Hary Gahtoe

Getting very ambiguous answers about using a standard (length) shock on mildly to moderately lowered car.
I know some guys said outright no but I’ve read 1 website mention a standard replacement shock bundled with lowering bolts and one article that clearly stated in bold print NOTE; Bilstein Sports are not shorter just internally valved differently
So is it a misunderstanding about using standard or non Sport shocks like C6 Z06?

Go to LMPerformance they advertise B6 ( which is the standard or non sport ) shocks often purchased together with lowering bolts

Are people just pushing Sport valved shocks that factually are the same height as non sports cause it sure sounds like it


https://www.lmperformance.com/865728...ette-rear.html


Love to hear from other lowered C5 owners running Non Sport or HD type shocks

scorpiofox69

I'm running C6 Z06, lowered front and back-lowering bolts on rear and bottomed out the front spring.

Kubs

It depends on how you use the car. C6 Z06 shocks are actually LONGER than stock C5 shocks, but if you only street drive the car you will never notice a difference. I took a friends car to the tack when he had C6 Z06 shocks on his lowered C5Z and the car was undrivable at speed. It kept bouncing off the rear bump stops and was very loose. Didnt have any issues on the street though. We replaced those shocks with a set of JRi non adjustables and its like its on rails now.

The B8 Bilstein Sport shocks are 1" shorter in length to accommodate lowered cars, but standard B6 or stock C5 shocks will work on a lowered car as well.

Hary Gahtoe

When you say" bottomed out the front spring" do you mean the you are at the lowest point of stock front spring lowering bolts?

MWWarlord

Coilovers would solve this issue.

Hary Gahtoe

I sent an email to Bilstein USA and the response I got back called out B8's But; The more you dig into this the likelihood is that Sport shocks only have stronger valving just prior to full compression and that under normal street driving that compression threshold isn't exceeded.

Look at Doug Rippie Motorsports C5 page. There is no mention for lowered cars only to use B8 Sports and they show B6 as well for C5's. The odd thing is they now list their specially valved DRM Bilstein in the C6 section and again no * regarding use for lowered vehicle

Another interesting sidenote is DRM recommends Energy Suspension Polyurethane upper shock bushings for less deflection and better feel

Kubs

No one is going to call out specifically if a shock should be used lowered or not because they will ALL bolt up and work. If they started excluding certain markets they would lose money.

The DRM shocks start with the B8 sport shock which is shorter and works on both C5 and C6. It is expected that if you are looking for a shock with track oriented valving that you also have a track oriented alignment, which involves lowering, so it doesnt need to be stated.

Again, unless you plan to track the car you will not notice the difference in shock length on a lowered C5 on the street. You can buy any version of Bilstein or aftermarket shock you want and it will bolt on and work.

Hary Gahtoe

Partially true.

Coilovers could do a better job than high end replacement shocks.

Problem here is, lowered DD street cars aren't truly being served by conventional Sport shocks. They will handle track condish. but way too harsh in normal useage. I'm not a teenager anymore. I want a controlled ride at normal street use levels. Which; yes, a coilover can provide with caveats.
Personally though, I have issues about quality from way too many Coilover sets, with costs for merely adding a spring to an adjustable shock body is way too expensive for what you get. Most Coilovers are Not a quality adjustable (2 way)shock and even the ones out there are not that adjustable and they are built poorly.
It becomes a bitter tug of war between best use, quality and cost. It boils down to the same requirements. Which is the highest priority personally or best overall combination is the bottom line

Hary Gahtoe

The email I received from Blistein USA specifically said use B8 on a lowered car not B6

Hary Gahtoe

Doug Rippie Motorsports website
Note no special notation for lowered cars between all shocks

https://www.dougrippie.com/c5-suspension

https://www.dougrippie.com/c6-suspension

jackthelad

Bilstein or Koni themselves will give you "manufacturer" quality advice, and I would take note. And ignore everyone else.

Hary Gahtoe

Good advice. But Why is there "manufacturer" advice that contradicts factual reports?
Guys are adamant that a standard or "HD" shock works for the street on a lowered car.
Could manufacturers (both Koni & Bilstein) be recommending sports for primarily track use and not DD street use?
I think this is the crux of the situation. Street use is being sidelined in favor of track use

scorpiofox69

Yes. My cars are weekend streeters/canyon carvers. I do not track my verts. Kubs is calling it straight up for the track side of the discussion.

Justin Raney

I bought mine lowered maybe 1'+ on the stock equipment rode and looked great but i have standard replacement c5/c6 base shocks so the f45 sport touring button doesnt function. One thing i will say is the alignment was way off and dangeroes with that short of wheelbase driving the car home felt like it quicke 180d and cobra r it under an 18 wheeler all the way from laredo 177 miles to san antonio. I raised it back to stock height or close and got an alignment.

Gordy M

When your Corvette was being built one of the last things done as it came off the assembly line was to set the ride height--to go over speed bumps and steep driveways and then was corner balanced. One of the first things the new Corvette owner or new owner of a used Corvette did was lower the ride height to give i a more aesthetic look. Unfortunately lowering the car by turning the factory or aftermarket bolts was to change the alignment, the suspension geometry and weight. The result was an ill handling car and tire wear. Autocrosser and HPDE drivers learned that to lower it max on stock bolts without making other changes could lead to a disaster. Today, those cars running a stock chassis Corvette only lower it about 1/2 way down the ride height bolts, align the car and counter weigh it so the full suspension can be used. One of the first things the owners of a C6Z changes is taking off the C6Z shock and selling them to C5 owners, and either go to an adjustable shock or a Bilstein or DRM Bilstein shock for better handling.

Hary Gahtoe

Factory shocks were not very good when new. Fast forward twenty yrs later, replacement market shocks have hardly changed at all. The only newer upgrade available lately is the Koni special active reds that internally respond similarly to the factory adaptive shocks without the electronics.
The trans leaf spring is an example of low production cost high end suspension that responds poorly to modification. The ability to control a lowered C5 shouldn’t hard. But the problem is the action/re action of the leaf spring becomes stronger or accentuated at the end of each leaf spring cycle; meaning top and bottom. This is where the Sport shocks come in. They will help reduce the speed and harshness on compression and reduce bottoming out. That does come with a price though. Daily driving becomes overly harsh in normal street conditions. What becomes necessary with (only daily driven cars, no track/high sport use) daily driven C5’s in normal conditions is a shock that controls the higher loads near peak load but still react lightly at mid point between peak load and unload actions

C7ZO6

Zero problems

my car has been lowered for 2 years.

now I must say, I have c5 Z06 springs on base model, and they are terrible.
for a sports car to have that kind of soft springs ?

Shocks alone won’t do much if the springs are made for 90 year old man.

for that reason, if I had to do it all over again, ONLY coil over from LG, GT2

Fast one

You don't specify what year you have or if it's a Z06, somewhere in the archives is a list of spring rates for each year including the Z06.

Hary Gahtoe

I've had a lowered C5 for 13 yrs. . Point about C5 suspension is the level of blank canvas it provides. The unpleasant side is the lack of direction getting to the desired effect. I'm not here to promote brands. Issue is nobody is purporting to provide a DD street only use LOWERED C5 a better controlled ride. Tons of companies have really nice race inspired setups. But no one builds what the european community calls a Touring setup. Lightly modified, more controlled specifically Not race purposed.

Maybe it's time we have a separate suspension catagory in each number forum.

C7ZO6

well original base model has spring rate of 400 lb combined for front and a little more for the back (Lincoln town car softness )

race setups those companies sell are from 650 to 900 lb per corner a lot more than stock.

so if you get springs that are only few hundred pounds more than the stock setup, you will achieve the European touring stiffness.
BC coil overs makes all kinds of stiffness rated springs.