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Looking for new shocks and wanted opinions. Who has best deals and are the DRM Bilstein shocks worth it for everyday spirited driving with couple Auto X a year ?
The DRM's, are B8's with slightly stiffer dampening, so will hold the car lever in the corners a little better than the standard B8's.
As the kicker, the DRM's can be ordered with poly bushings, and coupled with changing the sway bushings out to poly as well, world of difference just there.
I recently installed the DRM's with poly bushings on my '08 w/ Z51. Unfortunately, I haven't had it out yet to feel the difference. My intent is for better performance for HPDE days. I got them from Doug Rippie Motorsports, the total for shocks & poly bushings was about $600.
If you go this route, you may run into an issue I had. The OEM lower rear mounting bolt was too short to get the nut fully threaded & lock as designed. This is due to the Bilstein's having thicker "ears" at the mounting point. I replaced them with longer bolts (M16-2.0 x 110 mm) from a local hardware supplier Tacoma Screw or you can get them online from McMaster-Carr. Bilstein is thicker. OEM Bolt Length. Longer M16x2.0x110mm bolt.
Looking for new shocks and wanted opinions. Who has best deals and are the DRM Bilstein shocks worth it for everyday spirited driving with couple Auto X a year ?
The DRM's, are B8's with slightly stiffer dampening, so will hold the car lever in the corners a little better than the standard B8's.
As the kicker, the DRM's can be ordered with poly bushings, and coupled with changing the sway bushings out to poly as well, world of difference just there.
The DRM's, are B8's with slightly stiffer dampening, so will hold the car lever in the corners a little better than the standard B8's.
As the kicker, the DRM's can be ordered with poly bushings, and coupled with changing the sway bushings out to poly as well, world of difference just there.
I recently installed the DRM's with poly bushings on my '08 w/ Z51. Unfortunately, I haven't had it out yet to feel the difference. My intent is for better performance for HPDE days. I got them from Doug Rippie Motorsports, the total for shocks & poly bushings was about $600.
If you go this route, you may run into an issue I had. The OEM lower rear mounting bolt was too short to get the nut fully threaded & lock as designed. This is due to the Bilstein's having thicker "ears" at the mounting point. I replaced them with longer bolts (M16-2.0 x 110 mm) from a local hardware supplier Tacoma Screw or you can get them online from McMaster-Carr. Bilstein is thicker. OEM Bolt Length. Longer M16x2.0x110mm bolt.
I have a very unpopular question about shocks for this specific Grand Sport.
My wife and I seek the best "COMFORT RIDE" as we can achieve without going too far. I understand that tires are influential, especially changing from runflats with extra stiff sidewalls, to non-runflat touring tires.
Do you people here with your wealth of knowledge, feel that changing stock shocks to a comfort-ride type will contribute well? If doing so, will the car handle dramatically worse to the point of being unsafe? We "tour", not "race".
I have a very unpopular question about shocks for this specific Grand Sport.
My wife and I seek the best "COMFORT RIDE" as we can achieve without going too far. I understand that tires are influential, especially changing from runflats with extra stiff sidewalls, to non-runflat touring tires.
Do you people here with your wealth of knowledge, feel that changing stock shocks to a comfort-ride type will contribute well? If doing so, will the car handle dramatically worse to the point of being unsafe? We "tour", not "race".
I had DRM Bilstein with the urethane on my Z06 and took my father on a road trip from Texas to Louisiana. He commented that it was the harshest riding car he had ever ridden in, and he owned several sports cars in his younger days (including a Porsche). By far the best riding Vettes for "tour" have been my 2010 ZR1 with the Jim Mero calibration and my 2011 Grand Sport (which will also get the Jim Mero treatment at some point). Both have the magnetic ride suspension. I hate to say it, but I don't think you're going to get anything to ride as nice as Jim's touring update to the mag ride.
Side note, even with the Michelin runflats on my ZR1, it still road exceptionally nice relatively speaking. You won't get Cadillac ride quality, of course, because it's still a sports car designed to carve corners. My Grand Sport has non run-flats at the moment, but as soon as I burn off the tread on these tires (or if I find a nice set of ZR1 take-off wheels), I'm switching back to Michelin ZPs.
And in tour mode, my ZR1 got real "floaty" at the higher speeds on the rougher highways, so I was grateful for the Sport mode that cured it.
The Vette we are waiting on the title to clear to buy, does NOT have mag ride. I was wondering if anyone here installed base model touring shocks to help tame the rough ride in a GS. I don't even know if shocks are interchangable between a base and a GS.
It has been over 10 years since we test drove a GS which did NOT have Mag Ride. One thing I recall was the harsh ride, something I would like to tame for the way we tour the countryside to distant golf courses.
Maybe I recall the ride being worse than reality. We owned a Saturn Sky for 4 years, selling it last October. It had a rough ride. Maybe the GS as-is will ride better than what we sold.
Just planning ahead. The anticipation of ownership is starting to build up.
The Vette we are waiting on the title to clear to buy, does NOT have mag ride. I was wondering if anyone here installed base model touring shocks to help tame the rough ride in a GS. I don't even know if shocks are interchangable between a base and a GS.
It has been over 10 years since we test drove a GS which did NOT have Mag Ride. One thing I recall was the harsh ride, something I would like to tame for the way we tour the countryside to distant golf courses.
Maybe I recall the ride being worse than reality. We owned a Saturn Sky for 4 years, selling it last October. It had a rough ride. Maybe the GS as-is will ride better than what we sold.
Just planning ahead. The anticipation of ownership is starting to build up.
Ron after reading your recent posts, I think a base model would have been a better choice for your intended use. I own a GS without Mag Ride. It has what the factory calls an autocross suspension. I'm used to rough riding cars and used to autox and do track days. I've modified smaller sportscars for street and track. I don't mind a less compliant suspension; tilting the balance to better handling. You can try to "tame" a GS but you and your wife may not be pleased with the end result. Just my 2c's
The Vette we are waiting on the title to clear to buy, does NOT have mag ride. I was wondering if anyone here installed base model touring shocks to help tame the rough ride in a GS. I don't even know if shocks are interchangable between a base and a GS.
It has been over 10 years since we test drove a GS which did NOT have Mag Ride. One thing I recall was the harsh ride, something I would like to tame for the way we tour the countryside to distant golf courses.
Maybe I recall the ride being worse than reality. We owned a Saturn Sky for 4 years, selling it last October. It had a rough ride. Maybe the GS as-is will ride better than what we sold.
Just planning ahead. The anticipation of ownership is starting to build up.
Ron, I've been around here for a very long time (over 20 years now if you count lurking) through six different Corvettes (two C5s, four C6s), and I've rarely if ever seen anyone downgrade the suspension on these cars unless setting them up for the drag strip. Coilovers, perhaps, with a softer setting if that's possible? But those aren't cheap. I looked into them before putting the DRMs on my Z06. As I'm sure you know, Grand Sports like the Z51s before it are specifically designed for AutoX and road course (why manual coupes have a dry sump), and cars with this function in mind generally have a stiffer suspension. Most are upgrading to improve the handling in these situations hence the DRM Bilsteins on my Z06. Even a base Corvette isn't going to ride like a touring car. That's why mag ride was created - to give a "touring" mode. Z51 was never available with the mag ride, and even the Grand Sport wasn't equipped with it before 2011. I'm sure the ZR1 research and development helped make that possible. I'm just trying to set your expectations. It seems to me like you're rushing into a purchase and trying to compromise, but that's entirely your business. If you want a "touring" mode, you need to hold out for one with mag ride, IMHO.
My 2003 Z06 wasn't much different in suspension firmness to our 2006 Z51 coupe. My 2008 Z06 may as well have well been sitting on the bump stops, but I was building it for road racing. Our 2001 coupe with base suspension rides a bit better than the 2006 Z51 did. But none of them compare to my 2010 ZR1 in touring mode with the updated Jim Mero calibration. And it had runflats! My Grand Sport on non-runflats without the Jim Mero calibration rides close to what my ZR1 did with runflats.
You owned a C5. What was the wife's opinion on how that car rode?
EDIT: Side note, you should contact Jim directly and ask him about it. He designed and calibrated the mag ride suspension on the ZR1 when he worked at GM. https://jimmero.com/. Don't take our word for it. Get it straight from the horse's mouth. @Jim Mero
Last edited by VetteVinnie; Jan 29, 2024 at 09:41 AM.
One thing for sure, we will accept a stiff ride before considering a base. Like I said earlier, we tollerated a stiff ride with our Sky for 4 years. It was not a serious point of contention with either of us. My wife accepted it more than me. In that case, because of the car's low price point, the lower quality revealed itself in odd squeaks all about the car, especially from the hood. The stiff suspension was hard on the vehicle body, and normal-noisy differential made things louder yet. During my restoration, I managed to eliminate every squeaking source, but one returned in the hood that was disappointing. It sounds like we will need to accept some similarities here so we will feel right at home. I was just trying to anticipate making some minor reversible changes.
Mag Ride sounds like the solution. I was hoping there was an available shock, equivalent to "Touring Mode" in Mag Ride. That would be an easy change that can be brought back to stock in a few hours time.
One thing for sure, we will accept a stiff ride before considering a base. Like I said earlier, we tollerated a stiff ride with our Sky for 4 years. It was not a serious point of contention with either of us. My wife accepted it more than me. In that case, because of the car's low price point, the lower quality revealed itself in odd squeaks all about the car, especially from the hood. The stiff suspension was hard on the vehicle body, and normal-noisy differential made things louder yet. During my restoration, I managed to eliminate every squeaking source, but one returned in the hood that was disappointing. It sounds like we will need to accept some similarities here so we will feel right at home. I was just trying to anticipate making some minor reversible changes.
Mag Ride sounds like the solution. I was hoping there was an available shock, equivalent to "Touring Mode" in Mag Ride. That would be an easy change that can be brought back to stock in a few hours time.
We had a similar experience with our Solstice, and my wife's Miata bounces around a whole lot more than even our 2001 Corvette because it's lighter and has a shorter wheel base. That doesn't deter her from driving it most of the time (in nice weather) because of its fun factor. Her 2017 Jaguar XE R-Sport with its adaptive suspension is light years better on the ride quality than any of these sports cars, but it doesn't handle anywhere near what these Vettes (or even those smaller roadsters) can do.
Oh, and these C6s aren't without their quirks and noises. The convertible top can squeak a little since there's nothing but pressure and friction holding it down to the tonneau cover. I rarely drive mine with the top up, so it's hardly an issue for me, though. Just get a louder exhaust.
Last edited by VetteVinnie; Jan 29, 2024 at 11:11 AM.
