Released in 1997, the Chevrolet Corvette (C5) took its position as the fifth generation of Chevrolet Corvette sports cars, from 1997 to 2004 model years.
In the paradigm of modern automobiles, the C5 Corvette reigns supreme, with an unrivaled performance-oriented engine and a tremendous fanbase from the broader populace to this day.
Furthermore, the essential aspect that draws the masses to this American blue-collar supercar is that it offers car enthusiasts more fantastic opportunities to test out numerous performance modifications.
One such alteration is lowering the suspension and decreasing the height of the supercar. This process allows for a completely new look and emphasizes the attractiveness of the lowered C5 Corvette.
“C5 was primarily raced in SSCA under T1 class, so without a doubt the options for handling and modifications are limitless.”
There are several perks to installing a C5 Corvette lowering kit and lowering your supercar. Lowering a C5 Corvette contributes to an already potent supercar’s performance, from rider comfort to crisper handling.
Before we get into the benefits of lowering the C5 Corvette, let us first explore how a C5 Corvette is lowered.
Significant steps involved in lowering a C5 Corvette
Though lowering a C5 Corvette might seem to be a tricky problem, it’s indeed basically very straightforward and can be executed with the proper techniques.
- Step 1: Park the car on a leveled surface, elevate the vehicle and remove the tires using the jack included in the Corvette lowering kit.
- Step 2: Using an 18mm socket wrench, turn the adjustment bolt in a clockwise manner to allow two to three threads.
- Step 3: After removing the bolts, make a note of the spacings, and if you executed the step with the same jack, lower the car’s tires until they hit the floor.
- Step 4: With the help of the jacks, this time raise the front C5 Corvette rear lowering bolts in the car’s wheels. Follow the same process as Step 1. Then with the use of a lug wrench, remove both the tires of the corvette.
- Step 5: With the help of a 10 mm socket wrench, turn the bolt in the front shocks anti-clockwise until finding the proper height adjustment C5 corvette lowering bolts. Once done, take a piece of wood and fix it under the front spring of the Corvette. Always make sure to jack the spring of the corvette in an upward direction to lower the pressure in them to maintain the C5 Corvette ride height adjustment.
- Step 6: Make sure to measure the spacing between the ground and the wheel’s peak well after removing the C5 Corvette lowering bolts. As it helps to ensure that the adjustments are tallied on both sides.
- Step 7: Once installed after lowering the car, consider driving the car for a few days for the newly adjusted suspension to set in. After getting comfortable with the vehicle, make sure to realign the suspension.
Now that we have understood the crucial steps that are involved in lowering a C5 Corvette let us not get in-depth and analyze a few factors associated with the process.
Lowering bolts
The main issue that many riders have is the considerable height that a shock bolt offers to remove. So it is highly recommended to use an aftermarket bolt rather than a typical OEM.
The main reason is that it provides uplifting durability, quality, and a significant amount of height reduction compared to the OEM bolts.
Compared to the OEM bolts, the aftermarket bolts are inexpensive and can provide amazing results to the C5 Corvette.
Accessing drop spindles
Drop spindles allow users to drop their C5 Corvette to the ground more than the normal bolts can offer.
Although the difference between the original spindle of the car and the aftermarket spindle is minute, the aftermarket spindle allows riders to position the shaft higher when compared to the typical OEM spindles.
The C5 Corvette Coilovers
“The compliance in the stock mountings of Corvette C5’s ends in a “crosstalk” by sending some of the load from one side to another.”
There exists a huge dilemma in choosing coilovers over transverse leaf springs of a Chevrolet Corvette.
The main drawback of the leaf springs is that they might not be the best suited for a Chevrolet Corvette C5 during spirited track racings.
Thus, the coilovers become the best pick among car enthusiasts concerning leaf springs.
coilovers can provide an ultimate driving experience with smooth handling and crisp turns, enhancing the performance of the vehicle.
Coilovers are also preferred as they provide amazing rider height and rebound adjustments, which is the main powerhouse of a lowered C5 Corvette.
So if you are wondering about the best coilovers for C5 Corvette, without a doubt we would always recommend the riders to go for Aldan American coilovers c5 for the Corvette engines.
Although they can be pretty expensive when compared to the leaf springs of a Chevrolet Corvette, we would still suggest considering a Coilover conversion to the leaf springs.
Why not C5 Corvette lowering springs?
A lot of car enthusiasts believe that a lowering spring can do wonders for any car that they own. But, it is not the same for a Chevrolet Corvette C5.
Before arguing about the statement, one has to understand that a Corvette C5 is in-built with transverse leaf springs, as these help the car by adjusting the height of the suspension by governing the length and the adjustments made according to the rider’s preference.
So ultimately, any experienced car modification expert would not prefer lowering springs for a Chevrolet Corvette C5, unless there is the mandatory use of a Coilover conversion.
Hence, the lowering springs are the least desired when it comes to a Chevrolet Corvette C5.
Conclusion
With that said, people are still drawn towards the old 1997 Corvette among the other supercars released with them.
Moreover, with the steps and specifications provided in this guide, anyone and even a beginner can understand how to lower a Corvette C5 and the benefits associated with it.