Coil Overs vs leafs
Pro
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 708
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From: Blaine Minnesota
other than reducing/eliminating wheel hop and a softer ride maybe I believe a spring is a spring is a spring so it won't help much more overall. I believe the coilovers add some weight also. Just from the research I have done on this forum, not real world experience so take this as a grain of salt. Im sure someone with coilovers/track experience will know more and chime in!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: West coast CA
Le Mans Master
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Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
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Our stock suspension is also adjustable for corner weighting. If you don't like something about the stock suspension it is probably the shocks. I have Pfadt adjustable shocks and love them, super smooth.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: DFW TX
There really is no comparison. The coil overs are amazing. the car will ride better, handle better, and respond to the road / driver better. I love my LG coil overs. The ability to adjust the spring rate, ride height, etc is amazing as well.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
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That's all in the shocks, a spring is a spring.
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From: Hudson WI
NCM Sinkhole Donor
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Instructor
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From: Melbourne Florida
Pfadt Aggressor
I changed from my C6 Z51 -05 suspension to Pfadt Aggressor and made 2 seconds on Palm Beach International Raceway which is my reference track. I changed both coil overs and sway bars so I would not know how much made from each. I think the car is easier to drive on the limit than before.
There are always stories to be told, with different driver material, tires etc. But I do have a friend in a Grand Sport. He was faster than me before I changed my suspension. Now, not any longer. His car rolls slightly on track, mine lays flat.
Just a vid from the first track day with the Pfadt suspension
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XfrUYnPUfc
I would recommend this upgrade to anyone that takes his car to track. For street only use, nah..
PeO.
There are always stories to be told, with different driver material, tires etc. But I do have a friend in a Grand Sport. He was faster than me before I changed my suspension. Now, not any longer. His car rolls slightly on track, mine lays flat.
Just a vid from the first track day with the Pfadt suspension
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XfrUYnPUfc
I would recommend this upgrade to anyone that takes his car to track. For street only use, nah..
PeO.
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Le Mans Master
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http://www.vansteel.com/index.cfm?fu...&SubGroup=1951
http://www.vbandp.com/C6-Corvettes/S...s/Springs.html
Just two places you can find springs at so they're readily available and you can order custom spring rates if desired. If you mean harder to come by as in more expensive, that is certainly true.
http://www.vbandp.com/C6-Corvettes/S...s/Springs.html
Just two places you can find springs at so they're readily available and you can order custom spring rates if desired. If you mean harder to come by as in more expensive, that is certainly true.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2005
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What do you think is happening when you turn the collar on the coilover? You're not "pre-loading" anything, you're adjusting the height!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2005
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The spring rate is not adjustable, just ride height. You'll have to change the spring if you want a different spring rate. Also, when going from transverse composite leaf springs to coilovers, a better ride AND better handling are mutually exclusive characteristics.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2005
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I changed from my C6 Z51 -05 suspension to Pfadt Aggressor and made 2 seconds on Palm Beach International Raceway which is my reference track. I changed both coil overs and sway bars so I would not know how much made from each. I think the car is easier to drive on the limit than before.
I would recommend this upgrade to anyone that takes his car to track. For street only use, nah..
PeO.
I would recommend this upgrade to anyone that takes his car to track. For street only use, nah..
PeO.
Interesting that you said "nah" for street use. Could you give more details as to why you'd say that? Is the ride too stiff for the street?
Team Owner
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From: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
Well, there are two adjustments on my coil overs. One is for ride height and the other is for pre-load. I'm leaning to believe that since there are 2 adjustments, that just maybe they might be something adjusted separately.
I can set the preload, then set the height and won't affect the ride height.
But, I'm old and I could be mistaken...
Elmer
Oops, edit! 3 adjustments. I can adjust the shock absorber for firm to soft ride. My bad, I missed that one.
Last edited by eboggs_jkvl; Aug 22, 2011 at 02:10 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Lewisville TX
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Some of the big ones are:
- Ability to change ride height more than stock
- Ability to spec spring rates
- ability to tune suspension more than stock
- removes weight
- more car control by having a shock and a spring at each corner
Take our G2 Bilstein units for example. These will remove 16.8 lbs total off of the car and also remove unsprung weight as the shock bodies are supported by the frame of the car, not the control arm (also known as an inverted shock).
All of our coil overs, both GT2 and G2 coil overs use a mono ball pivot point for zero binding in the suspension. As you know the shocks travel through an arc movement as the control arms move so the shock needs to pivot. In factory form they have to bend through a rubber mount. This actually effects wheel rate as well. By going to a bearing pivot, this allows the shock to travel freely.
Also you have the ability to custom tune shock valving rates as well as spring rates to more custom tune the car into what you are using the car for, not for the masses that GM did.
Along with sway bars, adjustable end links...coil overs are a great way to improve both the ride and handling of your Corvette.