BEZ06

I don't know how they set it up at the factory, but when I first lowered mine I got 1/2 inch, maybe 3/4 inch lower at most in the rear with the standard bolt with the rubber bushing still on it.

As I've mentioned, it seems that the front goes plenty low enough even with the standard bolt with bushing.

All I can say is - try it. It doesn't take much to jack it up and crank the standard bolts all the way in and see how you like it. Maybe that will be low enough for you. If not, then you know what the next step will be!

Bob

Big Ron 77

Words of wisdom...a day spent screwing with the Vette is a good day no matter the outcome. Thanks

Big Ron 77

Anybody have any torque specs on the lower shock bolt and vertical A-arm bolts (given that we can't get our hands on the service manual yet)?

I dropped the rear all the stock bushings would allow and found that I was already down...only got a 3/8" out of it. Next stop, bye bye bushings. Front looks like it has a good 1" in it with stock bushings, so they may get to stay.

BEZ06

I was wondering that also, after I put everything back together!!

I came across a bunch of torque specs for the C5:

C5 Torque Specs

It looks like on the C5 the lower shock mounting bolt is 162 ft-lbs. When putting the C6 back together I had torqued mine to 110 ft-lbs and don't feel like going back in there to tighten it up any more at this time.

That vertical bolt - I couldn't get a socket and torque wrench on there anyway, so I just cranked it down pretty good with a box-end wrench.

Let us know how you like it after you get it lowered. It will probably take a few miles (maybe 50 or 100) before everything really settles in.

Bob

Big Ron 77

Thanks. Because the wife won't allow me to put in a lift, I go to a mechanic here (mainly just to use the lift) and I just didn't want him going berzerk with the ol' air ratchet that "he knows exactly how much torque it's putting out by the feel". He's a good guy, but way too dependent on that little ratchet.

Should be done in a couple weeks, hopefully with the carbon fiber exhaust panel too. So many modifications, so little time.

Big Ron 77

Beezeye, do you have any fender rubbing issues? I'm not worried about the underside of the car, but have you been in a turn/dip and hit the fender with the front tire?

BEZ06

No, not yet.

My front isn't real low, so I haven't had any problems so far.

Bob

brianmargarita

Just want to let everone know that I was able to cut the bushings over the weekend in about 30 minutes w/out taking anything off the car. I was very careful, but it was very easy to use a sawzall without getting anywhere near anything important, only touched the rubber. I decided to cut off 1/2 of the bushing and it's perfect (IMO) I can squeeze 2 fingers between the tire and the outside fender. This also leaves about 3/4" of rubber so it's not metal on metal and leaves no risk of putting the car back togetgher the wrong way/wrong tensions, etc.

Big Ron 77

I was looking at that too, and almost did the same thing. The gap you are describing sounds exactly like what I want. Did you have to cut the front too, or did you find it dropped enough with bushings in tact, like Beezeye indicated?

LG Motorsports offered to do it for $150, and it's worth avoiding the PITA for me to just go there and check out some other goodies while I wait. I'm going to be getting a few items from them in the near future (headers, etc.).

brianmargarita

cut the front at all...it lowered about 3/4 of an inch...and the shield scrapes everything...but I don't care at all!

Big Ron 77

I'm with ya! Post a pic of yours (or a link). You can see mine at photos.yahoo.com/ronneyfountain

PsYchoWhiteGS

Am I suppose to tighten the bolt or loosen? In the post it says that I'm suppose to loosen it and I should be able to twist it by hand but it was hard. I jacked it up by the arm near the rotor. Am I suppose to jack that arm that the bolt is screwed into? Took me almost 3 hours and after I was done I think I raised the car by accident I unscrewed it as if we were taking the bolt off.

am I doing it right?
This is stock


and this is what I did


as you can see the gap is huge.

timd38

It will settle when you drive it.

PsYchoWhiteGS

So I did spin it the correct way? If so then I'm about to go drive around some. I'm trying to get no fender gap at all.

timd38

The stock one is as low as it will go, so you raised the car. I thought you brought it back down.

Tim D.

PsYchoWhiteGS

Oh so the stock one is as low as it will go. Do you know where I could maybe get an aftermarket bolt to make it lower?


Oh so this is the lowest? and me unbolting the screw out raised it?

BEZ06

Hi

I got your PM but I'll just answer here.

It looks like you raised it!!

The height adjusting bolt screws in from below the leaf spring. When lowering the car you want to get that rubber bushing on the bolt head up against the leaf spring if you want it as low as you can get it.

When you're working on the end of the bolt that sticks up above the leaf spring, to lower the car you turn the bolt "counterclockwise" which will get the bushing up against the leaf spring.

It looks like you increased the distance between the bushing and the leaf spring, which raised the car.

Your first picture looks like the car was already about as low as it was going to go. You'll probably need to cut the rubber bushings or replace the OE bolts with WCC, Hardbar, or such if you want it lower.

Bob

PsYchoWhiteGS

Ok thank you for the info lol. I spent the whole day raising the car haha! Now I have to go back outside and lower it back down and look into replacing the bolts with WCC or cutting the bushing. Which would be a better option to go with?

Also how are you guys taking the bolt out so easily? I jack the car up and the leaf spring or the whole arm that holds the rotor,caliper,adjustmentbolt, and etc but the bolt is really hard to take off

BEZ06

It shouldn't take but a few minutes to adjust each corner of the car!!!

Take a look at the picture below:




After jacking up a corner of the car, the entire weight of that corner of the car is sitting on that rubber bushing that is resting on that web on the lower A-arm. Without relieving the pressure on the bushing it will be virtually impossible to turn the bolt - and if you do you may damage the bushing.

You can see in that picture above, after I raise the car I have a bottle jack that I use to jack up the leaf spring, which raises the rubber bushing off the A-arm.

Then in many cases you can turn the bolt by hand, but if you need a wrench on that hex-head on the end of the bolt that extends above the leaf spring, it should be very easy to turn.

Many forum members have been able to get a sawz-all recip saw in there to cut the rubber bushing down without even removing the bolt.

If you do need to remove the bolt, you'll need to do some suspension disassembly to get it out and get the new one in (unless you cut the OE bolt and install a Hardbar bolt, which comes in from the top of the leaf spring).

Good luck!!

Bob

Scoumis

im looking at tackling this project on my buddys c6 and just to be sure are these steps correct.
1. jack up the car
2. jack up the leaf spring to take off pressure
3. cakewalk from here just screw in the bolt until bushing touches leaf spring?