Ride Height Specs

[BlackOps]

Hi,

Does anyone know where I can find an illustration or the specs and how to measure the ride height? My 2004 Z06 has been lowered and it's too low for my driveway. I need to raise it, and there are lots of links that discuss lowering the car, but nothing about bringing it back to stock.

Thanks,

[Patrick]

Don, I know that it's possible to raise the Z06 back to original factory height- the DVD I got with mine described it. But I don't remember the procedure right off the top of my head.

Does anyone else recall what the DVD says about raising it back?

-Patrick

[Pac-man]

Don, two things. First, the directions for lowering a C5 are all over the net. Z06.net has some great illustrated ones. To return the stock ride height, just follow directions in reverse. Very easy. Now, if you would do me the favor of measuring the distance between your wheels and wheel wells, both front and back. I recently had my car re-lowered after replacing my suspension and the front seems not lowered enough. I would like to compare to yours. Thanks. Mine read 2in all around.

[BlackOps]

Pac Man,

I checked the air in my tires before I measured, and here's what I came up with. With 30 PSI all the way around, from the garage floor, up through the center line of the wheel to the bottom of the fender well I got:

RF 26 1/2"
RR 27 3/4"
LF 26 5/8"
LR 27 5/8"

COred,

The distance between the top of the tire to the bottom of the fender well is 1 7/8" on the front and 2 1/8" on the rears.

Thanks guys for the comparison numbers.

Don

[Pac-man]

With those #'s it seems to me that your car was lowered using the stock bolts only. That is easily reversable, although personally I would leave it lowered for many reasons. Just get over the spoiler scraping. That is what it's there for, and why it's on a hinge.

[BlackOps]

Pac-Man,

I would have liked to have left it down, but when I was coming in and out of the drive at our apartment complex, I was scraping metal everytime. I brought it up and now I'm only scraping the air dam.

Thanks for the input.

Don

[Pac-man]

Don, who brought it up for you? Or did you do it yourself?

[BlackOps]

I raised it by myself. It was pretty easy. The toughest part is getting my big old body up and down. I did have to lower the front leaf spring onto a jackstand that was heavily padded so I could run the front adjuster down.

What took the longest was getting the wheels off and back on.

Don

[Pac-man]

Curious as to where you got the directions?

[BlackOps]

Originally Posted by Pac-man

Curious as to where you got the directions?

I put it together from various sources, some here, some there. Peice of cake, really.

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,
Just make sure that you realign the vehicle and make sure that your actual trim heights are correct, or you will wear out your tires prematurely and have a car that doesnt handle well.
Allthebest, c4c5

[Pac-man]

Hey C4C5, wondering if you know why the Vette does not come already lowered and GM makes it so easy to do so? Almost as if it was supposed to be that way but they let you do it. It looks so much better lowered, that 4x4 look is ridiculous. Also handles much better lowered. What's the story?

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
Well, there is only one thing that I can come up with, and this is only theory.
Ride quality.
When you have a certain amount of suspension travel and shocks that work with it, you will have a certain ride quality.
When you lower a vehicle, you are effectively shortening the movement of the suspension and making the ride more harsh over bumps that compress the suspension.
On the new c6 the rear suspension travel is actually increased.
Not everyone care sabout the handling and will much prefer the smooth ride that the stock ride height gives.
Allthebest, c4c5

[Pac-man]

Thanks c4c5, and I agree with everything you said. Too bad it looks like a 4x4. Buy the way, the C6 looks great lowered also. Is it just as easy to lower the C6 as it is the C5?

[c4c5specialist]

Its not so bad, but the geometry is different.
Allthebest, c4c5