STRAFER

First, thanks to all for install advice. Disconnected the upper a arm for the fronts. Made it alot easier. The only regret is i waited 1 year and 11,000 miles, until i could not deal with the (08 a6 z51) bouncing, crashing, constant steering corrections etc. Alot of guys have no problems with the z51, must live down south. I was kicking myself for a year, since i was going for the f55, until the day i pulled the trigger.
However, i am very happy, these shocks are the real deal. Comfort, handling, total confidence. I have to retrain my driving habits to look far down the road, instead of looking a 100150 feet out for whatever road imperfections that would send me darting into the next lane, or worse. They work better in every condition. Even on a super smooth hi-way, the vet felt nervous, twitchy, never 100% composed. When i removed the stock shocks they were hard to compress, even with my body weight on them. The koni almost feel like they are broken they are so soft. But they work beautifully. I am still going to put in non-runflats, because i think this car will be awesome with that combo. However, i could definitely live with run-craps, with the fsd's. Forget about cai's, tunes, etc.. This is the best first mod for z51's, that roam crappy roads.

REVAK

I totally agree, installed mine last year, all good.

AirBusPilot

Summit has them for sale at $689.

PowerLabs

Sounds great! Personally I am very happy with my Z51 setup; it makes the C6 one of the best handling cars I've ever driven, certainly the best handling stock car. I tried the magnetic ride for 2 days and hated it; way too soft.
I've been contemplating the FSDs, but some of the reviews claimed that they cause the car to drop down some, and for me that would be inacceptable; mine already scrapes every day on my way to work... Did your car get any lower?

danl72

Cool.

csun213

My lowered about 1/4 in, didn't make any difference on the scraping. You will probably not scrape any more than you do now however the handling will be a lot better.

STRAFER

strangely the ride height after the install did not drop...yet. the rears are the same, but the fronts are higher by an 1/8 of an inch?????. i was very careful with the measurements, as i marked a thin 1/2" square 3 foot long piece of wood. this method is better than using a ruler as you can instantly see and compare the ride height for all four corners. of course i parked the car in the same spot in my garage. the ride height adjustment is so easy on the vette, it is no big deal to change. before this mod i was pretty fed up with the handling and punishing ride, to the point i would sometimes not want to drive the car. i place alot more emphasis on handling, than pure speed. now the car is balanced. i was not happy spending money for new shocks on a supposedly great handling car. wish i did it the day after i took delivery. if manufactures are going to continue to fit run-flats, then they have to put on suitable, more expensive shocks. i would have gladly paid for this upgrade in the price of the car.

Driver_WT

My car is 0.5" lower front and rear with the FSD's installed.

STRAFER

after 1 week my rear ride height is about 3/16" lower and the fronts about 1/4". each corner dropped evenly from stock height. like the stance, and will leave it alone unless it goes more than a 1/2", at which point i will set all 4 corners to 1/2". i know i sound like a broken record, but these fsd's have increased the handling and comfort (greatly) of the vette. heretofore, you had to reduce one element to get more of the other. koni's give you both.

Fuego

Because they lower the car some, does it mess with the suspension geometry?

NormWild

link?

AirBusPilot

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

CTD

Good to hear....I share your concerns with the Z51 when it begins its side stepping routine. I've learned just to relax hold on & do not move the wheel and it will be okay....that does not mean it's right. I have coil-overs in my C5 that replace the F45, I would like a shock change only in the C6 Z51 that would provide similar results. A few choices are out there you picked one.

gomerjack

Lowering the car 1/2" or less probably will not do all that much. You can adjust the ride height of the car that much just on its stock bolts so the GM engineers have to have factored that in.

I'd love to hear what the OP has to say about how the car handles over rough roads - especially when there are midcorner bumps involved. Is there really a difference in traction? How much?

And can you post pics of your car as its ride height has settled? Thanks!

SvetteC6

I've had mine on since the spring. I can't say enough about them, they're Great. They have less ride hieght effect on a non Z51 suspension, but mine was on the low side to begin with so I raised the front 3/8". If you really want to get the best performance, get a good alignment. Especially if you messed with the A arms.

NormWild

Thank you much, that's a good price. This is my next mod after the cam.

professorjim

Do you still have the F45 shocks?
Willing to sell them?
Happy new Year 016
professor jim
510-219-7400 text ok too.

Boomer111

I have had the Koni FSD's for about 6 years now maybe a bit longer. Still love them. Base 08 but I have ridden in the Z51 car. The Z51 suspension is too hard for me and the base was just to soft.

The FSD's are a great compromise between the two.

PDsVettes

I put FSD's on my 2005 BMW ZHP. I really like how they ride but I have noticed a bit more roll when entering a turn. Other BMW guys have upgraded their sway bars to compensate.

Did any of you guys notice more roll after FSD installation?

CrvtBB

I have FSD's on my GS. Significant ride and stability improvement. I didn't notice any roll increase compared to the stock shocks. For other reasons, I did change to Pfadt JOC sways, which are very nice. Switch to non-runflat Michelin PSS's completed the transformation to better handling and ride overall than stock.