Factory Ride Height?
 

I had my C6 lowered on stock bolts about 1000 miles ago and it seems the rear didn't lower any. I didn't measure before hand but the front is 25.75" and the rear is 28.5". Seems like they didn't do the rear like I asked or maybe even raised her but want to make sure before I try to take her back. She's an 06 C6 w/ Z51. Thanks again guys!

Are you measuring from ground to the top of the tire? 28" in the rear seems high, but without measuring mine (all the way down on stock bolts), I can't say for sure. I know the rear did not come down a whole lot, but 3" difference between the front and rear seems off...

It's not terribly hard to do it yourself, just need a bottlejack and a wrench

No I measured from the ground to the fender, the tire makes more sense though lol

That seems like stock height on the rear fender....Should be close to 27.5" or lower.

K thanks I'm taking her back up there on Sat for them to double check it. just seems to high to me, might even throw lowering bolts on in the back to try to even out the rake a little bit. I know its suppose to be a little higher in the back but not this much. Thanks!

It should look like this:

http://i49.tinypic.com/2j47v3r.jpg

Yea mines higher than that by about an inch it looks like. Is yours lowered on stock bolts or are those the $40 lowering bolts? Hopefully we can get her lowered this weekend! Badass pic by the way!

Lowered all the way down on stock bolts. Did it myself. Takes about 15 minutes total.

My rear went down a little, but nowhere close to how much the front dropped. You may have to cut the bushing deals on the bottom of the bolts if you want it lower.

Don't cut the bushings, trust me...

Oh I'm not. I actually raised the front back up a 1/4" to make it a little more even front to back. It's still got a downward slope to it though.

If someone searches through my threads from a year or two ago, I did a lot of measuring and surveys to determine what stock height should be on our 2009 Z51. Problem is, the official measurements must be done with a ~$250 GM tool with the car up on an alignment rack, and even then i don't trust the tool very much. Worse, the specs have changed from year to year.

What I did discover is that the rear fender arch is usually 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" higher than the front, at stock height. OP's numbers look way too high in the back compared to the front, but as others said his bolts may be maxed out. If so, I would just raise the front to get the normal difference front-back. Well, actually I would try to set it at stock height but that's another story...

:cheers:

Is there a difference in the ride at different heights? It there any tire rub once it's lowered to the max?

People argue, but my opinion:

The spring rates don't change much as the ride is lowered, so on decent roads you shouldn't notice much difference. But if the road is rough, you've already used up some of the suspension travel by lowering, a big bump or pothole is more likely to have you hit the bump stops.

Further opinions?

What about tire rub? If you stay with original size tire, you shouldn't have any problem with tire rub, correct?

Measuring ride height using the fender opening is not the correct way to lower a car. 1. The fender mount and fender are not accurately located in relation to the frame. While lowering a car this way will get it to "look" neat, it's the easy way out. Ride height is measured at known points on the frame, not a plastic fender. then, there is the fact that you have no idea of the changes to corner weight, camber, caster, and toe, unless you check all of this.

You are correct about the fenders not being precisely located. However, most people don't have the GM tool for measuring "trim height"; and although I have one, I don't think it's all that accurate either.

My theory is that if no one has messed up the adjustments, you can do well enough for street work by maintaining the same relationship left to right and front to rear. In other words, if your front fender arches are 1 1/4" lower than the rears, keep that difference. If your left front is 1/8" lower than your right front, keep that difference also.

Any change in ride height should get an alignment after driving the car for 200-400 miles, but IMHO 99% of us won't notice any difference from corner-weighing the car.

I think that for most people, the idea of trying to get precise with ride height adjustments is like
"measure it with a micrometer, mark it with a piece of chalk, cut it with an axe."

But I'm willing to listen to other opinions...

GJim, I agree with you about the fact that most on CF could not tell diddly about corner weight, camber, caster, caster trail due to rake change, and toe, after they turn the lower bolts, but, I am amazed at the same people will ask for advise and ponder about what color to paint their brake calipers, and possibly destroy the corvette handling by not lowering a car correctly