I see from most photo instructions that you jack the car up sentraly back/front when adjusting the lowering bolts. Is that necessary? Can't you just jack up the car at each corner, remove the wheel, and adjust the bolts?

 

Yes, yes you can.

 

But in the front of the car, you also have to CAREFULLY place a jack, with a small block of wood on the jack's pad (so you don't damage the spring), against the spring, then jack the spring away from the lower control arm. This relieves the tension of the spring against the control arm, and will HOPEFULLY allow you to turn the adjustment bolt.

 

There is a right way and a wrong way to do it...

If you just go in and start turning the bolts you'll screw it up.

Read and learn the how and the why, and then do it properly.

Here is a link on the step by step of doing it the right way.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1576940245

Finally, these cars are now at least 12 years old. The lowering bolts on the front springs were iffy when they were new. Junk could get in the threads and jam the threads, the bolts were prone to having the threads distort and it is common to have rust in these bolts. It is very easy to ruin your spring or to strip the bolts and leave yourself stuck with junk springs that you will have to replace. Before you go trying to turn the front spring bolts get some PB blaster and soak the front bolts. Do it over the period of a week and do it multiple times. If your bolts have any visible rust on them there is a good chance that they can fail or strip anyway, but a good soaking will help. That and as noted above getting the weight off the spring is critical to getting the front bolts to move so that you can adjust the height.

 

I lowered my car when it was only a few months old. And I agree, the front adjuster bolts didn't spin all that well even then!!

 

Lowered the car in the rear today. Did as you instructed, and turned the bolts exactly 3 turns on both sides. The car got imo perfect with this adjustment.

The front was already lowered on the car when I got it. I actually consider rising it a bit in the front since it's REALLY low there. The strange thing is that I looked at the bolts in front when I changed the wheels, they seem to be screwed all the way down. As I've understood, when lowered, the front bolts should be more up/visible? Se picture

 

You're correct, that doesn't look right if the front of the car is really low, there should be more bolt visible on the top of the spring.

If the car is really low and riding rough in the front, you may have a bad spring. Or the original owner may have installed aftermarket lowing bolts in the front.

Look at the front spring carefully for any signs of delamination and make sure you aren't on the bump stops. If all is ok the bolts probably aren't stock. The bolts aren't sold as a separate item, so you may have to scrounge to find a set of stock bolts.

 

A company known as 'Hardbar' used to sell front spring adjuster bolts with Delrin tips, instead of the rubber tips the OE bolts have. I don't know, however, if they were the stock length.

 

Based on the picture it's time for some new swing arm end links. Will greatly improve the handling of the car. Very easy DIY.

 

It's really low in the front, but not rough or anything. Rides fine. When I changed wheels the spring looked fine, but I will check again. The car's got approx 40' miles on it...

How can I see if it's on the bump stops?

 

You really can't. The bump stops are built into the front shocks. Put some weight on the car and try to bounce it a bit. If it's rock solid and only the tires are flexing then it's on the bump stops. If the car isn't riding like a buckboard you probably aren't on the bump stops.

I don't think Hardbar is still around, but you can try.

Look carefully at the spring on the sides for signs of cracking or delamination. Anything but a smooth side of the spring means it's junk.

One of three things makes sense here. 1. The spring is junk and the car is lower because it isn't holding up the car. 2. These are lowering bolts (but they don't look like it) that have shorter pads. 3. The previous owner cut down the plastic ends on the stock bolts to lower the car more than you could with stock bolts. Then when he realized the car rode like crap he raised it back up and got to a reasonable height with the travel available on the modified stock bolts, but they are further down into the spring because the pads on the ends were cut. Look carefully at the front bolts and make sure the plastic parts on the bottom are still there. If that is the case you are probably fine with them being like that. The purpose of the plastic pads is to not gouge the lower control arm. You can jack the spring and inspect under the pad to make sure the control arm isn't messed up.

So long as there is some plastic pad there and the bolts aren't metal on metal on the control arm you're ok.

 

Here you see another photo. Looks like the pad i shortened? I see from pictures that there are 3 'rings' on the original bolt, looks like it's only 2 here...<br ><br >

 

The plan is new Z51 sway bars with new metal end links

 

I bump this one since I'm now a little afraid to drive the car. Please look at the picture 2 posts above. When you see the pads on the bolts, they do not look like stock from what I see on pictures of stock bolts (ex corvette central)?? The originals got 3 distinctive 'discs' which I read was metal plates with rubber between. Mine does not have these 'discs' as I can see....
I will get under the car this week to look closer at the spring, but could it be that it has gotten weak even if it looks ok and no cracks or delamination? I have the possibility to look at my friends C5, and measure his bolt and space between spring and control arm. It is lowered approx as mine....

 

I wouldn't worry about driving the car.....

 

Here you can see a picture of a stock bolt, see the plastic part. It doesn't look like the one on my car.....

 

If that's the case, it appears that a previous owner liked the "slammed" look, and trimmed the OE bolts.

 

So today I was under the car, and it looks like the spring is starting to give in. It looks like the outer 'shell' is getting loose in the middle of the spring under the engine. Not much, but it has started. See pictures.
The question is, can I drive the car untill I get the spring changed? Could it brake?

 

That looks pretty bad. I would get a new spring asap! If you have a 2nd car to drive in the mean time, I would. Im not saying it cant be driven as is but I personally wouldn't risk it.

 

Not a daily driver, so no problem there. Just that it could take some time to get a new one, and I would hate to spoil the few sun-days we have here in Norway... The question is, can it simply brake and if it does, what would happen?