I just came back from Road America where I had my stock 05 C6 on the track for the first time. The only real problem I had (aside from burning through a set of break pads) was that my rear felt really loose especially around long turns. If I tried to get the car much over 65 through the carouselle it felt like the back end was going to slide out on me at any moment. It didn't really feel too bad on any of the quick turns but felt really loose on the long drawn out ones.
I only want to do one thing at a time and don't have much to spend since I just got race rotors and kevlar pads. Where should I start? Perhaps sway bars?

Thanks

 

Yup, I would say sways first. If you have a base car Z51s are inexpensive and offer marked improvement. You can jump up to Phadts, or Hotchkiss as well but I think this may really help your problem.

Are you on stock tires?

 

Yes, when I ran the car it was 100% stock. The only change was the swap to DOT4 break fluid. I'm going to go and take a peek at prices right now. My next race isn't till Oct. so I have a little bit of time.

Thanks

 

Loose rear end

Meet a girl like that once, didn't last

 

Z51 sways and Pfadt pillow blocks. might take a look at a tunnel plate, too. that'll keep the rocking down and all the tire on the road.

if you're serious, then swap the sway bar end links out for Pfadt or LG Motorsports.

total damage about $500

next is tires

 

What specific performance differences has been seen through swapping the end links?

I was thinking about doing this when we changed the sways, but didn't.

 

Check your axle nuts. Check the rear sway buckles too.

 

What are your alignment settings? Do you even know? I would highly suggest a mildly competitive alignment done by a qualified shop before throwing dollars and parts at a problem that could easily be fixed with an alignment.
If you have never toyed with what differences in handling alignments settings make i think you will find a massive difference in handling dynamics just on different alignment settings.

 

Sounds like a good idea. I'm new to road racing so I have to learn all of the tips and tricks. I know of a shop that is supposed to be pretty good so perhaps I will bring it in and have them look it over and make some recommendations on alignment.
What is the tunnel plate that Leprkon mentioned? What does that do?

 

it's really an investment for long runs, and for the life of your car. base end links have rubber bushings that soften after two or three laps. the PFADT links use teflon for smoother movement at higher temperatures.

Once you see them, you'll laugh at the base links, which is one of the highest warranty claims on the car. The general response from everyone I've show my links to is 'DAMN" !! they are also adjustable if you want to pre-load the wheels.

 

the tunnel plate separates the transmission from the exhaust. a stock plate is a .100 piece of carbon/low alloy steel (.050 for those poor C5 guys). Vendors like the LAPD and Corvette Garage sell a 1/4 or, even better, a 3/8 aircraft-grade aluminum plate which can be coated with ceramic to keep more exhaust heat away from the car. it makes the car a whole lot stiffer while only adding a couple of pounds.

the stock plate does not provide much reinforcement between the two sides of the car and lets the body flex. it is pretty much the strength down the centerline of the car. If you want to make a friend, give your old plate to a C5 owner.. he can stack it on his existing plate and he will be somewhat better off as well.

http://www.thelapd.com/index.php?mai...tncl89qp5e3p31

http://www.corvettegarage.com/produc...5-and-z06.html

 

 

Actually the tunnel plate is .128" aluminum alloy. Changing it may reduce some body flexing but it won't affect the suspension much- Corvettes are not monocoque construction.

 

Unfortunately Pfadt does not offer the heavy duty end links as a kit anymore. Only avaliable with their suspension packages.

 

it's not a total loss. here are some other sources.

http://www.rpidesigns.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=948

this set is the closest to the Pfadt kit (some quality-looking construction here, but I have not personally seen them and they aren't cheap) : http://www.lgmotorsports.com/catalog...oducts_id=1631

http://www.lgmotorsports.com/catalog...oducts_id=1628

 

I would argue that the OP's goal of better handling would be served by a stiffer chasis. Less flexing would increase cornering capability, increase cornering confidence (a mental thing to be sure, but it's half the battle), and improve the daily driveability of the car. SOTP difference is there the first time you back out of the driveway and don't creak.

 

Where should you start?
1- Its BRAKE not BREAK PADS
2- Stay on the throttle and countersteer to keep it in line.

 

You've got many good suggestions. There are numerous ways to improve your cars handling...improved anti-sway bars, increasing chassis rigidity, alignment, improved dampers, suspension components, larger wheels and tires, different tires, et cetera. For most of us it's a process you work on over time.

How much you want to do depends on how often you'll track the car, your finances and just how serious you want to get about racing.

For starters, I'd get Z51 or Z06 sway bars...they're inexpensive and easy to install. There are better sway bars to be sure (T1, Pfadt, Hotchkiss) but the Z51 or Z06 sway bars will make an improvement and may IMO be better suited for the size wheels and tires you're using.

Stock C6 runflats aren't the greatest for track use. I'd suggest going to larger wheels and tires (on 18" rims all around for track use). Just going to Z06 supercar runflats is a huge improvement over the OEM C6 tires. Maybe you want an 'all purpose' non-runflat tire for street and track use. Obviously, dedicated track slicks are best...they make a huge difference.

A more aggressive alignment helps and tire pressures also make a difference. I typically run an extra lb or two in my front tires to help compensate for the cars 51/49 weight distribution ratio.

I'd also find someone that knows how to setup your car...to level and balance it. Perhaps go with better dampers...you might eventually want to use a coil-over suspension.

Not many C6 owners ever get their car on a road course...good on you just for getting your car on a track! I'd just start in with what you can and see how it goes...make modifications along the way. Getting seat time on the track and improving your driving skills is most important.

Have fun!

 

Fixed it for you.

 

Since I only have 1 more event this year at Autobahn CC in October I think I'll get the Hotchkis sway bars and a new tunnel plate to start with. If the new tunnel plate can get rid of some of that creaking that alone will be nice change for my daily driving. I will probably take it in to the speed shop to have the alignment gone over as well. Over the winter I also plan on getting some wheels and racing tires. I'm not sure how far into the mods I will go in the long run becuase I will probably get a different car to run when I get my racing license (right now considering the Factory Five GTM).
Thanks for all the help and ideas. I think little by little I'm learing just what the car needs and will aproach it based on whatever the weekest link appears to be after each race. The first thing that had to go for sure was the stock brakes. I found that out the hard way when coming up to turn 5 at Road America (95 degree left hader coming down hill)at about 130 when I realised my pads were gone. That almost ended my day on a really bad note.