I've got an '08 on order right now that I'm getting with base suspension. I am going to swap the sway bars out for the Z51 sways. Are the end links the same on both setups?

Murnutz

 

Yes, it's also an easy swap and one that you will enjoy. These bars and the base springs make for an excellent package. A further step you may want to consider is improving the shocks. I went with the C6 Z06s as they are very affordable and offer better bump control than the base units. Others have gone with Bilsteins or Konis for more money. It all comes down to your intended use and budget.

--Dan

 

Dan,
Thanks for the info. I do have some Bilstein HDs on order right now. I've got a little work to do when I finally get my C6 some time in September.

 

End links are the same, use them unless you lowered the car. If you lowered the car you should get the correct length end links. I saw an LG set up on a Z06 last week that used metal to metal ball joint adjustable end links with the T1 sway bar and coilovers. Impressive control but probably noisy.

 

You insist on giving out this incorrect information on multiple threads. I lowered my car when moving to the Z06 bars with no problem or preload on the bars. Same when swapping the stock base rear bar back in as I tested different setups. This is the experience of everyone else that I have read that have lowered their cars.

The use of adjustable length end links is only necessary IF you set the height of the car to a different height from side-to-side -- as when corner weighting. Corner-weighting is rarely performed on a street driven car even though many are lowered. Lowering the car equally on one or both “axles” allows the use of the stock end links without problem. That is due to the designed ability of the sway bar to rotate up and down in its mounts which lets it accommodate the new lowered (or raised) position. Think about it … when you swap out a sway bar is there any fixed location to set it to when installing? How does the bar know what height your car is set to? If the height is the same side-to-side there is no preload on one end of the bar regardless of height. C6s are shipped out with quite a wide range of preset ride height as evidenced by numerous post to this forum.

You are correct that the adjustable Heim-joint end links are noisier than the OEM links. They also allow less flex than the standard links. But, they also allow for corner-weighting with their range of length to accommodate any differences in height from side-to-side. They are mainly designed for racing purposes where the reduction of flex and adjustability trump the increased noise and wear.

--Dan

 

My statements are from personal experience with different cars and from conversations with a very experienced autocross driver/mechanic.

Common sense should tell you that if you start with a fixed point on the frame (the mounting point of the bar) and a fixed point on the A arm (the A arm end of the link) and change the location of the point on the A arm by lowering that the distance between the 2 points changes also. The sway bar is designed to have no load at rest at factory height, when you change that height (between the sway bar end and the A arm point) you change the height between the two points. If you lower and stay with the same end link you are pre-loading the sway bar. The sway bar doesn't "rotate", it twists like a torsion bar. The designed flange on the end of the bar is at the proper angle for stock height, lowering binds that flange unless you change end links.

I think Chevy did a pretty good job of designing the suspension and don't want to change the height or sway bar on my car but you are welcome to change anything you like. Lowering changes the alignment and one end of the sway bar anchor points, the Z06 bar is designed for Z06 weight, balance, springs and shocks, Changing to the Z06 bar changes the designed balance. If you are happy with your set, up more power to you.

You might want to read up on suspensions; howstuffworks.com, wikipedia, and answers.com have some interesting articles.

 

Common sense should also tell you to lower both sides of the car EQUALLY. No pre-load will be applied to the end links if you do. A change in ride height will have no impact on the sway bar action at all..

 

He is correct.

 

Ditto, except I have been autocrossing for over 40 years and have been a professional mechanic.

The sway bar DOES rotate in its mounts. You can easily test this by unhooking both ends and moving the bar up and down (rotating it in its mounts -- you may need to loosen the mount bolts a little to allow the bar to easily move) and seeing that both ends move together. The sway bar has virtually no affect (beyond the rotational resistance) when both wheels on the same "axle" hit a bump together. The same is true when you adjust the height of the car equally side-to-side. It is NOT a torsion bar where one end is fixed. The swaybar only twists when one wheel at a time moves.

The OEM end links are designed (as a ball in socket -- just like a ball joint or tie-rod end) to not bind as the bar moves. If they didn't -- according to your description of how they work -- they would bind when the car goes over bumps and dips or even when only one wheel moves. You can also see this when you disconnect an end link from the bar.

I appreciate your recommendation but I think you need to spend some time yourself taking parts of your car apart and seeing how they work in person rather than trying to find the answers online.

--Dan