I have a 2006 Z06. I autocross it and take it on the track quite a bit, but I still drive it on the streets. What kind of Control arm bushings should I get? Anything else I should do while I have them off?

 

Rubber bushing most likely need to be replace due to age, but just depends on what you want in regards to stiffer ride by going to harder/stiffer bushings in the first place.

If poly bushing, then need to be silicone greased when first installed, and then re-greased about every year so they don't star to squeaking as well.

As for the evil bushing, its the lower rear bushing that does cause some problems from their thickness.

So when just replacing the rubber bushings with poly bushings (shocks and sway bars as well,since if for a pence/in for a pound), will throw these 4 bushings up in a lathe, will bore the IDs of them, and will install thicker hardened sleeves, so even the poly bushings are not as thick as the oems to reduce more flex on them. The downside to this, less compression dampening on these 4 bushings, to will end up with even a stiffer ride of the rubber bushing to just polys in the first place for street use.

Others have gone to spherical bushings, but the down side I see for them for road, or even rougher road course work on a car that your not going to be servicing every event, less forgiving in regards to what they will last when seeing this kind of abuse, so instead of re-greasing say poly bushings every year, may be changing these out even more often/that are speedy as hell in the first place.

 

OMG!!! That video makes me never want to track my car again until I replace the bushings with delrin!! (...like the ones from Borg Motorsports!). Man, there's a ton of movement!!!!

 

Back to the stiff ride of solid type bushings (princess and the pea kind of thing for every piece of gravel that you drive over), and not something that you really want to run on the rougher streets in regards to a full set.

 

Just thought I'd mention that 'better' C7 control arms fit. All but lower rears.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...s-on-a-c6.html

The bushing design and capture is improved, I have no idea of the durometer of course.

Here, we see my stock upper front bushings slowly walking out (from braking)...and this after very few track events (no auto-X), low mileage car...on 'not so sticky' R888R tires.



And these are better design C7 control arms


Caveats;
a) I haven't yet actually installed/tried mine because I'm still waiting for the lower fronts. Those are on perpetual backorder (6 months paid now!) and I don't want to go for alignments more than once. So, no personal experience here yet...
b) the lower rears, which are showcased in that video above as having so much movement, are different on C7...so that won't be remedied.

Bur, the C7 lower front control arms accept the C7 Z06 brake duct deflector kit! They are a big improvement over the hokey C6 ZR1/Z07 deflectors, and also have a great scoop type duct attachment which loops around the control arm. Although, with my particular setup, they may interfere with my 4" grill mounted ducting, but that's TBD...

While OEM GM are currently B/O on the lower front arms, they are, however available in stock from the aftermarket...Nonetheless, at this point I prefer to wait for the OE pieces. Season is basically over and I'm not sure about bushing durometer on the aftermarket parts anyway (could, of course, even be higher...but who knows?)

For someone who also street drives their car, and tracks it on 100/200tw track tires (not slicks or Hoosiers), no aero, with stock susp, I want to try this as a milder option to delrin or poly. Our roads here in Montreal have now twice won the 'Worst roads in North America award by Nokian Tires'.(and they ain't getting better!)
I don't hear C7 guys complaining, and the one time I drove a C7 Z06 on track, it don't recall it feeling vague or imprecise (yes, yes...I realize it's lower rear control arms are still different/better).
Anyway, its always possible to do lower rear only with Delrin if this is still deemed an issue

Just thought to mention all this ...

 

If you track your car join the "Corvette Track Enthusiasts" group on FB, they are a gold mine of information on these cars. There are a lot of topics there on control arm bushings.

The general consensus from what I've seen is that spherical bearings are the best in terms of connecting you to the road, but they are the most expensive. AMT and Gspeed are both reputable and carry these kits.

If you don't want to go sphericals, Borg Motosports and Van Steel Corvettes sells delrins.

 

As Tommy said above, the c7 upper arms offer a really nice alternative to bearings if you prefer OEM parts.

Spherical bears are the cats meow, but as with everything in life, there are compromises.

if the car has stock mufflers and you still listen to the radio, spherical bearings are likely not for you.

if you can’t hear the radio, spherical all the way.

 

https://trackspecmotorsports.com/spe...bushings-c6z06

 

So what is the actual difference between the C6 & C7 control arms?? Are they beefier or what? I tried checking the differences out a few years back and couldn't see a difference online, but then wasn't 100% certain I was viewing actual C7 control arms.

 

Stop plates on the right and left hand sides of the center rods, so the arm can not just walk off the bushings under heavy braking like on the C6.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ks0AA...x6K/s-l960.jpg

If you look at some of the poly kits, they will come with the upgrade rods to achieve the same as well.

 

Thanks Dano!

 

Here’s another angle on the upper bushings, there’s also a sleeve and while as I posted above, I have no idea of the actual durometer of the rubber used, it appears that the bushing will permit less lateral deflection. While still allowing rotation.
I still don’t have the C7 lowers so can’t comment on any differences regarding bushings, only that they allow use of the better C7 Z brake cooling deflectors (my post #5 above).

Again, this obviously can’t come close to the positive location and rotation offered by spherical, but is just a decent solution for a street car, which doesn’t affect NVH.
And again, I haven’t yet tried/installed mine so can’t give any first hand feedback at this time

 

Curious to know, if the C7 brake deflectors will fit on the C6 lower control arms as well.

 

no, only on the C7 LCAs.
for C6 you need the ones from a C6 Z07or ZR1. Maybe there's a wrecked ZR1 in scrap somewhere...recently saw a related YouTube

Forgot I do have a full set of the C7 Z06 deflector/scoops. New, unopened in case someone wants them

 

Curious if it is because on the shape of the arm, or just because of the holes required?

 

shape, design ...C7 appear to be hollow cast.
Regardless, even for C6 LCAs you need to drill, and tap the holes. Unless maybe newer ones all came that way...presumably

 

I am a fan of my delrin bushings, but I will say there was a ton of mechanical noise transfer into the cab, including hearing the Differential above 45 mph. I don't even notice it now, but it took some getting used to.

 

How much would you want for the defectors/scoops? I may try my hand at making them work if they don't rub too badly

 

I don't think they would fit. You see, the C7 LCAs are shaped differently than C6

heres a couple pics of them on the C7 arms

Im away now but will open the package and take a closer look this weekend to see...

 

so I had a look, and unfortunately I'm just not sure. Reason being that my c6 ZR1/Z07 deflectors are installed on my C6 LCAs and I can't position the C7Z pieces as a result. Didn't want to start removing stuff...sorry

anyhow, this is the kit
https://www.cultragfactoryparts.com/...it-84057829kit
if you want to take a chance

mine is still in the packaging