Is anyone planning on a set of coilovers for the C6?

Is it possible?

 

I need two bags of popcorn for this one... again...

Mike

 

Hey, if this is a repost, dont blame me, blame the search function. I checked before posting.

Not all of us Live here on the forum.

 

That wasn't what I was implying; just that the coilover issue usually gets batted around back and forth and the answer as to whether or not coilovers actually offer any real benefit never gets answered.

To answer your question, I don't think anyone (yet) makes a coilover conversion, but I suspect this thread will bring up the usual "why would you want them" debate, which usually goes like this:

- XYZ car uses coilovers for racing so coils must be better
- But the only reason for using coils at the track is interchangeability for the course
- The monoleaf has "crosstalk" from side to side
- But not in the case of the C6 which is anchored in the middle
- Maybe some "high frequency" crosstalk makes it through the monoleaf
- Who cares, that doesn't affect handling and the sway bars are designed for crosstalk: so what
- The only reason GM uses the monoleaf design is because it is cheaper
- No it's not: using existing coil technology would have been cheaper
- But XYZ car from the 1950's has leaf springs. Who uses leaf springs?
- Those were a completely different design. Is the monoleaf very effective at what it does? Yes.
- But they are "leaf springs". LEAF SPRINGS.
- Yes. Get over it. It's a name. They work.

Then after that long debate, the discussion usually ends and people move on to something else.

Mike

 

If you are into adjusting individual wheel loading for some performance activity then it is a great idea. IMO probably too much work to be worth it on the street.

 

OK, I guess I did sort of jump to a conclusion.

Anyway, I meant in no way to put down the leaf springs, I simply am interested becasue I would like to track my car ,as well as drive it normally. An adjustable coilover set up would be ideal for that. Thats all.

 

yes some one does have a conversion kit. i think it is lg or breathless that sells them.

 

Hey guys,
We have a coilover setup made for the C6. It is pretty much the same as our C5 setup. The price is 1895 without bushings and 1995 with poly bushings. It can be veiwed at www.dougrippie.com under suspension conversions. We have been know for great handling vettes since the C4 days. Than the C5s and now the C6s! Please let me know if I can help you out.

Randy
763-477-9272

 

Sweet ,thanks I may be giving you a call one of these days.

edit, I see you are in BUffalo MN, is that where your shop is? I grew up in St Cloud, just a bit north of you. I may be traveling through there this summer, how long would it take to install, and set up?

 

Read this thread, in its entirety. It's a lot of reading, but there's some interesting information in there from myself and Duke. Hopefully it'll help you make up your mind about the need for coil-overs, even if you do track your car.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1014943

jas

 

That is so funny!!

All I know is, my C5 can't corner as fast as my 944 turbo did because it skitters sideways on a bump. When I wiggle a long board, the other end wiggles also just like I'm sure the transverse leaf does. I suppose if I put enough damping on the spring to stop the wave at the end, the car would ride as if on rocks, though the waves would still exist between the fixed points.

Could you imagine how visible the wiggle would be with transverse valve springs?

 

BlackC5,
Our shop is in Buffalo, MN!!! More towards Rockford but real close to Buffalo. If you just did Coilovers no bushings than about a day. If you need us to put in bushings than about two days. Even if you don't get the coilovers, stop by and I'll give you tour of the shop.

Randy

 

I might just do that, I plan on installing some other stuff as well, so you might get a lot of work out of me. Thanks for the invite.

 

It's certainly no skin off my back if you want to spend the money for a coil-over setup for your C6. My only suggestion would be to do some more research on the subject before you write the check. There's a lot of information available, right here on Corvette Forum; most of it isn't favorable towards the coil overs on a C5 or C6 specifically.

In my opinion, there are better suspension pieces to spend your hard-earned money on. Namely, the 4 black, round, rubber things on the corners of the car. Changing those will make the biggest difference in the handling of your car, by far.

If, after you've done your research, you still believe coil-overs are for you, then so be it. Enjoy them.

jas

 

I will go with coilovers to get rid of the crosstalk problem .

 

Crosstalk, crosstalk, crosstalk, crosstalk... that's all any of the coilover proponents can ever list as a reason for using coilovers yet almost none of them know what crosstalk even is. The anti-sway bars transmit more crosstalk from side to side than any leaf spring system ever designed. The sway bars are there to transmit load (i.e. "crosstalk") from one side to another. So if you are going to coilovers to get rid of a word someone mentioned to you that you just don't like called "crosstalk", you had better remove your sway bars. Then go out and race it and see how far you get!



Mike

 

All you have to do is get your roll centers to match your center of gravity and you don't need no stinking anti-sway bars. Then put some coil overs on and you got the hot ticket, no lean & no cross talk

Of course I'm kiddin' (while theoretically this is accurate).

We go to a bunch of different tracks and also drive on the street so swaping springs with coil-overs and adjustable rate shocks is preferble to me.

I say, for those of you that love Mono springs, great, we can make those work... ...and for those of you that want coil-overs, we can make those work well for you too.

It seems that my customers that are the greatest proponants to coil over shocks is that they can run a lower ride height with reasonable suspension travel and car control with CO than they can while keeping the transverse leaf springs.

Plus the coil over setup is

 

The thing I've always wondered about coil-overs is whether or not the stock stock mount point can take the forces. After all it was designed/welded in place to manage the forces of a shock - significantly less than a spring/weight of the car.

Is anything done to the shock mount area for strenght or is it enough?

 

Well you are not alone. There are alot of people that wonder that.

Allow me to put you mind at ease, there is only about 800lbs of working load on this mount, which really isn't that much and the stock shock mounts on a C5 and C6 will easily handle that. The two greatest concern for putting coil overs onto these cars is that if you run a shock that is too long and you constantly bottom it out, you will kill the shock and place a greater "shock load" (sudden impact) to the mounting points. Even at that, I've yet to see a factory mount fail with one of our installations. DRM can attest to similar historical results and they have been doing this for something like 20 years on Corvettes. The second concern is running a shock that is too short combined with running too low of ride height. This can allow several failures such as ball joint failure, lower control arm breakage, tires severly rubbing on the inside of the fenders (I actually seen some wear through).

So if that is all that is holding you back, then it is time to step up.

 

Mark, thanks for the info!

Jonathan