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The MSRC settings aren't static like conventional adjustable shocks. A computer is constantly adjusting the firmness to account for road conditions. The settings are a "bias" for a starting point.
I measured the Z06 springs today as I wanted to see what other options might be available if I was unhappy with them. They are both 5" OD. The front spring is 8 5/8", the rear 11 3/8". Browsing Speedway Motors there are a whole bunch of 11" springs available, and quite a few in 8 or 8.5. I would assume if I put a slightly shorter spring on (1/2" ish), I could lift up the car via the adjuster to compensate. I will be sending off the OEM stuff for testing after the holiday package crush is over.
Just got the Z51 rear sway bar in. Z51 springs are also here. Another dumb question. Other than the Z51 shocks having height adjustment, is there a difference between those and the FE1 shocks? When I read the differences between FE1 and FE3 I see wording like "Z51 tuned suspension"..........is that only the springs and rear sway bar?
Just got the Z51 rear sway bar in. Z51 springs are also here. Another dumb question. Other than the Z51 shocks having height adjustment, is there a difference between those and the FE1 shocks? When I read the differences between FE1 and FE3 I see wording like "Z51 tuned suspension"..........is that only the springs and rear sway bar?
FE3 shocks have more damping than the FE1 shocks but I don't know how much more.
FE3 shocks have more damping than the FE1 shocks but I don't know how much more.
So basically I would be changing 2/3 of the equation. Folks put on lowering springs all the time and it doesn't seem to affect the ride too much. I imagine this will be the same thing, but the more I think about it the more I'm delving into the unknown. This could make a nice difference in stiffness, which is what I'm looking for, however, the Z51 springs and rear sway bar were not designed and tested to work with the FE1 shocks so there's a potential this could go south..........ugh.........the right answer seems to be if I'm gonna do it then go all the way and get the Z51 shocks.........
Remaining parts have come in. Now if Speedway would send back my stuff I can move forward.
Don't think you ever got your answer on an above question regarding possibly choosing different springs based on measured length and width. This alone will tell you nothing of potential ride heigh. Spring rate come into play here as a higher rate spring will compress less under a specific load (ie static car weight) On the coilovers I use, all spring ranging from 250-about 850 pounds that I have tried on various set ups have all been 2.5" coils with the same length, but all would have different static ride heights if the spring perch location was unchanged. Curious to hear how these ride for you.
It appears you have a number of different springs and the interest to test different combinations: Bravo!
I'd love to get your feedback on the different setups. Sharing the spring rates and your ride evaluations would be much appreciated.
Order some Eibach springs and sway bars. Lower the car and call it a day. I love my FE1 ride now. I didnt change anything else. I have mag ride on my C& and Camaro and the C8 ride is so much nicer as is.
Called Speedway today to get status. They're slammed and have been unable to make adapters to dyno shocks, so that's off the table. They did test my springs here's the results
Installed Z51 rear sway bar. Wasn't sure if I was gonna notice that much of a difference. Car rode about as smooth as it ever did, however, I definitely noticed the slight body roll that existed before being totally gone. That was a really nice upgrade. I don't think I will go with the Z51 springs. With the stock springs and addition of the Z51 sway bar the car is absolutely perfect for street canyon carving. I did add a carbon fiber X-Brace, mostly for aesthetics, but this one has some engineering behind it and claims 8% stiffness increase. Will see if it has any impact on handling. For my 5-6/10s level driving I'm not expecting it to.
So basically I would be changing 2/3 of the equation. Folks put on lowering springs all the time and it doesn't seem to affect the ride too much. I imagine this will be the same thing, but the more I think about it the more I'm delving into the unknown. This could make a nice difference in stiffness, which is what I'm looking for, however, the Z51 springs and rear sway bar were not designed and tested to work with the FE1 shocks so there's a potential this could go south..........ugh.........the right answer seems to be if I'm gonna do it then go all the way and get the Z51 shocks.........
In my prior Camaro land there are a ton of sway bar options, most I noticed was the stiffer I went on the rear sway the more understeer I had at the track. when I look at the base sway bars they reversed the diameters so now my c8 has a much thicker front swaybar than the rear. I would try it around some tight corners before and after if I ever swap the rear swaybar
In my prior Camaro land there are a ton of sway bar options, most I noticed was the stiffer I went on the rear sway the more understeer I had at the track. when I look at the base sway bars they reversed the diameters so now my c8 has a much thicker front swaybar than the rear. I would try it around some tight corners before and after if I ever swap the rear swaybar
I have had the exact opposite experience, increasing rear sway bar leading to more oversteer not understeer. Have done this tracking both my AC Cobra and my C8 with similar results on both platforms.
A quick update on my suspension update. I've had two other C8 projects in front of this one, but they are complete now. The coil overs and sway bar swap are up next.
I ended up ordering the 4 top hats and nuts so I could assemble the new shocks/springs before the car went on jackstands. They were cheap enough at $25 each. I tried assembling them but ran into the shock piston shaft spinning, not allowing me to tighten the lock nut all the way. The shaft has a weird squared off tip to it, 8.8MM square. As you might expect GM has a special tool just for that at $75 LOL. I've ordered an 11/32 female pipe plug socket at $14. It should be able to hold the shaft. I made a wrench out of an old 17mm deep socket and a small piece of steel to turn the nut. We'll see. I'm expecting that socket to show up here in the next few days.
As for the sway bars, turns out the base rear bar (non-Z51) is used on the Z06 as well. the front bar is different, I believe smaller. I have that bar now and it'll go in at the same time as the shocks.
This is the front shock with the Z06 spring mounted'
OK, so I finally got my 11/32 female pipe plug socket, worked perfect. It held the shaft while my homemade wrench tightened the nut. I assembled the shocks, and all looks good. The amount of compression on the helper springs looks like what I've seen on the Z06 Mag Ride shocks. To summarize, Z51 shocks, top hat and nut, Z06 spring, upper and lower insulator and bump stops.
12-19-2023, 02:40 PM
