Hitting over speed bumps
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
From: Orangevale CA
Hitting over speed bumps
I have quite a low 2008 C^ and I notice a clunk/bump/bang over some speed bumps - - what am I hitting - it is usually after front tire goes over and gener
ally worse when on the brakes - obviously I try to avoid - but wonder what I am hitting...
Thanks
ally worse when on the brakes - obviously I try to avoid - but wonder what I am hitting...Thanks
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,509
Likes: 724
From: Sausalito CA
Maybe the rocker panels.
Lay on the ground and take a look for scratches.
Less likely front cross member, exhaust tubes, oil pan.
When on the brakes your are tilting the stance to the front, so to say.
Lay on the ground and take a look for scratches.
Less likely front cross member, exhaust tubes, oil pan.
When on the brakes your are tilting the stance to the front, so to say.
Last edited by Kenny94945; Dec 21, 2010 at 12:29 PM. Reason: pselling
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
too low?
Amazing how people describe damage to their Corvettes and no one suggests the car(s) is too low. Peer pressure seems to make everyone want their cars even lower and it is blasphemy to consider raising one. Saturday, a young man came here and bought my stock wheels and tires. He mentioned the damage occurring to his C6 when going up and down his driveway and then asked about how height adjusters work because he wants to LOWER his car........ WTH? I am an old man and scratch my head at what I consider pure foolishness. I used my height adjusters to RAISE my car and then put taller tires on, too, and it is now easier to get in and out of. Will it corner as fast? I DON'T CARE!!!!! I LIKE the way it looks and it now has some clearance for driveways, snow, or whatever. 
The wheels look different but that is shadows on the new Baer rotors. I upsized the rears to 14". Note the lack of front corner air dams. CLEAN looking! The new tires are 45 and 40 series and all are snow tires.
The wheels look different but that is shadows on the new Baer rotors. I upsized the rears to 14". Note the lack of front corner air dams. CLEAN looking! The new tires are 45 and 40 series and all are snow tires.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
From: Orangevale CA
I have the base C6 and it feels like rocker panels are hitting -thud- when on brakes or slight on brakes, could I upgrade the shocks to help this????
OK - I laid out on a piece of cardboard and checked rocker panels - yep - some dings on both sides.
Would shocks help????
This car is DD and I can see 20-30 speed bumps/day - some of them surprise me and I am on brakes -
I love the current ride height - 1.5 fingers between tire and fender all the way around. But I realize I can not continue bouncing my rockers on speed bumps!!
OTHER INFO: I have 33K miles and a eforce SC on engine - that lowered the front about 1/2"
OK - I laid out on a piece of cardboard and checked rocker panels - yep - some dings on both sides.
Would shocks help????
This car is DD and I can see 20-30 speed bumps/day - some of them surprise me and I am on brakes -
I love the current ride height - 1.5 fingers between tire and fender all the way around. But I realize I can not continue bouncing my rockers on speed bumps!!
OTHER INFO: I have 33K miles and a eforce SC on engine - that lowered the front about 1/2"
Last edited by ScoB; Dec 21, 2010 at 01:19 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 226
Likes: 0
From: oroville washington state
plain and simple.you have a bad sway bar link.i've already changed a couple stops knock
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 226
Likes: 0
From: oroville washington state
Amazing how people describe damage to their Corvettes and no one suggests the car(s) is too low. Peer pressure seems to make everyone want their cars even lower and it is blasphemy to consider raising one. Saturday, a young man came here and bought my stock wheels and tires. He mentioned the damage occurring to his C6 when going up and down his driveway and then asked about how height adjusters work because he wants to LOWER his car........ WTH? I am an old man and scratch my head at what I consider pure foolishness. I used my height adjusters to RAISE my car and then put taller tires on, too, and it is now easier to get in and out of. Will it corner as fast? I DON'T CARE!!!!! I LIKE the way it looks and it now has some clearance for driveways, snow, or whatever. The wheels look different but that is shadows on the new Baer rotors. I upsized the rears to 14". Note the lack of front corner air dams. CLEAN looking! The new tires are 45 and 40 series and all are snow tires.
The wheels look different but that is shadows on the new Baer rotors. I upsized the rears to 14". Note the lack of front corner air dams. CLEAN looking! The new tires are 45 and 40 series and all are snow tires.Corvette Stories
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Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
I'm with above, you're asking for remedies? Shocks, sway bar end links, etc., how's that going to help? You're low and getting lower, you like it that way, you bump over and probably scrape a lot of places. And you are slowly breaking things---but you like it that way.
There is no solution until the car stops going, or breaks something else and you have to fix it. Come back then, and ask the question again. Or raise the car now so you don't break things.
There is no solution until the car stops going, or breaks something else and you have to fix it. Come back then, and ask the question again. Or raise the car now so you don't break things.
SUBVETTE
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,841
Likes: 93
From: San Diego CA
You are most probably hitting the skid bars, which are part of your radiator support. They hang down just behind the rubber air dam. Look under your front end and see if they are scraped up. If you hit them hard enough you will break the welds that hold the pads which attach the support to the frame. This whole piece is made of aluminum and is not very strong. Replacing it is a time consuming pain in the a** job. Ask me how I know!
Racer
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 379
Likes: 0
Is that one of those new 4 - wheel drive Corvette? 
Amazing how people describe damage to their Corvettes and no one suggests the car(s) is too low. Peer pressure seems to make everyone want their cars even lower and it is blasphemy to consider raising one. Saturday, a young man came here and bought my stock wheels and tires. He mentioned the damage occurring to his C6 when going up and down his driveway and then asked about how height adjusters work because he wants to LOWER his car........ WTH? I am an old man and scratch my head at what I consider pure foolishness. I used my height adjusters to RAISE my car and then put taller tires on, too, and it is now easier to get in and out of. Will it corner as fast? I DON'T CARE!!!!! I LIKE the way it looks and it now has some clearance for driveways, snow, or whatever. The wheels look different but that is shadows on the new Baer rotors. I upsized the rears to 14". Note the lack of front corner air dams. CLEAN looking! The new tires are 45 and 40 series and all are snow tires.
The wheels look different but that is shadows on the new Baer rotors. I upsized the rears to 14". Note the lack of front corner air dams. CLEAN looking! The new tires are 45 and 40 series and all are snow tires.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
no, nevermind, I know already....
...and are you stupid or just childish? .... eh??? ...... Go ahead - show me your car. eh??? Then show me the bottom front. eh??? So people describe putting protection on their too low cars and when someone shows they have eliminated that problem instead of finding a way to deal with it, some fool comes on and thinks they are funny with a no-talent slam. I really wish this was less of a twitter/social forum and had more info usable by and for Corvette owners.
Last edited by Danko; Dec 21, 2010 at 04:49 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,717
Likes: 2
From: Westlake Village, Ca
Amazing how people describe damage to their Corvettes and no one suggests the car(s) is too low. Peer pressure seems to make everyone want their cars even lower and it is blasphemy to consider raising one. Saturday, a young man came here and bought my stock wheels and tires. He mentioned the damage occurring to his C6 when going up and down his driveway and then asked about how height adjusters work because he wants to LOWER his car........ WTH? I am an old man and scratch my head at what I consider pure foolishness. I used my height adjusters to RAISE my car and then put taller tires on, too, and it is now easier to get in and out of. Will it corner as fast? I DON'T CARE!!!!! I LIKE the way it looks and it now has some clearance for driveways, snow, or whatever. The wheels look different but that is shadows on the new Baer rotors. I upsized the rears to 14". Note the lack of front corner air dams. CLEAN looking! The new tires are 45 and 40 series and all are snow tires.
The wheels look different but that is shadows on the new Baer rotors. I upsized the rears to 14". Note the lack of front corner air dams. CLEAN looking! The new tires are 45 and 40 series and all are snow tires.That looks terrible bro...just bad!
You freaking raised your vette and put bigger fatter tires on ?
And ohh yea "Clean looking" ??? This is the part where I say "Someone must have lied to you"
I know to each his own but you really have killed the look on that vette..
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
It's your mother, not my tires....
I am certainly NOT your bro and I did NOT put fatter tires on the car. Your opinion disqualifies you from mattering. You are from California. The topic of this thread is hitting due to having low cars and I have offered good info on how to lessen chances of doing that.
Last edited by Danko; Dec 21, 2010 at 07:03 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,548
Likes: 176
From: Upstate NY
I noticed a thud pulling into a local Church parking lot. No speed bumps, just a lousy approach. In my case it was the rockers. They are scratched pretty well but no cracks. Not going to THAT Church anymore (unless I drive the PU! LOL)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,897
Likes: 181
From: Menifee (I.E.) CA
Wow, not sure about alll this widsom. The OP lowers his car, and hits speed bumps without slowing down, then wonders how to keep from damaging anything under his car. Another guy takes off his from valance...WHICH IS VITAL TO KEEP THE CAR TO THE GROUND DURING HIGH SPEEDS and raises the car, which I'm sure does wonders for the steering and all else that was built into it.
I've read thousands and thousands of threads since the C-6 came out (mine was built 10/12/04) and it boils down to one thing...SLOW DOWN AT DIPS...SPEED BUMPS, ETC! WHEN APPROACHING THEM, EITHER GO FROM LEFT TO RiGHT, OR VICE VERSA. If your car is lowered, you're going to scrap the rockers...put the metal plates on like Peter Pan suggested...end of thread, end of story!!!
I've read thousands and thousands of threads since the C-6 came out (mine was built 10/12/04) and it boils down to one thing...SLOW DOWN AT DIPS...SPEED BUMPS, ETC! WHEN APPROACHING THEM, EITHER GO FROM LEFT TO RiGHT, OR VICE VERSA. If your car is lowered, you're going to scrap the rockers...put the metal plates on like Peter Pan suggested...end of thread, end of story!!!
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
or not...
Or not end of thread/story. You COULD raise the car and stop the damage and worrying and fixing but if you do, some Californian (granola state - flakes, fruits and nuts) will bad mouth your car and then you tell the world about his momma and someone in the forum gets pissed.... so y'all just keep banging and breaking and lowering and complaining and fixing and and and and and ... and I will laugh at the fool who thinks they know better than me. Meanwhile, look again at the rear brake rotors in my picture and then go look at your own.
Last edited by Danko; Dec 21, 2010 at 08:41 PM.