some new parts....z06

bobs77vet

bobs77vet

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so my 04 vert build is coming together in my head.....

so to go along with the 3.15 performance rear end i am going to install OEM z06 suspension parts and today i nailed down the springs and the shocks from an 04 z06 with 16k on it. supposedly this is the final OEM performance adjustments the factory made to the suspension

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so now i have to give some thought to the sway bars...
 
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I liked the c5z handling, upgrading the convertible is a good idea.

Should keep an eye out for the brake cooling ducts too. Functional and that scoop is appealing appearance wise.
 
rtj said:
I liked the c5z handling, upgrading the convertible is a good idea.

Should keep an eye out for the brake cooling ducts too. Functional and that scoop is appealing appearance wise.
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yes we are tracking together on this one....$300 seemed kind of high on the rear brake ducts so i am still watching

so the boss went out shopping for mothers day and i got garage time.....lots of you tube videos out there how to do this just really a common shock swap not really a hard task took me alone about 4 hours today to do the shocks, it was not technically hard at all just compressing the shocks was all the effort.

there was a major difference in between compressing the base shocks and the z06 shocks ,compressing the z06 shocks in place would be a chore

i cleaned the top of the front shocks with a wire brush through the wheel well and held the shock stud with a 1/4 open end wrench and sprayed some PB blaster as a lubricant and had no problem removing the nut with an open wrench from the wheel well.

rear shocks were pretty easy to get at with an impact swivel socket and an extension


these are the4 used ones from 16k mile 04 z06 car
be sure to press these down several times if they have been stored

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heres the size difference the beefier one is the z06 shock

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heres the removed shock, zip tied after the top bolt is off and zip tied when compressed by using a floor jack to move the Arm up. before i used the floor jack i used a pry bar to pull the shock down so i could get the zip tie around the threaded stud


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i used two zip ties to hold the compressing zip ties in place so they didnt slip off.

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springs are for another day...stay tuned and i need to find some z06 sway bars
 
They (supposedly) don’t have factory or reproduction z06 brake cooling parts, so finding them used might be tough.

I always thought getting a convertible and upgrading it and adding a hard top might be better than buying an old z. People always say the verts are more likely babied by previous owners.
 
rtj said:
They (supposedly) don’t have factory or reproduction z06 brake cooling parts, so finding them used might be tough.

I always thought getting a convertible and upgrading it and adding a hard top might be better than buying an old z. People always say the verts are more likely babied by previous owners.
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mine was babied.....the bottom is so clean....never any salt and not much rain and less then 5k per year...with complete service records they even changed all fluids at 50k and engine is spotless
 
first ride on the new to me Zo6 shocks....they are nice and tight. not to much but the softness is definitely gone, and this was with the 5 spoke higher profile tires i wonder what the lower profile Zo6 tires are going to feel like. negotiating on a set of Z06 sway bars and brake cooling ducts as I type....
 
just nailed down the z06 front and rear sway bars, end links and bushings....woohoo the transformation will continue. so that means i have a complete z06 suspension, shocks, springs, sway bars,end links, and bushings next to install is the sway bars
 
C6 or C6Z wheels look good on a C5. Lots of photos on the web. Might require a small spacer, not sure. You can get them pretty reasonable.
 
BBShark said:
Looking at the pix you posted, those parts look brand new!
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yes the guy said he didnt think the car they came off of had ever been driven in the rain. now the sway bars i bought will make up for that.....they have been used and will require some TLC in the form of painting from me before i put it on the car. i think that even used z06 sway bars will provide enough for me. in all fairness my current sway bars are used also....so current front base sway bar is 23 mm and the z06 is 30mm and rear base is 19.1 mm and z06 is 23.6mm.

so i am excited to paint these and put these on the car. then i will decide if i put the springs on. i dont want to make it to firm for my old ass to drive to work in....my top speed to work is 45 for 1 mile and average speed is 19.1 mph....traffic light to traffic light...speed bump to speed bump.....urggh i hate the DC area.

but i do have at least three really nice curvy spots that i can have fun about 6 seconds at a time.....
 
rtj said:
C6 or C6Z wheels look good on a C5. Lots of photos on the web. Might require a small spacer, not sure. You can get them pretty reasonable.
Click to expand...

I agree they do look nice but I have the two sets i want the c5 OEM 5 spoke highly polished and the c5 OEM ZO6 highly polished 10 spoke ones.....I will swap them every 6 months or so and polish them so i always have a nicley polished set.
 
I need to get a lift...my back is still hurting from kneeling and putting those shocks in....its the getting down low part and bending that screws with my back.....this getting old thing is for the birds,

I cant decide a two post or a 4 post???? I like the idea of the two post but it would seem to take up valuable middle of the garage space
 
Since I was a mechanic before, I wouldn't have anything but a 2 post asymmetrical lift if given the choice. The 4 post is nice if you aren't working on the suspension, but even the front end techs will take cars off the 4 post lift when they need to work on control arms, etc. Always better to have more room to work and it seems the 4 post just has the ramps in the way despite having the auxiliary lift jacks.

Perfect example, try putting coil springs up in the frame pockets on a C3 if you can only get it a few inches up off the floor. Sure you can fight with spring compressors, etc. but having that room to work is amazing. Another thing to think about is getting out of the way if something happens to slip or fall out of your hands while installing/removing. That's much easier to do on your feet.

This is my biased opinion of course, but I have worked with both extensively. and I've also worked with both symmetric and asymmetric 2 post lifts. For my money, it would be 2 post asymmetric with nothing on the floor but the floor mounts for the post. My first lift as a mechanic was symmetric and the controls and lines went across the floor between the posts. Rolling a dead car by yourself over the hump is no fun!

The fun safety message for all of this is, no matter what you do, ALWAYS lower the lift down onto the safety stops BEFORE starting to work on the car while on the lift.
 
I like that idea especially today......on my back crawling around on the floor, I im too old for this...….2 post asymmetrical it will be..


installed the z06 sway bars with urethane bushings

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I must be getting old, the first time around I put them both in backwards..no big deal it was more of positioning them backwards....I still don't know how that happened......it took about 2 hours and I bet I could have cut that down significantly if I was standing.
 
man what a difference......this thing is flat in the corners and you can actually hear the tires gripping as you take the turns, right now i have the stock 5 spoke wheels on as I clean the z06 wheels (i switch them every 5 mos or so)....i cant wait to put those back on and do some curves..
 
Nice, they look so much better than the standard coupe. I always liked driving a c5z.
 
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