F55 Shock Replacement
 

Hey guys,

I have a dead F55 shock. I looked and haven't been able to find any answers to this. Will an F55 shock from a C6 Corvette work on my '03? As far as I can tell they are the exact same length and body size within a few mm. Anyone have any info on this??

Thanks,

Ben Marino

C6 Z06 shocks work on C5s. The issue isn't mechanical, it is the control for magnetic ride may be entirely different.

Yeah, I tried the z06 shocks and the ride was too soft and felt off when hitting bumps and holes. I would think as long as the F55 shock itself was the same it'd still work. But if no one knows then I don't wanna be the tester. I'll probably grab some different leaf springs if I can't find a decent priced shock.

Thanks for the reply,

Ben

F55 shocks in the C5 and C6 generation are going to always be softer than C6 Z06 shocks...

Hmm..well maybe I bought the wrong shocks then. It said they were a "1997-2013 C5 C6 Corvette Genuine GM OEM Front And Rear Z06 Upgrade Shock Kit." I'll have to check part numbers but I thought they were right. Would the z06 shocks perform the same on the base leaf springs?

Thanks,

Ben

Z06 springs have a higher spring rate and will therefore be stiffer with the same shocks. I would also suggest looking at Bilsteins and other shock threads for suggestions on stiff shocks. Remember, Z06 was designed as a compromise between track and regular road use with a bias towards track.

The C5 Z51 and C5 Z06 owners tend to like the factory C6 Z06 shocks, plus they are more readily available and less expensive than the 2004 C5 Z06 shocks. The C5 base FE1 owners really like the factory C6 Z06 shocks especially when paired with the factory C6 Z51 sway bars because the package offers improved handling with the soft FE1 springs and along with greatly reduced body roll. Sort of like the old Herb Adams philosophy of adequate travel, slightly softer springs, with firmer shocks and big fat sway bars.

Now the C6 Z06 owners tend to not like the stock C6 Z06 shocks so much. What they tend to like is (no surprise here) an aftermarket shock that was originally specifically designed for the C6 Z06 application, the DRM custom valved Bilstein B8 shocks. These differ from the stock Bilstein B8 shocks for the C5/6. From what I understand the compression valving is a just bit softer, while the rebound damper rate is noticeable increased. This strategy was developed to help keep the larger heavier wheels/tires better planted to the pavement and to better deal with harsh road inputs so as to not completely compromise ride quality while still improving handling. These are also popular with C5 Z06 folks that tend to push their cars fairly hard or run autocross and road course events. Short of a fully adjustable shock (big $$) these DRM Bilstein B8 probably offer one of the the best bang for you buck when it comes to aftermarket shocks, if you have either a C5 Z06 or C6 Z06 or have upgraded your C5 or C6 up to those suspension and wheels/tires levels.

Corvette shock selection is VERY subjective, so as always YMMV.

I will add that there are fully adjustable shocks that are not big $$, like a set of Vikings. I'm reasonably happy with mine and have been using them for a while. Paid $652 for the set.

That said ... I will probably go for the LG GT2 adjustable coilovers eventually.

/shrug

I'll likely go with a set of z06 springs then since I have the shocks already and I've found some used springs pretty cheap compared to a whole setup or coilovers. I'll probably check out the other Bilstein shocks too for the future.

Thanks for all the input guys!

Ben

If you're going to end up ripping out your F55 stuff, I'm interested in them.

I'll let you know. I wanna make sure the z06 ride is right for me before I get rid of the stuff.

Ben