z51/z06 front spring
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 35,874
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From: Honolulu HI
It will certainly stiffen the front of the car up.
Spring Rates:
Z06: 531# Front, 782# Rear
C6 Z51: 526# Front, 645# Rear
C6 Base: 420# Front, 657# Rear
Spring Rates:
Z06: 531# Front, 782# Rear
C6 Z51: 526# Front, 645# Rear
C6 Base: 420# Front, 657# Rear
Last edited by MTPZ06; Feb 9, 2018 at 06:18 PM.
Race Director
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Hence on a narrow body car, really need to be running R8's in narrow body size tires, to get close to a Z06 suspension to working correctly on it to begin with.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,001
Likes: 243
From: Surprise, Az
Just throwing parts on the car without study and the ability to tune is wasting time and money. I would get a good book on suspension tuning before going any further. These cars have a lot of horsepower and a poorly tuned suspension can lead to disaster if not done correctly.
Tires are your biggest determinant for traction, dampers and sway bars are fine tuning devices, the springs are coarse tuning devices. Once the tires are figured out, springs are next, then sways and dampers. The Z-06 sways (and ZR-1) are for the bigger street tires, using them with base tire sizes can lead to unpredictable results, introducing more over or under steer conditions. Unless you have a track and a really good driver that can tell the difference (and maybe you do and are), the results will be unpredictable.
Somebody with a lot of experience is worth talking to, Sam Strano is one such person. LG motorsports may be another.
Maybe you've already done so but didn't articulate, but what are your goals? What are you trying to design to? Then call some experts and seek their opinions, then test.
Good points by Dano too which prompts this reply.
HTH
Tires are your biggest determinant for traction, dampers and sway bars are fine tuning devices, the springs are coarse tuning devices. Once the tires are figured out, springs are next, then sways and dampers. The Z-06 sways (and ZR-1) are for the bigger street tires, using them with base tire sizes can lead to unpredictable results, introducing more over or under steer conditions. Unless you have a track and a really good driver that can tell the difference (and maybe you do and are), the results will be unpredictable.
Somebody with a lot of experience is worth talking to, Sam Strano is one such person. LG motorsports may be another.
Maybe you've already done so but didn't articulate, but what are your goals? What are you trying to design to? Then call some experts and seek their opinions, then test.
Good points by Dano too which prompts this reply.
HTH
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2009
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Since the rear springs are almost identical of the base and z51 , swapping a front z51 spring will have a similar setup as the z51, but I was wondering if it's better or worse than to keep the base front spring (along with the Z06 sways and Bilstein Sports). High speed stability is important as I live near the German Autobahn
Last edited by Randy_medion; Feb 10, 2018 at 01:48 PM.
Team Owner
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From: Honolulu HI
Bilsteins are a fantastic upgrade over OE shocks. I think the Z51 or the Z06 front spring would also be an improvement. In my opinion, you have way too much rear sway bar on that car. Swap it out for a Z51 bar and you'll be real close to a Z51 equipped C6.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,001
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From: Surprise, Az
I agree with the others, the Z51 package handled pretty good so I would go Z51 springs and sways, front and rear, since you've already swapped the shocks. The Z51 shocks were fairly stiff too, so that might be analternative if the shocks you have don't work well. I've tracked this setup snd had good stability at 140mph. You may also want the Z51 brakes too.
Team Owner
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From: Honolulu HI
Pro
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You have that wrong a stock Z will push in the corners. The factory builds understeer in for low performance drivers. You are inducing corner exit oversteer with the throttle.
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Instructor
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And what makes the C6 Z51 cars don't do quite well in the slalom test (same slalom speed as old Mustang GT)? Is it that they have more understeer than the Z06/GS? Tires? Is it the spring setup balance (less difference in rate front to back than the Z06? I don't want to create more understeer by swapping a front z51 spring. My C6 drives very well except for a little body roll on the Ring before my Bilsteins when I still had the C6z06 shocks. I also heard that the Z06 gets out of balance pretty easily with bumps in the road? Does the Z06 have too stiff springs for the street, the famous leafspring crosstalk? I want the best setup for handling mainly for the street.
Last edited by Randy_medion; Feb 11, 2018 at 07:34 AM.
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Pro
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Anytime you go stiffer in spring rate the ride will be harsher. In my opinion I would get a T1 front spring with a Z06 rear spring. Sway bars would be a strano 32mm adjustable with a stock z06 rear bar. Tune for balance with the front bar if that isn't enough go with the strano adjustable rear bar. I would also go with a min of koni sports for shocks. Get as big of a rim/tire combination that will fit and set the alignment on kill.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Honolulu HI
C5Z's had a much more balanced/neutral feel (used to own a C5Z)...and note the C5Z sway bar bias front to rear (on the chart) versus the C6Z (or ZR1 for that matter).
Look at GM T1 bars or even the JOC bars. Even with the adjustable rear bars, you cant dial in more (rear) bar than the front for either set. Not a Pfadt fan, but their sway bar graph is always useful...
Now for the OP's situation...running a C6Z rear bar with base C6 width rear tires (assuming this to be the case) will definitely overpower his tires when hard cornering/pushing the limits.
Last edited by MTPZ06; Feb 12, 2018 at 09:14 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 35,874
Likes: 1,600
From: Honolulu HI
Anytime you go stiffer in spring rate the ride will be harsher. In my opinion I would get a T1 front spring with a Z06 rear spring. Sway bars would be a strano 32mm adjustable with a stock z06 rear bar. Tune for balance with the front bar if that isn't enough go with the strano adjustable rear bar. I would also go with a min of koni sports for shocks. Get as big of a rim/tire combination that will fit and set the alignment on kill.
