Your heart is racing, you can feel your pulse in your grip as your will the steering wheel into the turn at what feels like breakneck speeds. The bolstered seats groan under your ribs from the lateral g’s and you hear your tires squealing… screaming even for the sweet release that comes from the exit of such a maneuver.
The fantasy fades, and you realize that the reality of turning left into traffic was not nearly as much a Le Mans experience as you day dreamed.
Sometimes, feeling like you’re at the edge of a performance envelope is a thrilling experience. And sometimes, it’s terror-inducing. Your Corvette should be confidence-inspiring for both daily driving as well as performance-oriented events, and if it isn’t then it’s time to get that suspension in line.
So what exactly does a performance suspension entail? Well, it’s a sliding scale based on what you’re looking to achieve. Corvettes are incredibly capable machines stock, so sometimes it’s as simple as a refresh of factory-level parts. We promise that just because your 15-year-old C5Z only has 12,000 miles on her that those shocks are not as good as 12,000-mile shocks. You could also choose to selectively upgrade OEM components to a direct fit aftermarket performance part. That’s a really long-winded way of saying “hang some go fast replacement parts”. Shocks and sway bar end links are a great place to start.
Still not enough? Well, then we can choose to evolve from anything even remotely stock to something purely performance-oriented. Fair warning though… the more specific the application, the less qualified the parts are at everything else. What I’m saying is don’t build a racecar for the street, the same way you shouldn’t take a streetcar to Willow Springs.
So as with many of our answers, the right answer is the one tailored to your specific use and application. We’re happy to sit down and have an honest-to-goodness conversation about the pros and cons of all the changes that are available to your Corvette. We’ve generally even got a shop ‘Vette that you can drive to experience what the edges of that performance envelope are really like. Sometimes the proof is in the experience.
We are huge proponents of Koni, Bilstein, and KYB parts (in that order actually) for stock replacements, or mild performance applications. For those more track or autocross-minded individuals, swapping to coil overs from BC Racing or AFE are both great options. Just make sure you’re buying for how you use your Corvette, not just what the internet says is cool at the moment.
More questions than answers after reading all this jazz? Reach out to us here, we’re always happy to help you however we can.
