Hi everyone

Please, lets not get into the C5 suspension debate... I have a simple question and I sincerely someone out there can convince me coilovers (LG PFADT) will save my relationship with my vette.

I live in the DFW area (dallas) and these roads are literally driving me nuts. I dont race.. I have a stock C5 and I'm willing to spend north of $2K if it will help me (significantly) in the shock absorption department. Many thanks in advance
Please convince me its money well spent.
-Pete

 

Buy some Penske's, about 5 grand.....saver your $ or ask Santa.













































Buy new GM swaybar bushings and end links, also buy some GM 2004 Z06 Shocks.

 

i'd say no, not if you're simply aiming for a softer ride. i mean its your $$, but having had coil overs on a 90% track 10% street car, i can tell you they do NOT make it easier for me, but im purposely lowered, too. i think for the price you'd be better off finding what shocks are known to be softer, or go to a softer spring rate.

 

There's a world of difference between C5's, they can go from plush to pretty darn firm, depending on how they are optioned.

Do you have the base suspension, the Z51 or the selective ride??? Are you the original owner or has the car been modified from stock by a previous owner???

Is your car lowered or is it at the stock ride height. If it is lowered, how much???

The reason I ask is that if your car is down in the weeds with the stock suspension you're riding on the bump stops and no matter what you do the car will ride like a buckboard until it's set at the proper height.

The Z51 is firm, but it's not as stiff in the back as the Z06. If you have a Z51 car you may find it a bit firm, but it shouldn't be horrible.

If you have the "selective ride" suspension and the car it lowered, the computer reads the ride height and stiffens the suspension to keep it from bottoming.. This causes a lot firmer ride than at stock ride height.

Is the car sitting at the proper ride height? The springs on these cars can fail for a number of reasons, and the result is to drop the car down onto the bump stops. Things like shortened exhausts can dump the exhaust near the rear spring and it can't take the heat, resulting in spring failure.

If you have the base suspension, and you are at the stock ride height and the car is horribly rough riding then there is something wrong with the shocks, or you need to go by a different car and a sports car isn't your thing...

But seriously, there can be plenty of reasons why your car is riding rough, and it could well be that the previous owner mucked with the suspension and that is your problem..

 

+1
Don't spend the $ on coilovers if you don't plan to drive it on track.

 

Bingo

 

you might be able to replace your shocks with OEM and get a big improvement. Shocks do wear out. Or you could got to C6Z06 shocks.
Also, upgrading the sway bars will give you a huge improvement for relatively small dollars.

 

Thanks everyone. Its a stock 2000 C5 with 84500 miles. I repleced the shocks all the way around with Delco OEM and still get my teeth rattled so in true corvette owner fasion i bought the: aFe Control Johnny O'Connell Stage 2 Suspension Package; Yup.. I'll post my feelings about it after its in and I've driven it for a while...
now i'm contemplating all new bushings, ball joints etc so theres no question the entire suspension is brand new. Of course the PFADT graphite bushing "kit" +$400 looks very attractive but I'm trying to find a cheaper graphite bushing option since i blew my wad on the Stage 2 kit.
thanks again for the responses
-pete

 

You went backwards from what you were trying to achieve, a better ride. Shocks with stiffer valving and bigger bars designed for track use don't improve ride quality over stock equipment.

My stock C5Z06 has an incredibly good ride for it's track capabilities.

What wheel and tire is on your car? And how old are the tires?

 

maybe. but i figure independent suspension will only shatter my teeth in their respective corners. thanks though.

brand new 245/40ZR-18 KUMHO ECSTA in front
285/35ZR-19 KUMHO ECSTA in rear

grand sport rims