Hey guys,

I just bought an 05 vette, 6mt, z51 and I had a question for ya'll...

Do you feel a somewhat robotic feel when you're driving your car??

It feels like the cement is controling the car rather than the car controling the cement.......

I havent had the car for too long, but the handling doesn't seem to be the greatest and that is the only thing holding me back from really "driving" this car... even at around 20 or 30 mph if i hit a little pothole the car will move to the side which has never been an issue for me with any of my other cars....

I thought if I purchased a vette with the z51 package I would have any issues but....

I just joined the corvette family a week ago and I really do love it but I'm having my doubts....

PLEASE CHANGE MY MIND

 

How "little" of a pothole do you mean? On stock runflats, yeah, you're gonna feel things, but you shouldn't be experiencing the entire vehicle "shifting" to the side. And why would you hit a pothole doing 30 in a Vette? To help us figure out why you might be thinking your Corvette is not everything you wanted and more (Shame on you!), what previous vehicles have you owned that you're comparing it to?

 

I've found the C6 to be a little "disconnected" from the road....my only complaint.

 

Coming from the C4 the C6 did feel quite a bit different at first. I love it now and couldn't imagine not owning a C6. I'm not sure I'd call it "robotic" though.

 

You may have many things happening with this used car, old runflats and/or the alignment is out of spec. Read this thread about the alignment, and you should know if the alignment is in spec that a wide tired car with an aggressive alignment will follow the ruts; this car has to be actively driven, don't be passive with it.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1988736

 

The C6 is definitely not an 'off road' vehicle. I feel you can experience a little 'side-skip' rounding a curve with small chatter bumps. Certainly other factors (such as alignment) can come into-play but I attribute this side-skip to the 'cross-talk' associated with the transverse leaf spring, stiff sidewall runflat tires and the dampers used. I hardly feel it's so detrimental it would prevent one from "driving" the car however.

I believe the F55 suspension helps mitigate side-skip considerably. Also, I found that beefing-up the anti-sway bars and going to larger wheels and tires helped...the larger wheels/tires seem to soak-up small chatter bumps more readily. I believe non-runflat tires would help further. For track performance I may ultimately go with an adjustable, coil-over suspension but overall I'm quite pleased with how the C6 rides and handles.

As an aside, the transverse leaf spring is not the 'horse and buggy' technology one might think. For anyone interested in learning more about transverse leaf spring technology, see the link below:

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum...f-springs.html

 

Wayne, I agree with you except on the cross-talk. Only professionals pushing the car to 10/10ths will notice the cross-talk, and the anti-roll bar connects the two sides of the suspension in a much more active manner.

 

I think the Vette is kind of split personality. Driving mellow around town, it almost feels "boaty" for a two seat car. It feels bigger & looser than I thought it would before I ever drove one.

When you take it out to the twistys and start pushing it, it really tightens up in the handling. It was surprising to see the difference in personality. I have the Z-51 package on mine just for an FYI.

One thing the car feels kind of squirrly is on high speed sweeping turns. The car sticks well, but I have a hard time sensing what the car wants to do. I feel like there is not instant feedback with what I am doing with the steering wheel. It can be kind of sketchy.

 

Check your tire pressure (need 30 psi cold), then check the wear on the inside of the front tires. I had about 8k miles on my stock Supercars when I noticed the front end wanted to hunt if it got in an expansion joint or other road irregularity.

When I checked the tires, rhe rears were O.K., the fronts looked pretty good until I cranked the wheels and saw that the inside of the tires were nearly gone - down to cord.

The Z51 package has an aggresive front camber setting that is great for twisty roads or road course use but it has a tendency to really wear the inside of the front tires in everyday driving.

So when I replaced the tires, I had an alignment done (everyting appeared to be in spec) and asked that they get the camber closer to zero.

The car was transformed; excellent handling and very precise. I've got nearly 10k on my second set of tires (went with the GY run-flat GS2's) and have even wear across the front tires.

 

Big engine
Big horsepower
Big tires
Wide track
Light weight

I don't know what you had before, but a C6 *is* going to feel and drive different than most cars because of the above. This will be especially noticeable if you came from just a 'sporty' car or some other small vehicle.

It is different, but it is by virtue of high-performance driven design, and you need a little time to adjust, and become comfortable with the machine. If you are like 99.99% of us here, you will find that the C6 is an extremely high-performance machine, and its abilities far exceed your own -- you just have to get a feel for it.

 

It doesn't help you any I know but in 2008 they really improved the steering response and road feel.

 

The cars suspension is tight, so it doesnt flex all that much when going over pot holes. My guess is instead of the tires moving downward and upward over holes it sort of hovers over them at higher speeds causing the car to float over the road a bit, that is why the car sweeps sideways. Supposedly the new steering in the '08 alleviates the sweeping effect. Car & Driver stated improvements when they tested an '08 in their september '07 issue!

 

Alignment helps a lot

 

Tis the nature of the Vette. I came from an 350Z and M3 and let me tell you those cars have road fell that this vette can not even dream of.

BUT I love this AMERICAN sports car!

Actually I love the TQ and surprisingly the ride.

I have done the other and am now interested in the Vette's appeal. Not harsh or to twitchy just floats with gobs of power.

Love the view of the long front hood too!

If you want road feel go German. If you want cornering go 350Z.

The Corvette is neither but alas it is a Vette and I have come to love it.

 

I feel this way too. Chevy's tuned the car to feel bigger than it is, and soft and bit clumsy around town. My 07 coupe transforms on a track day to a predator that feels great. The steering makes one feel less than 100% confident when cornering, but the car WILL corner with the best of them; 08 steering is supposedly a lot better. I hate the runflats, but what ya gonna do if you never want a flat?

 

What suspension do you have?

 

I have the z51 package

 

I know, I was asking Boomer111. Did you read the link I posted, and the link he had to his original post? Very good info.

 

I have an LS3 base.

Both the Z and the M had modified suspensions.

I know it isn't apple to apples.

Never the less the vette is a bit more soft around the edges, with the base suspension, but it will hold when pushed. Just doesn't give the driver that impression at first.

Both the Z and M are more track car. I think the Vette is more at home on the streets.

 

I completely agree.

The wife and I went for a drive in the mountains Sunday; there were unlimited twisties with double "S" turn slaloms, switchbacks, and 90 degree uphill/downhill corners. A local resident was riding my bumper until we hit one of those slaloms, and then it was Goodbye Toyota pickup. My wife's limit was about 0.5 g, and I took most of the twisties at about 0.45g-0.55g. At the top end of that range, she began saying she was getting sick.

On one 90 degree turn, I got too deep into the turn before I realized it was a sharp 90...as we were going through the turn (not pretty), I believe a glimpse of the g meter said 0.91g...the car made the turn (heck of a good thing, too) and my wife didn't puke.

If you act like a robot on that road, you and car will have a long slide/roll down. A little hop on rough intown corners is normal for a stiff suspension...the only way to eliminate it is to soften up the suspension, which reduces handling. Have you ever watched a Formula 1 car taking an uneven corner?...If you had, you wouldn't be wondering why Z51 does a little side-hopping through rough, hard corners. My experience Sunday reinforces what I have observed before...as the driver sees that the situation ahead will demand more control input, the Z51 suspension just continues to deliver a controlled response the more you crank the wheel...I don't track the car, but I have yet to find the car's limit in extraordinary situations.