So I am going to spend the next 8 weeks driving around the western US racing my 05 Z51.

I just spent two days at Firebird West and Bondurant's course this past weekend and it reminded me why I bought this car in the first place nearly six years ago (and why our seats get so much flak).

However, I have a rear end problem (immature chuckles) with a few drops of fluid on the garage floor and very greasy tranny and diff casings.

I ordered every seal I could think of but ran out of time to replace them and rolled the dice and raced on it for two days knowing I had a problem and it came up lucky 7 as it's dry as a bone now, and still both shifts and makes tight turns just without a peep.

I've a got a few theories as to where the leak came from, but I am going to take it apart anyway since I already bought all the parts and fluid.

However, I would just feel silly renting a lift and doing all that work if I didn't upgrade something while I am at it, and the last couple track days have made it clear the Z51 needs some help. I have a welt on the outside of my left knee from bracing myself against the door.

I've got to get this car to flatten out, but I am going to drive it 3-4k miles to tracks around the country so it's got to still be a somewhat comfortable suspension.

I know I will eventually get to the full raced out Corvette that the three Vette's who smoked me this past weekend have (Michelin X Radials aren't a street car tire!), but not sure what kind of steps I should take.

I think the JOC package is a great option for Vettes that still need to drive to the track (especially when it's a few states away), but I wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to just go straight to coilovers and dial them down for the road trip and spin the dial the other way for the track.

I know there's lots of threads out there, and I've read as many as I can, but that's the point of a forum, to start discussions and share our opinions which change much faster than the 3 month old suspension thread which will undoubtedly get linked here with a rolled eyes smiley.

I await the rolled eyes.

 

OK

 

Have you talked to them about just using the JOC sways with the stock Z51 shocks? I've seen others suggest that changing sways impacts ride less than changing the shocks. I'd be interested to know their take on that since the JOC sways are substantial jump in stiffness per their chart.

 

Personally, Id go straight to coil-overs, and as you say, dial them down as needed for street, and have the ability to adjust them for any given track ( if you want to get the serious, or just like playing around when them a bit ).

There are kits for some shocks out there, that give you the ability to adjust the shocks from inside the cabin ( wet,dry,race ) as they have motorized units on the tops of the shocks....but thats getting real trick.

 

Hey guys, there are a couple ways to look at this. The JO package is going to be a great addition for a street car looking to spend a little time on track. Since you're going to spend a ton of time over the next while on the highway going from track to track, that should be a pretty good consideration. Ultimately though the performance ceiling on the JO package is lower than with our coilovers, it will just take a little more money to get there with coilovers.

The coilovers are the best overall spring and shock solution for your needs, but whether they fit into your budget is a valid concern. You're going to spend your first couple track days really dialing in the coilovers for your tires, track conditions and driving style so the learning curve is a little steeper, while the JO package is easy to just install and go fast. Properly dialed in the coilovers will be great on the highway, and offer superior track manners.

JO Package Pros

• Lower cost of entry
• Easier to install and go fast out of the box
• Little less tunability means you can focus on your driving rather than chasing car setup

JO Package Cons

• Less tunability, although the rear bar can be easily adjusted
• Ultimately a well driven and setup coilover car will probably be faster on track

Coilover Pros:

• Ride quality is excellent when properly tuned
• Performance is excellent when properly tuned
• Lower ride heights are achievable without limiting ride height
• Easy to switch from street to track setup

Coilover Cons

• Higher cost of entry
• Will take a little more work for proper setup
• A small amount of your track day will be dedicated to adjusting dampers

Both products are quality and you will be happy with either package! Your decision depends on how aggressive you want to get with your car on track, and how much adjustment you really want to do.

Set it and forget it: Johnny O'Connell
Don't mind a little tuning: Coilovers

Hope this helps! We are available from 9-5 Mountian Time, Monday - Friday at 888-972-2464 if you have any questions! Our website is always available at Pfadt Race Engineering

 

So I went with the JOC.

So far, incredibly happy with it. Expansion joints and man hole covers are much more noticeable now, but the steering response and the control on tight turns is vastly improved.

Overall grip didn't really change as my max speeds on the long benders is the same, but it feels so much better with the car flat. The car is 10x more fun to drive now, although I notice a few more interior rattles now.

However, I was under the car last night checking on my rear end fluid leak (which is now conclusively tranny fluid, not diff), and I noticed the driver's side rear shock has some oil running down the tube and the bottom of it is somewhat wet.

I checked the rest of them and the passenger front had a very tiny trail of oil, and the other two were completely dry.

Is this normal break in or did I get some bad shocks? I've always been under the impression that oil coming from the shocks meant it was time for new shocks, but these only have 100 miles on them.

I will give Pfadt a call on Monday, but I really hope I don't have to replace them.

 

Made the right choice with the JOC package. Pfadt is where it's at!!!