I need new shocks on the 07 Z51 I bought last week. I've always been a Koni fan but not sure that I want to spend the extra $280 or so on them over the Bilsteins. I'll put 25-30K miles a year on the car - mostly freeway commuting, but also some "spirited" driving. Just got new NT05's on it to help keep the supercharger power planted to the ground if that helps to form an opinion. Not looking for a super-cush ride, but don't want my teeth rattling either. I had Bilsteins on my 99 Z51 but I can't remember much about ride quality in that car.

I know, I know, opinions are like butt holes and Camaros, everybody has one but I'm asking anyways.

 

I like pie.

( I honestly have no idea which shock is better)

Good luck!

 

I put Bilstein Sport Performance shocks on my 2009 and have no regrets. Much improved over oem. Would do again. I can't speak to the Konis.

 

For the type of driving you are doing, you could go with OEM 2013 Z06 shocks from Cultrag. I put them on my 2001 Vert. My son has the car now and he says they are on the stiff side as far as ride goes. I 'm driving a 2012 GS, which comes with the stiffer Z51 shocks. I think they handle the roads just fine.

Another thing is to go with the 2013 Z06 swaybars big improvement over stock. Also from Cultrag. Very

 

i have the drm bilsteins with poly bushings and love them

 

GM is on drugs (2013 Z06 shocks - front - per unit):

Shock Absorber - GM (19302774)
Shop for related parts in Front Suspension
List Price:
$799.98
You Save:
$259.98 (32% off)
Sale Price:
$540.00

 

My personal order would be:
DRM Bilstein
Bilstein B8
Koni
Z06

 

Do you care enough about single adjustable shocks to do the koni yellows? (assuming those are the Konis in question)

If you care enough about fiddling with rebound adjustment then spend the money. If you want a set of shocks that you can put on, get an upgrade, and not have to mess with them, then go DRM.

The other two options are just not as good and - at least for me - are not enough of an upgrade to be a consideration.

 

Is that an MSRC shock? If so, it's still an expensive shock.

 

Quick break down of the shocks you listed,

For a Z51 option, it would be either the Bilstein sports, or the Bilstein different vavles DRMs. In Koni's, it would be the FSD's.

The Bilstein HD's are a replacement for the base model shocks instead.

So lets break this down father, and between the Bilstein sports and the Koni FSD's, the FSD do better in light surface chop keeping the tires stuck to the ground better than the Sports. Ride wise in the seat of the car (firmness), you will not be able to tell the difference between the FSD and sports.

Now the DRM's, the will keep the car flatter in the corners (less body roll), than the two above shocks isntead. Ride wise, a touch more firmer that your going to feel in the seat, but nothing that you may notice until your pushing the car harder isntead.

So if the car is going to see more road course time (you driving it harder like that on the street) then the DRM's.

http://dougrippie.com/products/c6-co...hocks-for-c6z/

If the car is more of just a street cruse driver, then the Koni FSD's.

If your trying to save money then the Bilstein sports, which are still a better shock than the OEM 51 shocks that came OEM instead.


Now the OEM shocks are not bad, but they have been value engineered, so not all that great to begin with. The Z06 shock is stiffer in dampening than the Z51 shock, but both really have flaws in their value engineering dampening designs to keep the price down for GM instead.

_________________________________

To add, when you change the shocks, you will need to have the car's wheels realigned. Different shocks change the ride height stance of the car, and this causes the needed to have the wheel realigned as well.

If the car is going to be street driven only, not pushed hard, then the alignment specs to use are the pure street specs. this will make sure that the wear to the tires is even across the entire tire treads, isntead of the inner faster wear you get with the OEM alignment when the car is not pushed hard most of the time instead.

http://www.pfadtracing.com/docs/camb...t-settings.pdf


Now if we are allows to break the mold, then a coil over shock system that is total adjustable isntead. The glitch, you need to know how to adjust the entire coil over shock and coil system to get it to work the best, which is beyond most, so shocks that are correctly fixed dampened are better for most vet owners isntead.

 

DRM Shocks show $475 on the site. Is that for all 4 corners?

 

Yes.

 

Pie.

Save up, go CO's.

 

The shocks on the GS are GS specific and softer riding than the Z-51 shocks. The Z-06 sway bar is too large for the base cars. If you want to keep some balance, go with Z-51 specific parts, not Z-06. The difference in tire sizes between the base model and the Z-06 gives strong clues.

 

GS has a Z52 suspension (not z51), and you can get the GS model with either Z52 fixed shocks or upgraded with F55 system/MRC shocks; which are even better than the Z52 fixed shocks instead. Not only for the softer ride in tour mode, but way better handling in sports mode over the z52 fixed shocks as well.

Hence F55 on the base cars where kind of a joke, but on the GS and ZR1, whole different ball game with F55 active suspension instead

 

That's odd. My glove box tag lists Z16 and Z51, but not Z52.

Where are you getting this data about the Z52 from? Isn't the Z52 the dry sump oil system on the C6?


.

 

The Koni FSD is a pricey shock. I wonder really how many have tried all three.

BTW I run the FSD and am entirely happy after replacing the base shock with the Koni.

Haven't tried the others in the C6.

Nice review by Dano523.

 

It seems that the Bilstein sports are for the GS but supposedly are stiffer than the OEM shock that comes with the GS. I've heard of people using HD's on the GS but not sure if that's correct? Just throwing that option in there and wondering if anyone has tried it as I've got a 2010 GS (non mag shocks)