must raise up rear
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 647
Likes: 22
From: Norwalk CT and Boynton Beach FL
must raise up rear
I have a 2009 Vert located in Florida most of the time
Last year I put on 4 slightly oversized tires and had red-walls put on these tires(expensive)
Everything was fine in FL because the road are smooth so no bouncing around.
Was in NY last weekend riding on some pretty bouncy roads and BOTH my rear tires would hit the inner wheel well covers when I hit these pavement flaws at 60mph or faster.
I need to fix this ASAP.
My shocks are new (OEM GM Delco's) --- maybe 500 miles on these shocks
I know how to raise the rear using the stock adjustment (turn nut clockwise). I will do this tomorrow but I don't think that will be enough.
Any suggestions on different shocks for the rear to keep the rear higher and stiffer.
Could I get a stiffer transverse rear spring?
Anything else come to mind?
Thanks
Last year I put on 4 slightly oversized tires and had red-walls put on these tires(expensive)
Everything was fine in FL because the road are smooth so no bouncing around.
Was in NY last weekend riding on some pretty bouncy roads and BOTH my rear tires would hit the inner wheel well covers when I hit these pavement flaws at 60mph or faster.
I need to fix this ASAP.
My shocks are new (OEM GM Delco's) --- maybe 500 miles on these shocks
I know how to raise the rear using the stock adjustment (turn nut clockwise). I will do this tomorrow but I don't think that will be enough.
Any suggestions on different shocks for the rear to keep the rear higher and stiffer.
Could I get a stiffer transverse rear spring?
Anything else come to mind?
Thanks
Instructor
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 217
Likes: 95
Raising it will help, if you haven't touched it from stock, you still have a lot of adjustment left to raise it. Upgrading the shocks all around will help stiffen things up, My Z51 had the GM performance struts and felt way too floaty for me, to the point I thought the shock were blow but they weren't, I'm just use to driving cars with very stiff suspensions. First thing I did was upgrade to a set of B8 Bilstein shocks all around and it stiffened things up. I would go with the B6 if I was raising it like you, the B8s are designed for a lowered suspension.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,438
Likes: 919
From: CONCORD NC
I haven't driven "up north" regularly in years, but if a few full turns of the adjusters don't give you ample clearance, you should probably slow down before you break something
I'd do 2-3 full turns and check your Toe
I'd do 2-3 full turns and check your Toe
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 916
From: Baie-D'Urfe, Quebec
2023 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 C6 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
I feel your pain...our roads in Montreal have been voted worst in North America 2 yrs in a row now...
I found that a full turn of the adjuster, gives about 3/16" and even 1 turn does make a big difference actually.
I'd try to make sure you only do full turns, so that the pads remain in the same wear pattern orientation that they were in. Let the threads soak in some loose-nut for a few minutes first, and use a 6pt wrench or socket so as not to round off the Hex tip of the adjuster.
Slow down on bad roads ;-)
Good luck
I found that a full turn of the adjuster, gives about 3/16" and even 1 turn does make a big difference actually.
I'd try to make sure you only do full turns, so that the pads remain in the same wear pattern orientation that they were in. Let the threads soak in some loose-nut for a few minutes first, and use a 6pt wrench or socket so as not to round off the Hex tip of the adjuster.
Slow down on bad roads ;-)
Good luck
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 647
Likes: 22
From: Norwalk CT and Boynton Beach FL
I maxed out the height adjuster bolts leaving just 2 threads visible above the transverse spring. No problem turning the adjuster bolts after taking tension off the spring with a bottle jack.
I also put a 1/4 inch spacer on each rear wheel moving the tire out more because I noticed the rubbing occured on the inner side where there is a bulge in the wheel well covers.
Wheels will still clear the rear fenders with those spacers in place.
What I don't like is that now after maxing out raising the rear, the heights off the ground for each wheel are no longer equal
Right 26 1/2 Left 27 1/8 --- Not sure why this happened and I can't raise the right anymore because the adjustment is all maxed out.
I'll drive the car this way for 100 miles and then remeasure --- hoping the suspension will settle out with more equal results.
When you look at the car that difference in height is not noticable.
Also, with the rear wheels off I could see that changing the rear shocks to stiffer ones would be an easy job.
That would be my next step if I continue to have issues or if I have to drop the left down to 26 1/2 to match the Right.
I also put a 1/4 inch spacer on each rear wheel moving the tire out more because I noticed the rubbing occured on the inner side where there is a bulge in the wheel well covers.
Wheels will still clear the rear fenders with those spacers in place.
What I don't like is that now after maxing out raising the rear, the heights off the ground for each wheel are no longer equal
Right 26 1/2 Left 27 1/8 --- Not sure why this happened and I can't raise the right anymore because the adjustment is all maxed out.
I'll drive the car this way for 100 miles and then remeasure --- hoping the suspension will settle out with more equal results.
When you look at the car that difference in height is not noticable.
Also, with the rear wheels off I could see that changing the rear shocks to stiffer ones would be an easy job.
That would be my next step if I continue to have issues or if I have to drop the left down to 26 1/2 to match the Right.
Instructor
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 217
Likes: 95
B8s are stiffer like I mentioned above. Big upgrade over the Z51 struts I had, they felt very soft and my friends base with the standard shocks is more like a floating Cadillac than a performance suspension.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski