADING to C6 ZO6 shocks over the C5 ZO6 Shocks seems to be the favored swap. (for most)
NEW HIGHER RATE:
Springs will restore the added weight sag.
Shocks will provide the proper DAMPEMNING to control the springs
Sway Bars will control the body roll.
There are several post (I wish I have saved them) that show you the actual springs rates and sway bar sizes for each package. Its important because if you have a Z51 package, some of the ZO6 package stuff is the same in some places. (example: front and or rear springs..) Cant remember off the top of my head.....
What do you mean by MUSHEY?? Body Roll, Response to steering input,????
If you want to start with an inexpensive first strike, I would get better shocks. My 02 ZO6 lost some of its handling performance. It was scary in high speed sweeping turns. NEW C6 ZO6 shocks fixed that!!
Like I stated previously,, what you have NOW will help guide you in a proper suspension up grade path..Bill
Last edited by Bill Curlee; Feb 18, 2016 at 08:45 AM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Bill,
The car has the base coupe suspension. Not Z06.
I have already upgraded the sways and end links to the c6 stuff with metal end links through Gene.
It is just mushy over highway uneven surfaces. Kind of "floats" like any other vehicle with bad shocks. Just way too soft. But it's cause by all the extra weight. Car rode good and stiff before adding the weight and I've only put about 6K miles on it since then so I know it's not from my stock parts being worn.
Thanks.
The car has the base coupe suspension. Not Z06.
I have already upgraded the sways and end links to the c6 stuff with metal end links through Gene.
It is just mushy over highway uneven surfaces. Kind of "floats" like any other vehicle with bad shocks. Just way too soft. But it's cause by all the extra weight. Car rode good and stiff before adding the weight and I've only put about 6K miles on it since then so I know it's not from my stock parts being worn.
Thanks.
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
When I installed the Maggie on my 04 the additional 120lbs plus directly over the front wheels had a huge negative impact on the cars handling and ride. Front bottomed out constantly and the car pushed badly in corners.
I added C6Z06 springs both front and rear and because of the larger front and rear tires I went to the C6Z06 sways both front and rear. The car has the F55 Magnetic suspension still. C6Z06 shocks waiting for the F55 shocks to start leaking. Handles and rides better that when new now.....
Higher rate springs like the C6Z06 springs will help significantly in holding up the additional weight you have added. But as Bill has stated do things as a package where possible...
I added C6Z06 springs both front and rear and because of the larger front and rear tires I went to the C6Z06 sways both front and rear. The car has the F55 Magnetic suspension still. C6Z06 shocks waiting for the F55 shocks to start leaking. Handles and rides better that when new now.....
Higher rate springs like the C6Z06 springs will help significantly in holding up the additional weight you have added. But as Bill has stated do things as a package where possible...
BC
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,990
Likes: 346
From: Mt. Pleasant S.C.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
When I installed the Maggie on my 04 the additional 120lbs plus directly over the front wheels had a huge negative impact on the cars handling and ride. Front bottomed out constantly and the car pushed badly in corners.
I added C5Z06 springs both front and rear and because of the larger front and rear tires I went to the C6Z06 sways both front and rear. The car has the F55 Magnetic suspension still. C6Z06 shocks waiting for the F55 shocks to start leaking. Handles and rides better that when new now.....
Higher rate springs like the C5Z06 springs will help significantly in holding up the additional weight you have added. But as Bill has stated do things as a package where possible...
I added C5Z06 springs both front and rear and because of the larger front and rear tires I went to the C6Z06 sways both front and rear. The car has the F55 Magnetic suspension still. C6Z06 shocks waiting for the F55 shocks to start leaking. Handles and rides better that when new now.....
Higher rate springs like the C5Z06 springs will help significantly in holding up the additional weight you have added. But as Bill has stated do things as a package where possible...
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 11
A while back I added about 500 lbs. to the rear of my C5 coupe with a stereo install. Added another 150 lbs. to the entire car with sound deadener. Since then the car has felt, understandably, "mushy", More so in the rear, but also some in the front.
Thoughts are to swap out the leafs for Z06 springs, or shocks, or both to stiffen it back up again.
What says the group?
Thoughts are to swap out the leafs for Z06 springs, or shocks, or both to stiffen it back up again.
What says the group?
Your engine doesn't weigh 500 lbs., what did you add?
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
It's all good. Told the wife I needed new shocks. She said "how much do they cost?" I said "about $1500." She said "well get you some".
I'm guessing she just told me to buy some coilovers! I love that woman!
I'm guessing she just told me to buy some coilovers! I love that woman!
I think it was the cup of coffee that pushed the weight limit over the edge.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,990
Likes: 346
From: Mt. Pleasant S.C.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
shock mounts are not made for the abuse that an extra 500 lbs will add. Look into getting a set of stiffer rate http://www.vbandp.com/ springs. That's a better alternative.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,051
Likes: 54
From: Raleigh NC
Yeah I would go Coilovers before spending money on and installing another leaf spring and some oem shocks!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
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
SHOCKS,,, DO NOT hold up the weight of the car!! The SPRINGS DO.. All shocks do is dampen the spring when the springs flex UP or DOWN (Compression or Rebound).. You can remove the shocks and still drive the car. You will not like the ride but, you can still drive it. It will float and bob down the road like an old worn out land yacht.
C5 Shocks are GAS PRESURIZED and do put some UP-WARD force on the body BUT,, it would put the same upward force if the car weighed OEM or what it weighs now. When the shock resists the downward force of the body, the shock mount feels the same forces as if the car weighed what ever.
You will be fine. C5 shock mounts and some of the rear upper A Arm mounts have had poor welds and have broken but, they are isolated cases. When I had my suspension out for my clutch and transmission up--grade, That was the first thing I inspected. The welds looked crappy but were solid.
Bill
C5 Shocks are GAS PRESURIZED and do put some UP-WARD force on the body BUT,, it would put the same upward force if the car weighed OEM or what it weighs now. When the shock resists the downward force of the body, the shock mount feels the same forces as if the car weighed what ever.
You will be fine. C5 shock mounts and some of the rear upper A Arm mounts have had poor welds and have broken but, they are isolated cases. When I had my suspension out for my clutch and transmission up--grade, That was the first thing I inspected. The welds looked crappy but were solid.
Bill
Last edited by Bill Curlee; Feb 19, 2016 at 12:37 PM.
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
BC