oem height
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 876
Likes: 23
From: Prescott Valley, AZ
oem height
the first owner of my z51 c7 lowered the car. where i moved to, it is too low for the local roads. i will be replacing the tires soon and will be doing a four wheel alignment. i also want to raise the car back to oem specs. can someone tell me what those specs are and how to raise the car to those oem specs? thanks!
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,948
Likes: 6,750
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Do an "Advanced search" across the C7 Forums and there are many threads on lowering on OEM and aftermarket bolts. If the bolts are still originals, just reverse the process explained. My non-Z51 '18 St'ray that came with Z51 OEM wheels and tires are at 27-1/4" to the lowest edge of the front wheel-well, at the center of the wheel. And, 28-3/8" at the back wheel-well. I should add that my car settled a little on it's stock springs during the first few months on the road. All the best. 
Racer
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 425
Likes: 272
From: Cape Coral,FL
Owc6 is right so if you want to raise it evenly measure the ride height so you have a start point. Then just raise each one the same amount of turns if they're all ready even. I just lowered mine and found that 1.5 turns is 1/8 inch one turn is about 3/32 nds. I was able to get mine all within an 1/8 of an inch. I have quick Jack's which made this super easy. I cut my front lowering bolt took half off and sit at 26 5/8. Try to keep the back about an inch higher I believe that is the one constant for stock ride height. I have also found the stock lowering bolts have sloppy welds one can have more weld material and not lower as much as another.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,130
Likes: 617
From: Houston Texas
I just measured by 2016 convertible with Z51:
Left Rear - 27-3/4" Right Rear - 27-1/2"
Left front - 27" Right front - 26-7/8"
Floor lined up with centercap to bottom of qtr panels and fenders.
Left Rear - 27-3/4" Right Rear - 27-1/2"
Left front - 27" Right front - 26-7/8"
Floor lined up with centercap to bottom of qtr panels and fenders.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 876
Likes: 23
From: Prescott Valley, AZ
are you saying any height is within specs as long as the stock bolts are used? when the car was lowered i don’t believe they changed the bolts. however, at 10k miles i had to replace the front tires as the inside 2 inches of both the fronts was worn down to the cords. since the car spent most of its first four years sitting in a garage i assumed changing the height changed the suspension geometry resulting in the severe wear. guess my assumption was not correct. back to square one.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 9,158
Likes: 4,007
From: 2019 CMG Z06
I dropped my 16 Z51 all the way on factory bolts. That resulted in about 7/8 drop in rear and 3/4" drop upfront. If not dropped all the way now, drop the height all the way and go up 7/8,3/4. No exact science unfortunately. Factory heights and especially camber settings vary quite a bit
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 876
Likes: 23
From: Prescott Valley, AZ
I dropped my 16 Z51 all the way on factory bolts. That resulted in about 7/8 drop in rear and 3/4" drop upfront. If not dropped all the way now, drop the height all the way and go up 7/8,3/4. No exact science unfortunately. Factory heights and especially camber settings vary quite a bit
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 9,158
Likes: 4,007
From: 2019 CMG Z06
This is correct. Especially on Z06 cars (that I’m aware of). Several threads, 2 people I know personally. GM helped one pay 1/2 of tire replacement cost, told the other they won’t cover it at all. Hit or miss.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 876
Likes: 23
From: Prescott Valley, AZ
my car is a z51 suspension. so it makes sense. wish i had known. two tires worn down to the chord on the inside at 10k miles. obviously a mis alignment.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 425
Likes: 272
From: Cape Coral,FL
Don't quote me on this I have heard for transport from the factory the bolts are all the way up. The dealer is supposed to lower the car down. This is why there are so many different ride heights stock to stock. Some have found their bolt all the way up. I'm guessing some would find theirs much lower depending on the dealer and who lowered the car.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 425
Likes: 272
From: Cape Coral,FL
This is after lowering mine cut the front lowering bolt rubber pad in half and lowered front bolt all the way 26 5/8. Rear went really low on stock bolts I actually raised it back up and didn't t cut them sits about 28 inches give or take gas in the tank lowers or raises a little bit due to weight. I had it aligned but from the factory my alignment was OK, by that I mean even tire wear. The alignment shop said my alignment was out of whack but that's because I lowered it. I never checked the stock alignment. I have seen vetts lower than mine and they didn't cut the stock bolt. Every car is a little different from stingray to Z51, GS, Z06 and z07.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 1,355
Likes: 635
From: St. Louis
Don't quote me on this I have heard for transport from the factory the bolts are all the way up. The dealer is supposed to lower the car down. This is why there are so many different ride heights stock to stock. Some have found their bolt all the way up. I'm guessing some would find theirs much lower depending on the dealer and who lowered the car.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 425
Likes: 272
From: Cape Coral,FL
Well I did say don't quote me, this is something I have heard. So either its true or the factory does one shitty job in alignments that some cars wear out tires and others like mine 7600 miles had normal tire wear. I just know that these cars have different ride heights. I have seen it and it wasn't an 1/8 of an inch difference. Some are ridiculously high why others look more normal.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 522
From: Central Jersey
stock ride height as well as the stock alignments were all over the place on new cars.
the trim height specification for Z51 with magride is as follows:
Front = 693mm +/- 10mm (27.3 in +/- 0.39 in)
Rear = 737mm +/-10mm (29.0 in +/- 0.39in)
measured from the ground to the outer edge of the top of the wheel opening through the centerline of the wheel.
the trim height specification for Z51 with magride is as follows:
Front = 693mm +/- 10mm (27.3 in +/- 0.39 in)
Rear = 737mm +/-10mm (29.0 in +/- 0.39in)
measured from the ground to the outer edge of the top of the wheel opening through the centerline of the wheel.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 425
Likes: 272
From: Cape Coral,FL
stock ride height as well as the stock alignments were all over the place on new cars.
the trim height specification for Z51 with magride is as follows:
Front = 693mm +/- 10mm (27.3 in +/- 0.39 in)
Rear = 737mm +/-10mm (29.0 in +/- 0.39in)
measured from the ground to the outer edge of the top of the wheel opening through the centerline of the wheel.
the trim height specification for Z51 with magride is as follows:
Front = 693mm +/- 10mm (27.3 in +/- 0.39 in)
Rear = 737mm +/-10mm (29.0 in +/- 0.39in)
measured from the ground to the outer edge of the top of the wheel opening through the centerline of the wheel.