Few Questions: Lowering, Speedometer, Suggest Rears?

[Rain]

OK

I put some BLING BLING on the 96 coupe.

(early) C5 chrome rims and runflats.

Went from Eagle GS-C P 255/45 ZR-17 on the fronts to Eagle F1 P 245/45 ZR-17 tires.
Rears went from Eagle GS-C P 285/40 ZR-17 to Eagle F1 P 275/40 ZR-18 tires.

Tires need balancing and the rears don't have much tread left on them.

Q: The front tires are in great shape, the rears are not. What would you replace them with?

Q: Can pretty much any shop balance these? Seller did say that the weights must be "puttied" in.

Q: Front end alignment - Again, do most shops understand how to align performance cars?

Q: How hard is it to lower the rear end a bit? Will the comfortable ride suffer if I lower? Must I lower the front too?

Q: Now that I've put an 18" tire on the rear, should my speedometer be off about 1 or 2 mph?

Thanks for putting me on track everyone!
Rain

 

[Ken]

Q: The front tires are in great shape, the rears are not. What would you replace them with?

It's a matter of personal choice I think. I don't even look at most of those posts anymore - I give up. :L

Q: Can pretty much any shop balance these? Seller did say that the weights must be "puddied" in.

Any shop should be capable of mounting and balancing tires. I say should. And by the way, I have a feeling he meant "putty", not "puddy."

Front end alignment - Again, do most shops understand how to align performance cars?

Again, any shop should be capable of that task, but be sure they know Corvettes!

Q: How hard is it to lower the rear end a bit? Will the comfortable ride suffer if I lower? Must I lower the front too?

Easiest thing since shackles on leaf springs, or those screw-in lugs you put between the coil springs on your old hot rod. Simply get longer bolts for the rear spring. The ride is not any noticeably harsher, especially if you already have a sport suspension. You do not have to lower the front if you don't want to.

Q: Now that I've put an 18" tire on the rear, should my speedometer be off about 1 or 2 mph?

At least that much. Time to recalibrate, or simply remember that it's off by so much.

 

[Rain]

Haha
Potato, Patoto!

Thanks KEN

Followed a link you put for MAdVettes and their tech article on lowering.
Bout to read it now.
Longer bolts.. Where do those come from?

Also, doesn't my shop manual have the numbers for proper alignment?
Will copy those and take em along to the shop -"Hey you, set my front end to these numbers, please".

Going to call Dino at the Corvette Salvage place in the morning. See if he has a set of barely used 18 inch Eagle F1 rears.

Had strange wear on my sawblade OE tires. Lots of tread on the tires still, but "cupping". Less tread on the outer edge than the inner. That a sure sign of poor alignment?

Just read up on what those little numbers mean on my tires:

width, % of width = Sidewall, and of course the inches number

 

[Ken]

Get the bolts at your local hardware store.

The numbers will be different from stock since you're lowering it.

"Cupping" could be due to improper tire pressures.

Nice to know what those numbers mean, eh? :L

 

[Rain]

really? Local hardware store!
:0
Glad to hear that the poor wear on my old fronts might not be a need for alignment.

Will balance the runflats tomorrow and go from there -
How tough to replace the stock bolts with these new ones?

 

[Ken]

Got a floor jack and a little common sense? :L

You remember me doing it just about a month or two ago?

Place the floor jack, or a bottle jack, or any kind of jack that'll fit, on the spring (it might help to use a C-clamp to keep the jack from slipping) and raise the spring until tension is relieved. Remove and replace. Piece o' cake!

 

[Rain]

Me = Common Sense?!?! HAHAHA!

Yes, going out there now to have a look-see under the rear end. Check on the spare while Im there.
(but now that I have run flats, I dont need the spare)

Have floor jack and two jack stands -
And yes, recall you lowering it some more and asking if it was too low.. (wasn't that you?)

So get her up in the air, set her on the jack stands.

Then use my jack to raise one end of the spring until tension is relieved.
(repeat on the other side for the other bolt)

One more question on this project:
(ok, two)
What size bolt?
and
Will it need re-aligning if I just lower the rear a bit?
(do Vettes require 4 wheel or front end alignment?) ok, thats 3 questions -

You Rock!
Thanks for the help
Rain

 

[Ken]

Man, I gotta keep putting my bong down to type your answers!

Yes, it was me who asked about bolts, and subsequently asked if I lowered it too much: The bolts and the question are in one thread: Longer rear spring bolts...

 

[Rain]

right on man!
Sorry to delay the Thursday night buzz and resulting munchies

Bong hits, brings back memories! (guess I was not stoned enough of the time since I actually HAVE memories)

Just looking at jacking points.
Assume to lift the entire rear of the car I can either back her up on my Rino ramps(which I believe are too narrow for this tire), or put a block on the jack and lift from the center of the leaf spring?

Thanks again
Rain

 

[Ken]

You need to get the weight off the wheels.

And if you don't drop it too much you shouldn't need a re-alignment, but it couldn't hurt seeing as how you did buy a used car eh, and don't know exactly where it really stands as is. Relatively cheap insurance to prevent excessive tire wear.

By the way, I have no problem with the Rhinos accomodating a 275 or 285 tire.

 

[Rain]

See... there goes that Common Sense thing - right out the window! LOL!

Ok- read thru your Bolt thread - Looks like it states the size and strength as well as the needed 4 inches of thread. Where did you eventually find the proper bolts?

btw, don't plan on lowering it more than an inch. Looks like the stock bolts have an inch to go. Will go back out now and check the condition of my bushings.

Sure glad you California guys are awake!
Rain

 

[Ken]

... 4 inches of thread.
Looks like the stock bolts have an inch to go.

:nono You need the extra inch or so as a fudge factor, read: safety.

And on that note, be sure to use either the nyloc-type nuts or use something like Loctite.

 

[Rain]

Ken
Looks like big trouble in "river city" for me.
Got up under the car to check the bolts and look at the bushings and it looks like something has rubbed the inside of the tire.
Im damned lucky it didnt shred the rear tires tonight (I drove an hour on the interstate coming home)!

Taking pics now - need to figure out if this is something that happened tonight or if it was previous dammage. (he had these on a 33 roadster for a few days and didn't like em)

Rain

 

[Ken]

:duh

I hope, for your sake, that it was from the previous owner's damage to the tire, and not your car that's responsible. I doubt that it's yours or you'd have noticed before now.

 

[Rain]

Ok
should I freak out now or start praying?

 

[Rain]

Took several shots of the inner wheel wells.. don't see anything that looks rubbed.

included a few of my stock bolts and bushings too -


http://www.rainontheinternet.com/Tire/

 

[Ken]

Hmmm... I don't see anything that could be rubbing the tire either - you'd see shiny areas where it was rubbing.

Unless the previous owner 'fesses up, I guess it could be due to a defective tire. It appears as though you've lost most of the sidewall?? :eek

One thing I did notice however is the lack of grease in your tie-rod ends. Those ends have no fittings for grease? They're stock, right? The cups should contain grease, but it looks like they've blown out or dried up.

You've got some work cut out for you in the clean-up department, eh? :L

 

[Rain]

yes, especially on the passenger side. Thats the one thats eaten away the most. Have not pulled the front tires yet. but will just to be sure.

Clean up? Shesh! The entire car is this way - front to back.
Thats my FALL PROJECT- Clean this car for the first time in its life!

Lack of Grease - They are stock. Cups should contain grease?
oh no!

btw, Id share my Beignets with ya if I could. (we stopped by the Cafe du Monde' in the French Quarter on our way home tonight)

 

[Ken]

I'd share my Beignets ...

Mmmm... Beignets... (eyes rolled back, drooling like Homer) :L

 

[Rain]

went back and looked at the pics. I see what ya mean re: the tie rod ends.
Lots to do underneath this car -

Writing the seller an email and sending him a few pics of the tires and the wheel wells.
I honestly didn't look at the rubber that close today as I was more concerned with the condition of the chrome rims.