Getting ready to order 2009 Corvette Vert was trying to decide for F 55 option. Question to those who have F55 is it worth the money and is their a noticeable difference from one settings to other.
I also wonder is braking any better than standard.

Thanks for in put.

 

I have an 06 C6 with the F55. Great suspension for real world driving. If most of your driving is fairly smooth roads, the Z51 might be more fun as it will have a little tighter feel & handling. However if you drive like a lot of us on a mixed bag of smooth & rough pavement, the F55 is the best Imho. I wouldn't consider ordering a new vette without the F55( the new ZR1 has essentially the same suspension with a little tweaking)

 

The best way to find out is to drive one. This way you can feel the difference. I say it is worth it if there are many different types of roads you will be driving on.

 

Is the F55 the adjustable magnetic suspension? If so, I love mine. Touring mode makes it extremely comfortable to drive, but you can turn a *** and hit sport mode and still have the tight spirited driving capability.

 

I agree with all of the above...

One nice plus with the F55 is that you can always (as most of us have) upgrade your sway bars from the tiny stock F55 sways to beefier Z51 ($120), or even Hotchkis ($300) sway bars. Be sure to include Pfadt poly bushings for an extra $30 as they are well worth it.

All that being said, if you're planning on regularly running your car in Autocross or Road Racing, you'll probably not be very happy with the stock suspension (base, Z51, or F55). If that's not in the plan then I would 100% recommend the F55 set up!

Side Note: I race in Autocross from time to time and my 06 A6 F55 with Z51 sways and Pfadt bushings has more performance capabilities than I have skill to get out of it. So, it's more than enough for autocross every once in a while.

 

Thanks for in put. Will order with F 55.

 

I have an f55 optioned coupe and am thrilled with it. I tried the z51 set up and could never get comfortable in that car. I have alot of lower back issues and this suspension is a must for me. I want a z06 but I'm afraid that I couldn't tolerate the stiffness since I couldn't handle the z51. I am just a cruiser and the f55 optioned vette is the best of both worlds for me.

 

Excellent decision. The F55 is a lot MORE than just two settings. The suspension computer continuously monitors conditions and changes shock settings in a fraction of a milli-second to compensate for what it is experiencing. Keeping your tires in firm contact with the road is the best way to keep control of the car ! ! !

 

Read in a magazine that the magnetic suspension makes for better launching if you're in to drag racing. Any opinions or experiences?

 

kind of depends on road conditions IMO. in oregon where I live I opted z51 as it is a bit more agressive handling and has different coolers and trany raitios. roads are nice though and the ride does not bother me at all.

we took a trip to southern californa and all the roads are jacked up and under construction and the touring mode would have been nice there. If I lived down there I would have an f55 most likely. Around my home I would honsetly never use the touring mode as it is too soft IMO.

The stock f55 system does not have any real upgradablity to it though to my knowlege. the shocks and the code on the system are what you get. I could not find alot of information on if the systems shocks and monitoring system were adaptable to new configurations very well. is the computer smart enough if you change spring rates, sways, etc to optimize handling for the new configuration. I have a feeling the zr1 my have different code or algorithums but am not sure.

if you want a soft ride though definatly get the F55. the stock vett rides too soft IMO when you want to really push the car. The F55 is a nice mix if you are looking for a mixed feal.

 

I've spoken a number of times with Darin Dellinger...one of the lead Delphi engineer's responsible for the MagneRide suspension in the Corvette.

You really cannot upgrade the actual system itself via re-flashing the controller. There was a minor change in calibration sets made I believe with the 2006 system but Mr. Dellinger said "that was a step backwards" in some respects.

The F55 is not a soft ride per se...the difference between tour and sport mode is not firm versus soft...sport mode emphasizes certain alogrithms for wheel control...it tightens-up your steering and handling more than anything.

I don't have a lot of time at the moment to get into it but if you want to read about the best article I've seen on the development of the system...PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.

The F55 suspension benefits greatly by going to Z51 or Z06 sway bars. Although I may (somewhat reluctanly) go to coil-overs, my F55 suspension does quite well on a road course.

Someone mentioned the ZR1. The 'F55' suspension on the ZR1 is slightly different...the dampers have slightly different internals and the controller has somewhat revised calibration sets or algorithms...it does possess both a launch mode and a track detect mode.

Again, PM me your email address and I'll be glad to send you a great article about the F55 system.

 

On California's Interstates? You bet I can tell the diff. I encourage you to seek out WayneO's post on the subject he mentions above. There is a reason the ZR1 has a similar setup and several of the exotics are licensing the Delco technology.

Still, I've acquired a taste for HPDEs. Knowing what I know now, I probably should have opted for the Z51. I've already moved to the Z51 sways. And I see an oil cooler (soon) and coil-overs in my future. But if your car is going to be mostly on America's highways and city streets, the F55 would be my recommendation. Either way, you're gonna love it!

FM