I installed a set of Z06 shocks on my 2006 Z51 and in my option they are a significant improvement in handling and ride, though I haven't pushed it really hard yet. The only other suspension mod I have is Pfadt J O'C sway bars.

Exactly what I was looking for since I didn't want the harsh Bilstien ride.

 

Thanks for posting that. When I change out shocks, I am considering either Z06's or the J. O' Connells.

 

I`m glad to hear this, I have a 2007 base MN6 that I installed Z51 sway bars on but havent done the shocks yet, I thought about the bilstiens or the Z06 shocks, like you
I dont want a harsh ride but i`m looking for a improvement in handling so this might be my choice.

 

I find this amusing since many of us with Z06s find the stock shocks to be cheap junk and swap them out for quality equipment

Z//

 

So how do you feel about them? The stock Z06 seems to handle well against all competition foreign and domestic, therefore I feel they can't be too shabby.

 

You don't/shouldn't/can't measure/compare shock absorbers in that way. Lap times are not the primary criteria here since (just a guess) most of us aren't competing against Ferarris and Lambos at the Nurburgring. Most of us are driving our cars on the street with a small subset of us doing things like track days and/or Auto-X now and then. So that's what you need to be thinking about. Also, the stock shocks may do well when new but how long do they hold up? If you have to be buying new ones every 7k miles to maintain the desired level of performance...

A primary complaint with the Z06 is skittishness when cornering hard and then hitting a bump. While some of this is the hard sidewalls of the Goodyear run-flats, much of it is the stock shocks. This very noticable issue was what I wanted fixed on my Z06 so I went with the Callaway-Eibach adjustables. Granted, this is a lot more $$$ than simply replacing the shocks but it did cure the problem, gave me adjustability, and yet maintained the stock suspension (no need for coilovers.) The difference in both ride and control was pretty impressive even before I swapped the Goodyears for Michelins.

Another way to look at it is simply the cost/price issue. Ask yourself just how good the stock Z06 shocks can be when the online cost to you is just $60 each (the same price as replacement non-Z06 shocks, btw.) Subtract from that $60 the profit made by the retailer, the profit made by GM, and the profit made by the manufacturer for a quick calculation of what the actual shock is worth in labor and material. Now, that's admittedly not a fair way to judge a shock but you do have to ask yourself if it's possible to design and construct quality shocks for $10 each Also bear in mind that there is a reason that GM can bring you a car like the Z06 for much less than the competition - they find ways to cut costs. You don't have to look far in the car to find those places and the shocks is one of them.

There are several good shock options for all the C6 models. You don't have to have a harsh ride to improve (a lot) the control of the contact patch. You don't have to spend a lot, either, but probably more than just replacement GM parts.

Z//

 

That is what I did to my 07 Z51 OEM shocks. Now I have these...

http://www.lgmotorsports.com/LG-Sport-Shocks

 

OP: If you are happy with the improvement in handling and ride, then that is all that matters IMO.

 

Glad you feel that way, I'm sure the guys selling over the top high priced custom valved shocks do too. I don't race this thing, I drive a few HPDEs a year and this is an improvement over what I had for a few hundred bucks.

FWIW - the Z06 wheels and tires are heavier than my standard coupes so the shock will perform differently.

 

Relax. As I said, I just think it's amusing that one group wants the things while another group wants to replace them. It wasn't personal. As stated, if it works for you, then great.

Z//

 

We are glad that you found a shock package that meets your goals and you're happy with the car as it sits now. Thanks for the Johnny O'Connell bar order and let us know if there is anything we can do for you in the future Jim!

Instability or the tendency to oversteer over rough road surfaces is one of the primary pieces of feedback we receive from C6Z owners. A lot of that instability is due to quite a bit of high speed rebound damping that's built into those units.

When we were designing our Johnny O'Connell package one of our goals was to help cure this instability, as well as make the car smoother over large road irregularities but otherwise maintain quality road manners. The first of many changes we made to the C6Z shocks was specifically in high speed rebound, this makes a car equipped with the Johnny O'Connell package easier to drive hard over rough roads. When used in conjunction with the Johnny O'Connell sway bars the Corvette will feel more responsive to steering inputs, flatter in corners, softer over large bumps than the Z06 but a little more aggressive over small bumps. Given the goals for the project we feel the Johnny O'Connell shocks are a great upgrade for any Z06, or any Corvette from C5 Base to C6Z that wants to significantly improve the handling of their car without going all the way to coilovers.

 

i just installed z06 shocks on my 08 and the ride is perfect!!!

 

I agree. The stock Corvette suspension(s) suck(s). I couldn't believe how skittish the car was when hitting a bump during a corner. Totally unacceptable for any car, let alone a "performance" car. One of the first mods I did was to replace the stock suspension (to include the leaf springs).

San

 

Interesting that two Z06 owners both indicate a similar problem. It's strange that one of the biggest improvements I felt between the Z51 and Z06 shocks was the reduction in how skittish it behaved when hitting bumps in corners. Since my Pfadt front sway bar is much stiffer than the Z51-Z06 front bar and the rear is stiffer than either as well, maybe this all contributes to a combined improvement.

Maybe this makes some sense since the Pfadt Johnny O'Connell shock/sway setup has worked for many people by combining a specially valved Sachs shock with these stiffer bars. I would hazzard a guess that the Pfadt valving could be closer to the Sachs Z06 shocks than the Sachs Z51 shocks.

 

Why don't you guys just get the T1 package? It's cheap enough, and lasts longer than most other aftermarket upgrades...

 

OK, so if you go with this logic, the brand new OEM Z06 wheels I got for my GS for track duty must be piece of crap because the whole set cost me $695! GM cut corners, right? Well, take a look at the specs, and it turns out they outperform all but a few wheels by being strong/reliable enough and being the lightest wheel for anything below $4000/set. Just because Bilstein charges you more doesn't mean it has to be that much better. Sure, it's a very good product, but not as much as its price tag would indicate. Same goes for most other aftermarket products, too. Another good example is the clutch. Go ahead, buy that triple-disk, nano-gram balanced clutch kit for $$$, while OEM Z06 clutch is strong enough for most, is one of the easiest to operate, and costs only $420...

 

My car is an 07fe1 base model and I like the z06 shocks

I run c6 Z06 shocks along with a Z06 front spring and Base Fe1 rear spring. The setup has removed a lot of the bounciness that the car came with originally when being run at speed over rough twisty backroads.

I think a lot of the rear end bouncing issue is with the spring rates and not so much the shocks (especially with the newer rear z06 shocks).

 

First, I said it was a bad way to compare shocks. It was just meant as a data point.

Second, wheels and shocks = apples and oranges.

The extra money that you pay for Bilsteins or other specialty aftermarket pieces is for the maker's experience and specialization, not for the materials in the part itself. If shock absorbers are your business then you'd better offer some real value over and above what "WalMart" shocks do or you won't be in business very long. Bilstein has spent decades mastering the "art" of shocks and for the extra $$$ that you spend on them you get the benefit of that experience. You don't have to buy 50 sets of shocks, change them out, try to compare them, etc., for days on end. You can (hopefully) assume that when they say "use this model shocks for your C6 and set them to XX for the best compromise between performance and ride" that you are going to at least be close to what you want when you install them. And they know that because they KNOW it via experience. You may not find that to be of value and instead want to rely on a hunch that "Z06 shocks will be better" without any actual data - just anecdotes from others who have done it and then relayed back "it sure feels better to me!" (when, more often than not, "better" actually means "different.") If that's what you're ok with then fine.

Am I going to pay megabucks for a set of Penskes for my daily driver? Nope. Not on a bet. But that doesn't mean that the Penskes are "overpriced." They have their place in the big picture, too.

The price of a thing is only one element in the measure of its value.

Z//

ps. I have a ZR1 clutch in my Z06

 

ZR1 clutch is good I'm sure no one is installing Walmart shocks to their Corvettes, so no worries there!

 

The Bilstein Sports for the C6 are stiffer than the Z51 shocks, but softer than the GM C6 Z06 shocks. My Z06 with the standard (not DRM revalved) Bilstein Sports rides and handles better than with the factory shocks for $300.