Guys with Base Suspension + Lowering...Please help...
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Safety Car
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Guys with Base Suspension + Lowering...Please help...
First of all, I have w/o a doubt, one of the highest C5 corvettes I have ever seen...from floor to fender 27.5 front 29.0 inches rear, from floor to top of fender lip.
It looks even taller now that I went to the FLP system & Z06 muffs (40+lbs lighter).
My question is I've heard guys with stock base springs and shocks have felt the car becomes looser b/c of unloading the spring. I also helped "bluewasp" lower his, and he eventually went back to stock height due to the car getting so loose (and he's a track guy...)
The heavier 'vette suspensions don't notice the change as much... any truth to this base suspension problems on lowered C5's?
[Modified by MiamiDave, 1:07 PM 12/15/2002]
It looks even taller now that I went to the FLP system & Z06 muffs (40+lbs lighter).
My question is I've heard guys with stock base springs and shocks have felt the car becomes looser b/c of unloading the spring. I also helped "bluewasp" lower his, and he eventually went back to stock height due to the car getting so loose (and he's a track guy...)
The heavier 'vette suspensions don't notice the change as much... any truth to this base suspension problems on lowered C5's?
[Modified by MiamiDave, 1:07 PM 12/15/2002]
Safety Car
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From: Western North Carolina
CI 3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '07
Re: Guys with Base Suspension + Lowering...Please help... (MiamiDave)
My Vette is just fine after lowering. Just took it all the way down with factory bolts. Did not cut any bushings. You will want to get the alignment checked. Set the camber to 0 front and rear for just street driven Vettes. Hopes this helps! :seeya
Race Director
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From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Re: Guys with Base Suspension + Lowering...Please help... (NEED FOR SPEED)
If you are concerned about losing .2 second on a lap time, maybe this isn't for you. (nor is the base suspension though).
If you drive on the street, I highly doubt you'll notice a difference. If anything, mine feels slightly tighter, but thats just my SOTP feelng, no data or track times to go by. The reality is there's probably no difference
I don't think you can change the spring rate unless you are changing the weight of the car, or preloading the spring more/less. The way the vette monoleaf is set up, the spring is flexing the same and residing in the same place it was before, you are only changing the distance between the A-arms and the spring. You aren't "unloading" the spring by adjusting it.
:cheers:
[Modified by Y2Kvert4me, 1:02 PM 12/15/2002]
If you drive on the street, I highly doubt you'll notice a difference. If anything, mine feels slightly tighter, but thats just my SOTP feelng, no data or track times to go by. The reality is there's probably no difference
I don't think you can change the spring rate unless you are changing the weight of the car, or preloading the spring more/less. The way the vette monoleaf is set up, the spring is flexing the same and residing in the same place it was before, you are only changing the distance between the A-arms and the spring. You aren't "unloading" the spring by adjusting it.
:cheers:
[Modified by Y2Kvert4me, 1:02 PM 12/15/2002]
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From: Hockessin DE
Re: Guys with Base Suspension + Lowering...Please help... (Y2Kvert4me)
:iagree:
I think the loseness people are feeling is the changed camber settings when ride height drops. Upper and lower control arms are canted not horizontal at stock ride height. When you lower the car they swing to different positions causing both initial and deflected camber settings to be off spec. If the left and right sides are dropped exactly the same I would still expect some strange handling without an alignment. If the sides are dropped unequal the handling could be squirrelly.
I think the loseness people are feeling is the changed camber settings when ride height drops. Upper and lower control arms are canted not horizontal at stock ride height. When you lower the car they swing to different positions causing both initial and deflected camber settings to be off spec. If the left and right sides are dropped exactly the same I would still expect some strange handling without an alignment. If the sides are dropped unequal the handling could be squirrelly.
Drifting
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From: Rockford IL
Re: Guys with Base Suspension + Lowering...Please help... (MiamiDave)
First of all, I have w/o a doubt, one of the highest C5 corvettes I have ever seen
Had to throw that in there! :lol: I have base suspension, and Bilstien Sports, never had a problem with anything, my car did feel a little "wierd" before I had it aligned, but was good & tight after! :yesnod:
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From: Houston, TX
Re: Guys with Base Suspension + Lowering...Please help... (kwik8racr)
I felt Zero difference on my 01 coupe with base suspension - and I do some pretty fast driving. I did add Bilteins about three months after lowering, and that was a great setup (ask all the Corvettes - including Z06's that I beat on the autocross course). But even with stock shocks, I just don't believe it makes a difference.
