stano

Has anyone used a stock C6 rear sway on their C6Z using street tires? If so, your impressions.
Is there any direct correlation to the way you drive on the track and type of tire you use that determines the size of sway bar?

gkmccready

So... I've tried a number of combinations on my C6 Z51... my front bar is the same as a C6Z...

(1) C6 Z51 Front & Rear
(2) C6 Z51 Front & Base Rear
(3) Pfadt Pfatty (Original, now Street) Front & Rear (various settings)
(4) Pfadt Pfatty Front (Original, now Street) & C6 Z51 Rear
(5) Pfadt Pfatty Front (Original, now Street) & Base Rear

As the car sits today it's on option (1) again, but with VBP bushings. I went all the way back to option (1) when I put the KONI 3013Sports on, and kept option (1) with the HardbarUSA Penske 8100s, and continue to use it with the DRM Bilstein Coilovers.

Because I can't leave things well enough alone, I'm dropping my front wheel and tire combo to 18x10 275/35r18 from 18x11 295/30r18 because of how the old package rubbed the fender on the C6 non-Z.

I've ordered a C6Z rear bar from Gene @ GM Parts House to throw in to the mix. The stock bars are <= $100ea and you can do stock "isolators" or get VBP to make you poly bushings for them for a very reasonable price ($25?).

I found with my car that the car felt racy with the Pfadt bars but really wasn't any faster for me from what I could tell when peeking at corner exit speeds. And when I was fighting the loose condition the smaller [base] rear bar helped a bit, but only a bit. I keep thinking about putting the Pfadt bars back on as an experiment since I've changed so much else since they were last on the car.

I've been searching for a bit of a clunk in the rear suspension, and it turned out to be a buggered swaybar end-link. For the last week I've been running with both endlinks off the rear bar... I learned two things... the swaybar brackets need more shims, and the bushings need a lot more lube. Driving straight down a bumpy road actually works better with the swaybar disconnected than the way it was before... it's also kind of fun how controllable a corner exit power slide is right now...

Anyway, I've found that a smaller rear bar helps for the low-speed, tighter corners, but a bit bigger rear bar really makes the higher-speed sweepers easier to deal with.

What handling issue are you looking to fix, and on what kind of corners, with the Z51 or base bar?

stano

I'm not having any real issues other than I think the rear is too stiff for my liking. It feels nervous to me, twitchy. I'm having a corner balance and alignment done by a shop that does only race car alignments and he is suggesting the smaller rear bar 22mm. He's set up T1 cars in the past. I liked the way my car felt at the track with the stock sways all around but I had an understeer problem. I'm now using the PFADT Comp up front neutral position and am going to try the 22mm and was wondering if anyone had tried this set up. I have the rear stock Z bar on now and I could tell a difference right away on the street.

I'm experimenting and learning what works for my style of driving.....

Both sways are lubed by the way. We're going to put adjustable end links on the rear.

gkmccready

Wow. 22mm is the base model bar. The Pfadt Pfatty front bar is 38mm, right? Isn't dropping the size of the rear bar just going to add more understeer by giving the rear more grip?

stano

I thought the same thing so I'm not sure what he has up his sleeve. I was thinking maybe the Z51 rear would be a better choice. I'll chat with him. I don't know, could his alignment counter that in any small way? He did mention adding some more camber up front. I'm just asking and learning

I laugh every time I look at that bar but then again I remember seeing a small bar like that on a T1 C5 at another shop.

I'll throw it on tomorrow and see how she feels on the street and on some curves going to Death valley

gkmccready

Well, let us know how it goes! I think it was the '07 NASA championships when RAFTRACER went to a bigger front bar to cure his push. I never could wrap my head around that, but if it works, it works!

CP Thunder

Raftracer.......gonna have to 'splain that one to me......

stano

I had the car aligned and corner balanced last night and what a huge difference. We raised the car up, pressurized the LG coil over shocks to 150, did a corner balance and aligned the car while it was on the scales. Pretty interesting. We also made our own camber plates for the front. Driving home you would never know I had a 22mm rear sway bar on the car. Now I only need little steering inputs to turn the car and it is really stable at high speeds ( it's nice driving in the desert at midnight with no one on the roads

I've never felt more at ease driving this car

We were within 1 lb RF and LF and within 5lbs RR and LR.

I can't wait to get the car on the track the 17th and see how my times change.

0C5stein

Hey Stano - take a pyrometer with you and get some tire temps as soon as you finish your last hard lap. As you will recall, I suggested raising the car a long time ago, due to the roll centers being too low on a lowered car. I see that you switched shocks again. WOW!

If you still have some money to burn and want the latest. We just rolled out our new drop spindles. They lower the car 1.5" and raise the roll centers. This means that you can run smaller anti sway bars and still keep body roll at bay.

stano

Hey Mark, Yes, I remember you saying that. I think at that time though I hadn't been bit by the bug yet.
How you and Terry been? Funny, I was thinking about you guys the other day while I was thinking of a race seat and was wondering how it was going.

I also remember our conversation about sway bars and your buddy running at Thunder Hill going back to stock if I remember correctly. I had a chance to pick up the LG's at a killer price and feel comfortable with them. Adjustments and I don't get along well as you know

Good hearing from you say hello to Terry

Stan

0C5stein

Yep we are doing fine. We needed to start working on Muscle Cars, Street Rods and other GM vehicles in addition to Corvettes to keep the fires burning bright, but in this economy, we are doing better than a bunch of our competitors (and former competitors).

We just finished up some work on a '37 Ford 2 door coupe Street Rod featuring an LS7 (with dry sump), a 6L80E and a very custom Paddle shifter setup that my guy Tom built. The wiring circuit box that he needed to build to make that work made most guys heads swim.

We are also assisting an owner in building a Twin Turbo LS2 powered '62 bubble top Oldsmobile 88, complete with C6 Corvette suspension.

My 1970 Chevelle SS, TT LS1 that I was building when you were here last is done and it turned out incredibly well.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but here are a few pics of my Chevelle. It is the first rotiserie/body off I've done, so I'm kinda proud.

I'll say hi to Terry for you.