To Lower or not to lower the C5 ..??

[dreamboat3annie]

okay jj :bang

 

[Mellowyellowfellow]

Re: "is it covered by warranty"

Hey Dreamboat - any major mods to your Vette (mechanical or structural) will void the warranty. Cosmetic stuff is OK. Another reason why not to.

jj

Adjusting the suspension (lowering) is a major mod.,?:confused

 

[raycdosu]

untchble:

you mentioned longer bolts for lowering. i have seen these bolts sold on corvette parts websites.

does that mean that lowering the vehicle is just a matter of turning a few bolts? or am i just an idiot?


thanks

 

[CSDMagred01]

There a quite a few "how to" posts for lowering your C5 on the forums. It is essentially adjusting one bolt per wheel to lower it roughly 0.5-.075". If you have the car re-aligned to stock settings it should not affect tire wear.

This is not close to the slammed look import drivers get. That requires the longer bolts and really reduces suspension travel. Okay for a Z06 or Z51 with stiffer springs and shocks. On a stock suspension it may adversely affect handling if you have really bumpy roads and are close to bottoming out now. Lowering the car and reducing suspension travel just increases the odds it will. That can be nasty for safety in a high speed corner. If you have pretty smooth roads and that isn't a concern, the lower center of gravity will help handling and transitional response. If you're into driving the twisties it can make a big difference, driving over really big rocks seems to be the only downside.

I don't think GM will consider adjusting the bolts a MOD. Installing longer bolts, even proper grade 5's, if they fail and cause an accident, might void the warranty and shift responsibility. I've considered doing this mod for a while but I'm not a lawyer, so I'm adjusting only.

 

[Tomrw]

I wouldn't consider lowering the car. My C5 is plenty low. I have found many places in the DC Baltimore area where I will scrape the front end, exits from parking lots and intersections when crossing highly crowned roads. The most annoying is my driveway. I have to back in to prevent from scarping.
Tom

 

[panzer]

I highly recommend that if you lower your car that you get a Frame Saver. I am going to add it to mine even though it is stock.
The Vette is so low slug even with the best intentions you will forget and scrape/break your lower front end. Here is a link I am still looking to find the same type of thing cheaper but I will get one Frame Saver

 

[panzer]

Re: Low-rider

I would use the money to buy some cool ground effects. Mabe a wing.

What is the relationship between lowering and tire wear if your driving stays the same?

 

[SilverMN6]

It is low enough as it is. Too low gives a ricer look, and it is laughable when this great performance car must slow to a crawl to go over a speed bump. As it is, stock height will scrape even on moderate driveways. Also, you must get a full and proper alignment - be prepared to go back again and again as they mess it up.

 

[CSDMagred01]

Re: Re: Low-rider

What is the relationship between lowering and tire wear if your driving stays the same?

The small amounts of lowering we are discussing here shouldn't affect tire wear if 2 things happen:
1) The wheels/tires are aligned back to stock specs
2) The driver doesn't take advantage of the better handling and drive more agressively (as you pointed out).

The first one is easy to control the second isn't....but hey, why do it if you're not going to enjoy it?

 

[JBsC5]

I've lowered both my corvettes 15 MM's as described in the owners video tape. With stock shocks thats as low as I would go..(only about 5/8ths of an inch lower)

It takes the 4 x 4 look away ..just enough in my opinion...and not mess up the ability for the shocks to rebound or upset geometry..

I have no difference in the cars ability on the street updriveways..down driveways..or in any way effect everyday driveability..

I too like the look of the much more drastically lowered cars but I need total practicality..with that in mind I followed GM's tape on the performance setting for the springs.

Technician who did alignment did the lowering prior to setting suspension.

I am of the belief that going any lower you should consider bilsteins...

Actually since new shocks require the alignment..I'd do the bilsteins at the same time as lowering..then do the alignment..

I'd recommend driving in a lowered car first if your going more than the 5/8ths..(that gm recommends)

I know GM is usually overly conservative..but suspension geometry and all the other intricacies..(sp) is way more than I understand..

Good luck

JB

 

[luvinc5]

I too hate the 3" stock gap on the top of the tires. If you lower, the ride gets a bit more harsh but the handling gets more agile. I've learned not to look the wheels and wheel well areas anymore and now, all is fine.

 

[madquake]

OK PLEASE- I NEED HELP SINCE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS SUBJECT THEN !

Where Do I find a step by step web site on how to Lower my 93 convertible Vette ??
Please I have the bolts and shim thingy here to do it ... Please anyone ??


Thanks Mark A ..

Send link here or to madquake@bellsouth.net

Thanks a million guys and galz!

 

[jorge33265]

I have a 97 I lowered this weekend. Its really easy to lower these cars and you can do it yourself. Im very happy with it and think it looks 100 times better. Ride didnt change much at all. I have about a 1 inch gap now. If you dont like it you can always raise it again.

 

[jorge33265]

Madquake, I found this hope it helps. Lowering a C4 is not an easy task. C5 is a matter of adjusting bolts. It can be done in about 2 hours easy as long as you dont have to make many hieght adjustments.

http://www.corvetteforum.com/techtips/viewsubtopic.php?SubTopicID=194&TopicID=2

 

[Da Hawaiian Punch]

My friends C-5 that we lowerd...........no problems here!!!!

My C-4 that we also lowerd.......again......no problems here either!!.........

 

[Da Hawaiian Punch]

Re: OK PLEASE- I NEED HELP SINCE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS SUBJECT THEN !

Where Do I find a step by step web site on how to Lower my 93 convertible Vette ??
Please I have the bolts and shim thingy here to do it ... Please anyone ??


Thanks Mark A ..

Send link here or to madquake@bellsouth.net

Thanks a million guys and galz!

Heres some C-4 lowering instructions for yea!!! It's so easy to do! Infact, the hardest thing to do is to cut the rubber off the spring.. that stuff on there is tuff!! Unbolt the outer tie rod & sway bar, on both sides, losen the spring retainers which is holding the leaf spring to the frame of the car. On either side that you what to start on first, get a block of wood ( 2 by 4 ) and a small floor jack will be fine, put the wood along with the jack under the spring closest to the a-arm, with out it being ON the a-arm it's self and slowly jack the spring up untill it's not resting on the lower a-arm ( about a 1/4 to an 1/2 inch off ) Disconect the ABS sensor thats located on the brake assembly, thats very important for you to do so!! ( if yours has one) remove the 2 bolts that are holding the shocks to the lower a-arm (they're located near the spring in the lower a-arm), unbolt the lower ball joint stud nut, you can use a two jaw puller or what I did was unscrew the nut untill it covered the end of the stud and with a hammer, tap on the top of the nut and not that hard or you'll ruin either the nut it's self or the stud or both. (try using a hard rubber mallet first) Before doing this, find something to put under the wheel hub.. another block of wood would be fine just to stabilize it and it should come free with no problem!! repeat this on the other side and let the presure off from the 2 by 4 and jack free and you should be able to slide the spring out from either side after you pull back at the wheel hub away little, the spring will slide out from the lower a-arm. It will not come out all the way if the car is not jacked up high enough and it does not have to!! you just need to be able to slide the spring far enough to be able to reach the rubber mounts. With a steak knife or I prefered a hack saw blade, saw off the rubber mounts and try not to cut into the spring it's self... take your time, don't rush!! (Helpful hint- While sawing the rubber piece, lift up on the piece that you've already sawed on, away from the spring while your sawing, that way it will not bind it's self between the rubber and spring. please remember this hint, it'll make work a heck of a lot easier for your self!!!). do this on both sides. this will give you the drop that your, I think looking for!!! The wheels will be, depending on what size rims you've got, if your running stock 17's will be about an 1 inch to an 1 1/4 from the fender wells, and NO!! THEY WILL NOT RUB!! You will have to of course hopefully with out saying, take the wheels off to do this job, and the ride is fine, just a little more stiff, and I do mean, A LITTLE!! This will make your car low!! I hope this helps Aloha!!

 

[Da Hawaiian Punch]

To who's ever intrested, I just copied a response that I had made to a fellow forum member.......you'll see why I copied and not wrote it out again.....it's longggggggg!! This is the instructions for lowering the C-5 (Important Note) If you have that ride control thingy, I'd fine out if your able to do this or not, reseach first before attempting this project.
First of all, how low do you want to go? is the most important question, you see, on the C-5, it has a true adjustable suspention, so if you want to go only as low as the adjustable suspention will let you go, just jack the car up, take the tires off, look in the arm section behind the bottom part of the shocks, at the fiberglass leaf spring where it sit's in the a-arm, you'll see a bolt/nut like thing in the middle of the leaf sprinf that sits in the bottom of the a-arm, just un-screw the bolt all the way out, dont worry, it can't come out all the way, it'll stop at a curtain point, put the tires back on do the other side of course, and drive a few feet to let it settle down to it's rideing height, now if your looking at slamming the car all the way down like what you see in the pictures that I posted this is how you do it,........Jack the front of the car up HIGH!! at the right places, and support it on jack stands, now, unbolt the "sway bar", un bolt the shocks from underneath, disconnect the abs sensor (If you have one) and be very careful doing so, get a floor jack, and jack the a-arm up a little and set a stack of blocks under the wheel rotor then let the jack down, with another block of wood, set the jack under the leaf spring on the bottom of the car, now, when you set the the jack with the wood on top of it under the leaf spring, make sure that the wood is as close to the bottom of the a-arm with out resting on it, you'll just want the wood and jack on the leaf spring, now jack the jack up just a little to take a small bit of pressure off the a-arm, back the nut out a little on the a-arm ball joint untill it's flush with the bolt that it's on, with a ruber mallet of a block of wood and a hammer, strike the top end of the nut & bolt, after a few strikes, it'll break free, (note)- this is to be done only if you dont have a ball joint seperater. Once thats free, jack the leaf spring up more untill the presure on the a-arm is gone, take the ball joint nut all the way off now, and the lower a-arm it'll be free floating, you should be able to push it down to the ground, now you'll have free access to the bolt thats on the leaf spring, take off the retainer clip, and unscrew the bolt all the way out! do this on both sides. now un bolt the 2 spring retainer's thats under the car, they are 2 metal clamps, that have 2 bolts through them, which are bolted to the frame of the car which holds the leaf spring in place, take them completely off. Now go to either side and pull the spring out, just enough to where you can get a steak knife of hacksaw blade to the rubber bushing thats glued on to the spring, saw that piece completely off! (HELPFUL HINT----At the same time that your sawing the rubber bushing off, lift up on the rubber bushing, away from the spring, that way, the knife or blade will not get caught between the rubber and spring, if you dont do this, it'll take you hours instead of minutes to cut the piece off!!) Now put the every thing back together and your done!! You'll notice that the other side will be much faster once you've done the first side! It took me about an half hr to 45 min to do the first side and about 15 mins to do the other side!! I hope that I explained this clearly enough to you and that it helps you!! The rear end?! All you have to do is take the floor jack with the block of wood, jack up the leaf spring on the rear, unbolt the bolt thats on the end, put a longer one in it's place, (Grade 8) get about an 8 to 9 inch bolt to be safe! thats it! You'll have to do some adjustments to even the car out. Take it easy!! It's the same instructions for lowering the rear of the C-4 also!!

 

[jorge33265]

Just an FYI I lowered my 97 C5 this weekend. I used 7 by 1/2 Inch grade 8 bolts and I stilll had lots of tread left. The 8 or 9 might be two long and you would probrably need lots of washers. At most I would go with an 8 inch bolt I used a 7 but those are hard to find. At least for my car the 9inch would be too long. Im 1 inch off the well. Ride didnt change much at all. Im happy with it. Dont forget the locking nuts and washers.. If you go with 7 inch bolts you only need 2 washers per side if you go with the 8 inch bolts you will need to get some extra washers. Both will work though. I'll try to post some pictures in the next couple of days...

 

[tmdmike]

Lowering

To who's ever intrested, I just copied a response that I had made to a fellow forum member.......you'll see why I copied and not wrote it out again.....it's longggggggg!! This is the instructions for lowering the C-5 (Important Note) If you have that ride control thingy, I'd fine out if your able to do this or not, reseach first before attempting this project.
First of all, how low do you want to go? is the most important question, you see, on the C-5, it has a true adjustable suspention, so if you want to go only as low as the adjustable suspention will let you go, just jack the car up, take the tires off, look in the arm section behind the bottom part of the shocks, at the fiberglass leaf spring where it sit's in the a-arm, you'll see a bolt/nut like thing in the middle of the leaf sprinf that sits in the bottom of the a-arm, just un-screw the bolt all the way out, dont worry, it can't come out all the way, it'll stop at a curtain point, put the tires back on do the other side of course, and drive a few feet to let it settle down to it's rideing height, now if your looking at slamming the car all the way down like what you see in the pictures that I posted this is how you do it,........Jack the front of the car up HIGH!! at the right places, and support it on jack stands, now, unbolt the "sway bar", un bolt the shocks from underneath, disconnect the abs sensor (If you have one) and be very careful doing so, get a floor jack, and jack the a-arm up a little and set a stack of blocks under the wheel rotor then let the jack down, with another block of wood, set the jack under the leaf spring on the bottom of the car, now, when you set the the jack with the wood on top of it under the leaf spring, make sure that the wood is as close to the bottom of the a-arm with out resting on it, you'll just want the wood and jack on the leaf spring, now jack the jack up just a little to take a small bit of pressure off the a-arm, back the nut out a little on the a-arm ball joint untill it's flush with the bolt that it's on, with a ruber mallet of a block of wood and a hammer, strike the top end of the nut & bolt, after a few strikes, it'll break free, (note)- this is to be done only if you dont have a ball joint seperater. Once thats free, jack the leaf spring up more untill the presure on the a-arm is gone, take the ball joint nut all the way off now, and the lower a-arm it'll be free floating, you should be able to push it down to the ground, now you'll have free access to the bolt thats on the leaf spring, take off the retainer clip, and unscrew the bolt all the way out! do this on both sides. now un bolt the 2 spring retainer's thats under the car, they are 2 metal clamps, that have 2 bolts through them, which are bolted to the frame of the car which holds the leaf spring in place, take them completely off. Now go to either side and pull the spring out, just enough to where you can get a steak knife of hacksaw blade to the rubber bushing thats glued on to the spring, saw that piece completely off! (HELPFUL HINT----At the same time that your sawing the rubber bushing off, lift up on the rubber bushing, away from the spring, that way, the knife or blade will not get caught between the rubber and spring, if you dont do this, it'll take you hours instead of minutes to cut the piece off!!) Now put the every thing back together and your done!! You'll notice that the other side will be much faster once you've done the first side! It took me about an half hr to 45 min to do the first side and about 15 mins to do the other side!! I hope that I explained this clearly enough to you and that it helps you!! The rear end?! All you have to do is take the floor jack with the block of wood, jack up the leaf spring on the rear, unbolt the bolt thats on the end, put a longer one in it's place, (Grade 8) get about an 8 to 9 inch bolt to be safe! thats it! You'll have to do some adjustments to even the car out. Take it easy!! It's the same instructions for lowering the rear of the C-4 also!![/QUOTe

Can I just lower the back of my c5?

 

[VETTEX2]

all I'll say is it sure handles better after lowering an inch.