Replacement bushing/ball joints, replacement shock advice
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: Central Oklahoma
Replacement bushing/ball joints, replacement shock advice
Does anyone have experience replacing their suspension bushings with the nice new polyurethane ones? My car feels a bit unstable at high speeds, but nothing is broken although I wouldnt be surprised if my shocks were blown. I'm thinking about buying some Bilstein shocks for it, and definitely new ball joints, because the boots have been blown for a while. I never really realized how floaty/unstable my car feels at speed until I rode in my friends 40k mile supercharged c4 with the factory Bilstein shocks. Its so insanely smooth even changing lanes at like 90mph lol.
I would also for sure be open to suggestions for coilovers and stuff, i just want it to ride better and feel smoother.
I would also for sure be open to suggestions for coilovers and stuff, i just want it to ride better and feel smoother.
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's your budget???
What year C5, how many miles and what suspension do you have???
Before you spend money that you may not need to spend, give these things a try:
1. Have a friend turn the steering wheel left & right just enough to cause the slightest bit of front wheel movement. When they do that, you observe ALL of the components involved in steering and support of the front wheels. Look for ANY lost motion and or deflection at each component joint. Especially at the rack ball joints. I do this with the engine running and with it off.
2. Look at the steering rack mounting points and see if the rack is flexing/ moving in its mounts. When observing this, ask the helper to move the steering wheel with more force.
3. Jack one wheel off the ground about 2-3 inches. Use a long pry bar and a block of wood to lever the wheel up and down. Examine the lower ball joint and see if the tapered stud that mounts in the spindle moves excessively in the ball joint housing.
4. If you have NEVER changed your shocks, they are most likely SHOT! What suspension do you have in your C5??? I upgraded my 02 ZO6 with C6 ZO6 Shocks. Man, what a difference! That up-grade is a direct bolt in for all C5s and only cost approx $350. Great bang for the buck!
5. Check your Sway Bar end links. If they are plastic and all distorted/deformed. Get the new metal links. Also examine the sway bar bushings and mounting points.
6. Use a pry bar to wedge against any rubber bushed suspension components (Front & Rear) and see if you get any abnormal deflection.
7. With the wheel off the ground, Grab the wheel at the 1200 / 0600 o clock position and push / pull the wheel. Look/listen for excessive wheel hub bearing deflection. NOTE! A new / good hub will have little to no deflection. If you have excessive deflection, change the hub/bearing. Also check the rear wheels in the 3 / 9 o clock position
8. Have your assistant push the rear of the car side to side. Look at all of the rubber bushed suspension components. Look for excessive deflection.
ALIGNMENT!! After you check ALL of the above wear points, Fix any worn sloppy components, HAVE THE CAR ALIGNED. Our C5s are sensitive to out of alignment issues.
While you are checking for worn bad stuff. Check the following:
1 Engine mounts. Give the engine a good power brake and see if the DRIVERS SIDE engine mount is broken and the engine raises up off the mount
2. Do the same for the rear differential mount. See if it flexes excessively or is separated.
3. The C5 center tunnel plate is secured by a ton of small bolts. Ive found them loose on several C5s. Properly torque them in place. If you are looking for an upgrade, find a good used C6 tunnel plate and replace yours with the thicker/stiffer C6 tunnel plate...
Bill
What year C5, how many miles and what suspension do you have???
Before you spend money that you may not need to spend, give these things a try:
1. Have a friend turn the steering wheel left & right just enough to cause the slightest bit of front wheel movement. When they do that, you observe ALL of the components involved in steering and support of the front wheels. Look for ANY lost motion and or deflection at each component joint. Especially at the rack ball joints. I do this with the engine running and with it off.
2. Look at the steering rack mounting points and see if the rack is flexing/ moving in its mounts. When observing this, ask the helper to move the steering wheel with more force.
3. Jack one wheel off the ground about 2-3 inches. Use a long pry bar and a block of wood to lever the wheel up and down. Examine the lower ball joint and see if the tapered stud that mounts in the spindle moves excessively in the ball joint housing.
4. If you have NEVER changed your shocks, they are most likely SHOT! What suspension do you have in your C5??? I upgraded my 02 ZO6 with C6 ZO6 Shocks. Man, what a difference! That up-grade is a direct bolt in for all C5s and only cost approx $350. Great bang for the buck!
5. Check your Sway Bar end links. If they are plastic and all distorted/deformed. Get the new metal links. Also examine the sway bar bushings and mounting points.
6. Use a pry bar to wedge against any rubber bushed suspension components (Front & Rear) and see if you get any abnormal deflection.
7. With the wheel off the ground, Grab the wheel at the 1200 / 0600 o clock position and push / pull the wheel. Look/listen for excessive wheel hub bearing deflection. NOTE! A new / good hub will have little to no deflection. If you have excessive deflection, change the hub/bearing. Also check the rear wheels in the 3 / 9 o clock position
8. Have your assistant push the rear of the car side to side. Look at all of the rubber bushed suspension components. Look for excessive deflection.
ALIGNMENT!! After you check ALL of the above wear points, Fix any worn sloppy components, HAVE THE CAR ALIGNED. Our C5s are sensitive to out of alignment issues.
While you are checking for worn bad stuff. Check the following:
1 Engine mounts. Give the engine a good power brake and see if the DRIVERS SIDE engine mount is broken and the engine raises up off the mount
2. Do the same for the rear differential mount. See if it flexes excessively or is separated.
3. The C5 center tunnel plate is secured by a ton of small bolts. Ive found them loose on several C5s. Properly torque them in place. If you are looking for an upgrade, find a good used C6 tunnel plate and replace yours with the thicker/stiffer C6 tunnel plate...
Bill
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: Central Oklahoma
Thanks for the super detailed response Bill, I'm pretty young and don't have a massive budget because I'm still I'm school, but I have no other bills so im pretty much willing to spend what I need to get it feeling dialed in. to My car has is a ~115k mile base model, I purchased it used around 4 months ago after my previous car was Tboned. It does have the active ride management dial in the center console but I feel no real difference when I switch it around honestly so I doubt its functioning. Whenever I go over bumps i can hear the suspension make sort of a squishy sound. I assumed that to be the shocks but I could be wrong!
