How to change the oil on the Corvette Z06 and ZR1
Changing Engine Oil and Filter (ZO6, ZR1, and Grand Sport)
These vehicles have a racetrack‐ready dry sump engine lubrication system. This high‐performance system operates differently than a standard engine
lubrication system and requires a special procedure when changing the engine oil and filter. Follow this procedure closely when changing the engine oil
and filter.
ZO6 Shown, ZR1 and Grand Sport Similar
A. Engine Oil Drain Plugs
B. Seals
1. Remove the two engine oil drain plugs from the bottom of the engine oil pan. One drain plug drains the external oil tank via the oil transfer supply line.
The other drain plug drains residual oil from the crankcase sump. Allow the oil to drain.
2. Once the oil has been drained from the engine, remove the engine oil filter and allow the oil to drain.
3. Re‐install both drain plugs and tighten them to 25Y (18 lb ft).
4. Replace the oil filter and tighten it to 30Y (22 lb ft).
5. Oil is filled through the opening in the top of the external engine oil tank. Remove the oil fill cap.
6. Add 9.9 L (10.5 quarts) of oil to the oil tank.
7. Install the oil fill cap and insert the dipstick, if removed.
8. Start the engine and let it run at idle for at least 15 seconds. This will circulate the fresh engine oil through the lubrication system.
9. Shut off the engine and check the oil level as described under "Checking Engine Oil (ZO6, ZR1, and Grand Sport)."
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
SAE 5W-30
SAE 5W-30 is best for the vehicle. These numbers on an oil container show its viscosity, or thickness.
Do not use other viscosity oils such as SAE 20W-50.
How to Reset the Engine Oil Life
System
The Engine Oil Life System calculates when to change the engine oil and filter based on vehicle use. Whenever the oil is changed, reset the system so it
can calculate when the next oil change is required. If a situation occurs where the oil is changed prior to a CHANGE ENGINE OIL message being turned on,
reset the system.
To reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message after an oil change:
1. Press the TRIP button so the OIL LIFE percentage is displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. OIL LIFE REMAINING 100% will appear.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message comes back on when the vehicle is started, the engine oil life system
has not reset. Repeat the procedure.
2011 Corvette Stats Released
The GM Corvette Assembly Plant just released statistics on 2011 Corvettes produced. A total of 13,596 were manufactured. Number of cars produced for each color are:
1) Black (2,891)
2) Torch Red (2,264)
3) Crystal Red (1,419)
4) Supersonic Blue (1,417)
5) Cyber Gray (1,197)
6) Arctic White (1,133)
7) Blade Silver (1,037)
Velocity Yellow (867)
9) Inferno Orange (790)
10) Jetstream Blue (581)
Corvette Color Woes
The sad news is upon us for the lovers of Crystal Red and Cyber Grey. After the devastatingly tragic earthquake in Japan, where GM sourced its pigment for their paints, they have been hard pressed to continue to produce any of the cars with either of these colors. The most popular colors, 57U and 89U (Cyber Grey and Crystal Red respectively) have been hard pressed to end up on showroom floors or in the hands of customers who so desperately want them. As of this writing, you can't even order a 2012 model with either of these colors. For those awaiting orders placed with either of these colors, it could mean a very long wait. I could perhaps even be as long as September or October before either of these colors are back on the market at full capacity.
GM however, is currently testing colors to see if they can't find a temporary match to ease the load of orders that have been placed. The situation in Japan is also improving with leaps and bounds and most large manufacturers are announcing a return to full production by the end of the summer (July/August). Keep in mind though, that when they do return to full production capabilities most companies have some catch up to do, so September and October seem like a good reference point for backordered pigment and even cars from manufacturers such as Nissan, Toyota and Honda. Japan has had an enormous effort put into recovering from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake from March of this year, and monetary damage estimates somewhere near $36B USD. With over 15,000 people dead, and another 7,000 missing, this is clearly an emergency of catastrophic proportions. So, if you're really bent out of shape about your order, or not being able to get your order in, just imagine 5 times as many people dead as the September 11 attacks. The entire country of Japan is roughly as big as the state of California, so imagine the economic and emotional impact this has had on the country.
Just like your mom used to say, patience is a virtue, and as always, good things come to those who wait…
If you would like to donate to the Japan Earthquake Relief Efforts, please read the following link here, as it has tons of great information and information on different organizations that provide relief.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami
Corvette Centennial Edition
Almost exactly 100 years ago Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss-born mechanic and racecar driver, founded Chevrolet Motor Car Company on November 8, 1911. He competed in the Indianapolis 500 and after working for Buick for a little more than four years, began designing his own cars while racing. He raced with his brother and a few close friends before making a name for himself in the early 1900's racing scene. With his brother, together they founded Chevrolet Motor Car Company before his brother would be killed in a racing crash ending both of their careers in professional racing. This car company however, unbeknownst to him at the time, would live on for a century to come and become a famed competitor in the history of motorsports. Unfortunately for Mr. Chevrolet, the stock market crash of '29 took a harsh toll on his previous earnings and upon needing work, took a job at the Chevrolet factory as a line mechanic in 1931. On June 6, 1941, Louis Chevrolet died almost penniless in Detroit, Michigan after founding one of America's most recognizable car brands. The Chevy bowtie emblem that we all associate with the company seems to have two stories as to how it came about. The first is that the bowtie is actually a stylized Swiss cross emblem Chevrolet created to honor his parents birthplace and homeland. The second story is that William Durant, Louis Chevrolet's partner and the founder of General Motors saw the shape in a French wallpaper and clipped a piece of it to save and recreated the shape with the Chevy namesake. Regardless of which story is true, the man and the legend of Chevrolet have been honored this year as a tribute to his life and racing spirit.
The sinister look of an all black (particularly in September of this year in New Zealand) car has long since been an enthusiast favorite with its dark features, and the Centennial Edition Corvette plays to that crowd. The Centennial Edition is an all black edition of the Corvette relishing the 100 year history of our favorite automaker. The Centennial edition is available for every line of Corvette (from the Base model to the ZR1), and is expected to run an extra $4,995 for the package. The package features exclusive Carbon Flash Metallic paint on the exterior, coupled with a set of special black aluminum spun Centennial Wheels lined red on the lip, with red calipers and carbon-ceramic brakes. The absolutely awesome Magnetic Selective Ride Control will also be available with the package. A special badge that bears the resemblance of Louis Chevrolet and the number 100 will be located on the B-pillar, the steering wheel, and the Chevy bowtie logo with the number 100 will be embossed on the headrests. The wheels also say "Centennial" on the rim just barely visible with a gloss/matte contrast. The interior has also been remodeled and finished in Ebony leather contrasted with red stitching. The steering wheel, seats, shifter and armrests get microfiber suede accents similar to those found on the Z06 Carbon Edition.
The entire package has an extremely sharp looking finish on the Corvette, being almost black with red accents either in stitching, or pin striping on the wheels and calipers, provides a very crisp look to the car. The overall effect is there, and having a sinister look to the car will be an especially daunting look on the Z06 and ZR1. If the man himself could see the 100 year anniversary of his company, I think he'd be proud. The 100 year anniversary, celebrated by the Corvette is nothing short of memorable and should be a point of pride for all Chevy owners.
Common Corvette C5 Problems and Solutions
Common Corvette C5 Problems that if addressed early can potentially save you some money and costly damage.
Leaking Battery
Many C5's came with AC Delco Freedom batteries that had a tendency to have it's case crack open near the battery posts. The leaking battery acid would drip down the side of the battery, down the funnel-like battery support, straight down onto the PCM and the wiring loom. It can also get onto the A/C lines. I believe they are the vacuum lines that control the movement of the interior vents, and usually the system will default to blowing out the defroster vent. Sometimes car crippling damage would occur, sometimes not. It worst it would mean replacing the battery, the PCM, the wiring harness, grinding the rust off the frame to repaint it, changing the A/C lines and possibly swapping out another computer as well. This mostly happened on early C5's because later C5's used a gel-type battery that cannot leak, but I believe the problem resurfaced on '04 or '05 models again.
Check this out on any car you look at. Use a 8 mm monkey wrench, preferably a ratcheting closed-end version, to removed the battery cables. You also remove a holding block on the front side of the battery. You will need a long extension to reach it. The battery basically lifts right out. Also remove the black plastic battery tray. Look beneath the tray for rust or white powder. Signs of both are evidence of battery acid damage. It would probably be best to move to the next Vette unless you don't mind possibly tackling this repair in the future. It's possible that the car will throw codes for no apparent reason.
No matter what Vette you buy, just make sure you replace the battery with a gel-type battery, like the Optima Redtop, sold at CostCo for $100.
Grounding Problems aka CRAZY electrical gremlins!
Bill Curlee has a great thread on the problems that corroded ground connections can create, and how to clean out the grounds. The most problematic ground connections are behind the headlights on both sides. Check out Bill's thread for detailed info: Go!
Here's where all the grounds are: Go!
Water Intrusion
Water leaks have several ways of getting in the car, and none of them AFAIK are very difficult to fix. Proper adjustments and maintenance will prevent most leaks.
Bill Curlee's thread abouting locating & cleaning the udders, and sealing the door hinges.
Here's a few TSB's from the CorvetteActionCenter.com:
1997-1998: Service Bulletin: Waterleak Above Door Glass (Reseal Blowout Clip)
1997-2002: Service Bulletin: General Waterleak Guide
1997: Service Bulletin: Water Drips into Rear Compartment After Hatch/Glass Has Been Opened
Seats
Corvette seats are delicate.
Sliding hard across the bolster can break it, causing it to flap side-to-side.
The leather is cheap, and there's little protection for it. It will wear out and form cracks, which is normal…for cheap leather.
The wire springs in the seat bottom, and the bars in the bolsters can also wear thru the foam and leather, but that can be fixed by placing layer of burlap between the springs and the foam.
Check the black plastic surround on the bottom of the seat to make sure it fits snugly against the leather, and isn't cracked. Older style plastic surrounds had a tendency to separate from the seat, but could be pushed back in. The newer style plastic surrounds can be used as a direct replacement, but one of the plastic studs may need to be ground off, or a hole will need to get punched into the leather.
The seats tend to rock back and forth by about a 1/4" during acceleration and braking. It can be fixed, but GM will not fix it. Some lucky owners can get the dealer to replace the frame under warranty. The seat backs swinging forward under braking is normal, and not considered a problem.
Here are a couple fixes:
Corvettemechanic.com --- must be a member
Rocking Seat Fix
Seat choice
Get the sport seats. The sport seats have a hole under the headrest. Some people put racing harness belts thru those loops. The seat frames and foam in both seats are interchangeable. Harness belt holes can be installed using Ford harness cutouts. Ask the dealership for them, they should know what it is without a part #. The foam in a standard seat will need to be cut, and sewing will have to be done, but it's an easy job.
Headlight bezel plugs
There are 1-1/2" plugs that are located on the headlight bezels that would fall off on the older Vette's. The new style plugs, have a twist-lock to prevent them from falling out, but also requires new bezels. Only the new bezels & plugs are available now, and they are compatible with older C5's.
Headlight gears
The gears in the headlight motor are plastic, and wear out over time. Ice, heavy Euro or projector headlights and twilight sentinal will cause the gears to wear out quickly. Fortunately a few years ago, Rodney started selling replacement brass gears, check out his website. Corvette America and probably a few other vendors now sell their own copy of his brass gears. Here's a thread that shows how to replace the gears.
Roof noises
If you buy a coupe with a removable roof, you can expect wind noise and some creaking. The wind noise will never totally go away, but if there's creaking, you can eliminate that by thinly applying dielectric silicone grease to the weather-stripping. It also prevents cracking, so do this to all weather-stripping, on any car.
Hood rattles
During cold weather the rubber hood stops can also rub and rattle against the hood. Adjust and lubricate the rubber stops so when you pull the corner of the hood up, it doesn't pull up, but the hood still closes.
Drivetrain rattling
The valvetrain makes a significant amount of noise at idle. It may sound like sewing machine. Converting the valve rockers to true shaft-mounted adjustable roller rockers with may help eliminate the valvetrain noise if adjusted properly. Installing a big cam and stiffer valve springs will make the noise louder.
On manual transmission cars (M6 or M12), the transmission sounds like it is rattling when leaving the line. It is normal. It is the clutch throwout bearing rattling around. Sometimes you'll hear a horrible rattle if you shut off the engine. If you press the clutch pedal in while shutting off the car, you won't hear it.
I verified this by lightly grinding my rotors with steel wool. Garnet paper is recommended, but I haven't tried it.
If you insist the problem is warping, don't turn the rotors since thinner rotors warp more easily. Resurfacing the rotors is only a temporary fix, one that is less effective each time your resurface the rotors due to the reduced thermal capacity of the rotors. Rotors are available for $25 at Napa and RockAuto.
Scraped front ends and rocker panels
Checking for scrapes is an easy way to tell if the car was treated well. It's almost impossible not to scrape the front end, but there are two metal crash bar loops that should prevent the bumper from scraping. The bumper itself should not have scrape marks on it. Check the underside of the tip of the bumper, and the bottom corners of the bumper. If the crash bar gets scraped enough, eventually it will wear down to the point where it needs to get replaced. It costs about $220 for the crash bar, nut-serts, bolts and insulators, and can be replaced in a couple of hours, just be sure to hook the hoses and electric connector back to the A.I.R. pump.
Here's a list of ALL the parts you'll need to replace the impact bar and the side air deflectors:
Part #------Qty---Description
10188023---001---Insulator (goes to bottom of radiator)
10278679---001---Insulator (goes to bottom of radiator)
10278679---005---Nut
10400765---001---Plate (the actual impact bar, unpainted)
10419312---001---Panel (air deflector)
10419313---001---Panel (air deflector)
11515638---010---Nut-speci
11515757---010---Bolt-Metr
10281487---010---Nut
Not all of these parts need to get replaced, and there will be a few leftovers, but it will get the job done.
The rocker panels tend to get scraped on lifts and big speed bumps.
A & A Corvettes invented two products to prevent damage from both kinds of scraping. They have wheels that attach to the crash bar, allowing the car to roll on driveways instead of wearing down the crash bar. It will still scrape the spoiler, but the spoiler is a cheap wear item that takes only 2 minutes to replace without a lift or jack. They also make two aluminum strips that attached the frame next to the rocker panels, and they take the scrapes themselves instead of the rockers panels. Neither of the devices are visible unless looking under the car, and they are discreet enough to possibly be missed anyway. If you see these devices installed, you can be pretty sure the owner took good care of the car. Without this extra protection, you can expect to replace the crash bar and repair the rockers several times over the life of the car. WARNING: It won't stop all scraping damage, just reduce the possibility of it happening, and reduce the damage when it does happen. Low hanging headers will probably still scrape.
Hood seal weather-strip
The sides and back of the hood compartment have weather-strip installed from the factory. The front is left open. Many owners install weather-strip along this front edge. You may not even notice it since it looks identical to rest of the weather-stripping. This extra weather-strip helps keep the engine compartment clean, and may also help the air intake system work better. This is another sign that the owner took good care of the car. The engine compartment stays pretty clean, but this the "extra step".
A/C System
There are two kinds of climate controls. One is manual with knobs, and the other is a dual-zone electronic system. The dual-zone system did cost more, but is not as reliable as the manual system. A leaking battery can affect both systems. A strong system is when the vents cannot be switched.
Over time, and especially in humid climates, the system can cause condensation to leak onto the passenger side carpet. There are three udders under the driver's side cowl. There are slits on the bottom, much like real udders. Vigorously squeeze and massage the udders until the debris has fallen out. Stop laughing!
If the vent settings cannot be changed, the vacuum line is probably loose, clogged or broken. Read more!
Squeaky steering wheel
When you turn the steering wheel, you may hear a squeak. It's just the plastic surfaces rubbing against each other. A shot of lubricant fixes this.
Squeaky/chirping/grinding wheel bearings
Drive slowly, better yet, coast along at low speeds with the windows open in a quiet location. Listen for a squeak from the wheels. Try turning in different directions. If you hear the rear wheels squeaking, you may have a worn wheel bearing. A replacement bearing costs $600 list, but you can usually find it for $400-450. I've heard that AutoZone has a better replacement for $126 by a company named Timken. The part is easy to replace if you can separate the ball joints. I had to buy a special Kent-Moore tool to do mine. This problem may persist safely for a few months, but eventually will become annoying. It seems to be a common problem, and more so for the rear wheel bearing. I've never heard of it happening twice to the same car, so if you fix it once, you're probably good for life. Several racers replace their wheel bearing every year.
A broken emergency drum clip may cause a false diagnosis. Be careful when removing & replacing the rear rotors.
Oil woes
Many late 2000 thru 2001 Vette's burn a lot of oil when the engine is kept constantly over 4,000 rpm's. This is caused by ring flutter, which allows extra oil to seep past the oil control rings, but doesn't seem to cause any extra wear to the engine. Chevrolet has rebuilt and replaced engines for owners that complained about excessive oil consumption. Their policy is that while the engine isn't normally operated like that outside of racing, it is the owner's prerogative to drive around in second gear all the time if they want to. It is covered under the warranty.
The PCV system also has a tendency to suck oil back into the intake at high rpm's. It doesn't seem to cause any problems, other than a slight mess inside the intake manifold. The newer style PCV system can be installed, but this requires removing all the components in the top of the engine valley. Usually only racer's bother with the hassle. Several generations of PCV systems have had the problem, and at this time, December 2004, the PCV system still sucks oil into the intake.
The oil-sucking problem will cause carbon buildup in the cylinders. The dealership sells GM Top End Cleaner, and Napa sells SeaFoam. The Top End Cleaner is not available in some smog states like California. Run a tube from the bottle into the hole for the PCV system behind the throttle body on the passenger side. Start the car, then start slowly sucking the solution into the engine. Don't go too fast or the engine could lockup. As soon as the solution is gone, stop the motor for >4 hours, but preferably 12 hours. Be aware that when the engine is restarted, there will be a LOT of smoke!
The oil-sucking can be prevented by installing a catch can. AMW and Greddy make catch cans, but a homebuilt catch can may be built using a Campbell-Hausfield air tool oil separator from most tool stores, including AutoZone. The AMW and Greddy cans are ~$100, but look great. The CH can is $15-25 for all the parts, and you can see how much oil is in it.
Overheating & burning smells
Even though the engine can heat up to 220, even 240 degrees Fahrenheit, this is normal. The radiator will keep the engine cool enough unless the radiator is blocked. Reprogramming the PCM can allow the fans to turn on earlier. If the fans also cool an aftermarket oil cooler, make sure the oil occasionally gets to 220 degrees to allow condensation and fuel to evaporate away. Fan settings and oil thermostats are two different ways to do this.
It's not uncommon for plastic bags to get sucked up under the front bumper, and cover the radiator, thus causing the car to truly overheat. If this happens, take a quick peek under the bumper, and remove anything under there. Sometimes bags get stuck to the exhaust pipes too, causing quite a stench as they burn away.
Locked steering column
All C5's, particularly manual transmission C5's, and early C6 steering columns have a tendency to lock and stay locked. Usually it can be unlocked once, but just once. Some owners claim that vigorously shaking the steering wheel can unlock the steering wheel. Dealer's are able to disable the locking mechanism with a modified locking plate. Currently this is the only real method to disable the locking mechanism. Basically the wheel will still try to lock, but there will be nothing for it to lock to. It's like a door dead bolt with a slot cut into the door jamb. There is a $100 kit that disables the steering column lock, and can be installed easily, but enough car vibrations can cause the lock to fall into the locking plate, even while driving!
GM has a part (#88952428 or 88952428) that has a harness wiring jumper and different lock plate. Not sure what the difference in the kits are.
After reading a few posts, manual transmission C5's & C6's are still in danger, even if the lock is disabled. The lock can vibrate out over time and get trapped in the locking plate. Auto transmission cars that have undergone the recall and new auto's will not have the locking plate at all, so they are safe. More information about COMPLETELY disabling the steering column lock will be forthcoming from other's on the forum, and by my own personal project. Until then, here are a few links about the topic:
Corvette Forum - Column Lock Harness K Installation
Corvettemechanic - A4 non locking column plate --- must be a member
Corvette Forum - Column-lock again even with CLB!
Corvette Forum - Has anyone ELSE beat column lock?
Faulty gas gauge
If you have bad gas (phew!), the fuel sender can be affected by the high sulfur content in the fuel, and cause the gauge to read empty. They car will still operate normally, and the gas gauge will work again if you use better gas, and will usually start again when you restart the car. It's just better to use good gas. Some people have had luck with running fuel filter cleaners thru the gas tank. New fuel senders sometimes fixes this problem. This thread has a LOT of ideas about what could be causing the problems, how to avoid problems, and how to fix it. It also points out how the late C5 fuel tanks and crossover tube is different.
Noisy fuel pump
There are two fuel tanks, and two fuel pumps. One fuel pump continually pumps gas from the passenger side tank into the driver side tank, and is quiet. The main fuel pump is directly behind the drivers seat, and can be annoying loud, especially on early C5's. It's normal, and not a sign of a failing fuel pump. Chevrolet does have a bulletin out instructing how to better insulate against the sound of the fuel pump. This is merely an annoyance. A newer, quieter pump can also be installed.
Extremely high oil pressure reading
The oil pressure sensor can fail, but it is still okay to drive. Turn the car off, but with the key in the "on" position and check the oil pressure gauge. It should read "0". If the oil pressure sensor is bad, it will show a positive reading. The oil pressure sender is located behind the intake manifold, and will require moving the intake manifold. The sender costs about $40 and part # 12573107 or 12562230.
How-to
Suspension squeaking
In cold weather you may hear the suspension creak when you go over speed bumps. To fix this, clean (optional) and lubricate the sway bar bushings. The adjustable metal sway bar end links on Hotchkis and T1 bars can also create loud clicking sounds. Most adjustable end links are quiet initially, but wear out and get noisy over time. Greasing and protecting the end links from dirt may prevent wear.
Tough shifting
The shifter in manually shifted Corvette's takes a strong arm to get it into gear. You really have to make sure that the shifter is fully in 1st and Reverse, or it will pop out of gear when you let the clutch out. This is not the fault of the car, but rather the fault of the driver.
Manual transmissions -- Replacing the transmission fluid often helps shifting. Early transmissions have paper blocker ring that require Dexron III compatible (usually organic) fluid because some synthetics will destroy the paper blocker rings and subsequently the transmission. Later transmissions, and all rebuilt transmissions, have Kevlar/carbon fiber parts that allow the use of synthetic fluids. I believe the 98-00 transmissions have the paper blocker rings. The safe transmission fluids seem to be: GM Synchromesh PN #12345349, Honda ATF-Z1, Royal Purple Synchromax, Amsoil ATF, O'Reilly Dexron III ATF. The following transmission fluids may be unsafe for early transmissions: Redline D4 ATF, Mobil 1 ATF, Royal Purple Max ATF.
Related threads:
LS1.com - Ending the speculation: Blocker rings, who's had them fail?
LS1Tech.com - Ending the speculation: Blocker rings, who's had them fail?
Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF for a M6?
If it is especially tough to shift into 2nd or 4th gear, it's possible that the synchro's are worn out or the forks are bent. Do NOT force it into gear. Abuse creates and aggravates this problem. You can still drive, even quite well, without synchro's....or a clutch for that matter if you know how to rev match.
Some aftermarket shifters make it easier to make sure you're fully in gear, and prevent gear grinding, but they also vibrate, and require more effort to shift. The stock shifter has a tuned weight damper that changes the vibrations to a non-audible frequency. The shaking doesn't annoy some people, and there are some fixes.
Leaky butt
The differential can leak from the side covers. The problem has to do with the design. The lip on the casing is not wide enough to create a proper seal with the cover. Resealing the covers can be successful, but many dealers do not use the correct sealant.
Inside/outside tire spinning
If one tire spins while turning, adjust the friction modifier ratio. Aftermarket gear fluid from Royal Purple, Amsoil and Redline do not require additional friction modifier. GM's friction modifier is PN #12377916. Too much friction modifier and the inside tire will spin/skip/hop. Too little friction modifier and the outside tire will spin/skip/hop. -- Thanks Russ!
Tire hop
Tire hop during hard acceleration in cold weather is common, even if the same tires don't hop in warmer weather. Tire rubber when viewed thru a microscope looks like a web. Normally parts of this web grabs onto objects on the ground and stretch until either the car moves forward, or the web breaks, resulting in tire spin. I believe in cold weather, the web is too stiff for either of these events to occur, so the tires hop. To find out more, read Racing & High Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip and Balance. I haven't read it, but if you do, please let me know if my guess is correct. I found a couple stories on Google about people curing wheel hop with stiffer bushings and/or (jounce) shocks.
Interior rattles
The visors may rattle when they are put up, but if you flip them down, the rattle goes away. Squeezing the mirror lid down seems to take care of it. Try glueing a piece of felt or velcro between the mirror and lid to see if that fixes it. Caravaggio also makes replacement leather visors, but they go for $400.
The stereo is Bose, and to go along with the historically crappy build quality of Bose products, Bose has graced the Corvette with Bose emblems on the door speaker covers that rattle when you play music with bass. A Bose system doesn't exist that puts out good bass, but the system still manages to rattle the emblems when playing Country, Hip Hop, or Techno at moderate volumes. Check this problem by having a passenger and yourself putting a finger on the emblems with music playing. Glue the emblems down to fix it.
If the roof isn't tightened down enough, it will rattle. There are some adjustment screws in the roof to make this adjustment.
Belt Chirping
During cold weather, the belt can chirp. Goodyear Gatorback belts from AutoZone don't chirp.
Sticky Hatch
During cold weather, the hatch may pop up slowly, or not at all. Spray the latches with silicone grease until they come up properly. If the struts do not hold up the hatch, try lubing the strut bars.
1997: Service Bulletin: Hatch Will Not Pop Up When Activated in Cold Weather
Rocker failure
The needle bearings in the OEM rockers have been known to fail. Usually the problem is noticed with extra valvetrain noise and needle bearings stuck to a magnetic oil plug. Nasty Performance will rebuild OEM rockers with Harland Sharp bearings. This seems to be one of the better solutions since the stock rocker is very good at high rpms. Most aftermarket rockers are nose heavy and require grinding the heads and valve covers to fit. Currently Harland Sharp rockers are having problems with c-clip retainers falling off and causing problems on the way. I'll be following this issue since I have a set of HS rockers on my shelf waiting for this issue to be resolved. Here are some links:
LS1Tech - EMERGENCY!! ROCKERS! Help ASAP!
LS1Tech - Harland Sharp Rocker Failure
LS1Tech - Install or not install HS rockers?
Other Information
Active Stability Control
This allows you to keep some control of the car even when you do really stupid stunts. It doesn't bend the laws of physics, but will keep the car pointed where you are steering; you may still slide off the road, but at least the car will be pointed in the direction you were steering! One of the sensors is located around the passenger seat, and needs to be considered when installing a racing bucket. If you move that sensor, Active Stability will not know how to balance the car, and can be very dangerous. Active Stability came out around '99.
Jacking
The C5 was the first car to use hydroformed frame rails. Hydroformed rails are quickly becoming a common platform for new cars, but not many shops are prepared to lift these vehicles. The C5 requires an adapter for regular jacks and lifts to fit the jacking points. Make your own adapters with a hockey puck (or two) with a 1 1/2" eye bolt screwed thru the center. Stick the eye bolt thru the slit in the jacking point, turn 90 degrees, place jack under adapter and jack away....if you can get the jack under the car. You may have to use ramps. The C5 is so low that most people make their own wooden ramps....rhino ramps are too steep.
Key Fobs
There are basically two different kinds of key fobs, and they are not compatible with each other.
97-00, but 00 does not have the Passive Lock feature
01-04
Spark plugs
The OEM platinum plugs, along with other plugs have had problems with the pucks falling off. I have a picture of missing pucks in this thread. This thread outlines some of the problems with using platinum, and a recommendation for using silver tipped plugs. Basically, of all spark plug tips, platinum is the worst conductor, copper is good, iridium is even better and silver is the best. Don't take my word for it, do a little research, starting with this review. As for longevity, platinum, iridium and silver do have an advantage over copper, but plugs foul up after ~10K negating any difference corrosion would cause, and no plug will run well after 100K miles.
To make the spark plugs easier to change, get the Snap-On double-swivel sparkplug tool and remove the coil packs. Here's all you need to know about sparkplug changes: Go!
PFADT Racing Corvette Competition Sway Bars
I have always heard about different suspension upgrades for Sports cars and Corvettes, but always figured that they were more aimed at folks who want to take their car to the track. They are usually pretty expensive and I figured that the installation would be a pain in the neck. Given the price, the perceived difficulty with the installation, and my thoughts that I would only notice the differences on the track, I have have always shy'ed away from upgrades such as this. Whelp, all that has changed........
I recently sold my 2006 Corvette Z06 and purchased an 2009 Corvette Z06. I offer all of the Pfadt racing products on my Corvette Parts website and figured I really need to give some of their products a try. I have had customers tell me how much they love the PFADT Sway Bars and PFADT Coilovers but always assumed they were taking their cars to the track. I called Pfadt and asked them if I would notice a difference with handling on the street for a weekend driver like myself an also what would be the most "bang for my buck" upgrade. I was thinking the Pfadt Corvette coilovers, but surprisingly enough, Pfadt's recommendation was the Pfadt Competition Sway bars. In disbelief, I went ahead and had them send me a set for installation on my new Corvette. I truly did not believe that I was going to notice much of a difference from the stock setup to the Pfadt setup.
About a week later my front/rear Pfadt Corvette Z06 sway bar kit arrived. I was really not dying to start what I thought would be a complicated installation, so the kit sat in my office for close to two weeks before I decided to take the plunge. Prior to taking everything apart, I had to take the Z06 for a spirited drive with the stock sway's so that I had something fresh in my mind to compare too. I drove for 30 mins or so on a two lane secondary road that has nice tight turns and switchbacks.
Armed with a six pack and my hodge podge of tools I began the PFADT Sway Bar Installation (see link for details on the install). Removing the stock sway bars was pretty easy and took maybe 45 mins tops. I will say, comparing the stock sway bars to the PFADT bars, you see an immediate difference in quality between the two. The PFADT system absolutely makes the OEM sway's look cheap and inadequate. The entire installation took maybe 4 hours (max). I will say that the PFADT instructions do assume a certain level of technical knowledge and are probably written more with an installation shop in mind, but are still adequate for a "shade tree mechanic". I also did create my own PFADT Sway Bar Installation for Dummy's write-up just in case you need some extra pictures or explanation.
PFADT Corvette Z06 Sway Bar
Roughly 4 hours and a six pack later, my installation was done. Time for the first drive (of course, after all the beer was out of my system) with the new PFADT Competition Sway Bars. At first I was not expecting much difference, but after comparing the quality of the OEM components to the PFADT setup, I was starting to think maybe there will be a slight noticeable difference.
PFADT Competition Corvette Sway Bars
Startup, and the car rolled out of the driveway without any grinding noises or clunking (whew car still rolls, could not a screwed up the install that bad). Drove gently out of the neighborhood just to make sure everything was ok, and then accelerated onto a side street (45 mph) two lane, tight winding road. Ok, not is it is time to see if there is a difference.First turn, took it carefully and controlled...hmmmmm, felt good, my confidence was starting to build. Next turn, little more speed, everything still good. No noise...Now I really am feeling confident in my installation. Hit the next turn with a bit more "spirited driving". Oh my god!!!!! I could feel a HUGE difference! I immediately understood what "Body Roll" is. When I hit a corner, the my butt slide laterally in the seat, but the top of my torso felt very little lateral movement (nothing like with the stock setup). Hitting another turn, I accelerated into it (loving the new feeling), same thing, absolutely amazing. It is very hard to explain, but you do not really feel your head getting pulled into the turn, all the G's feel like they are pulling harder at the lower part of your body than the top. It was a clear case of you do not know what you are missing until you try it. I thought the Z06 handled good stock, and never had experienced what top notch sway bars feel like. I will never be able to go back to stock and this is one of those Corvette Modifications I would rank right up there with the Intake and Exhaust. It makes THAT big of a difference in your day to day driving experience and for the price, is worth EVERY penny!!!! Now I am really wondering what I have been missing with the PFADT Corvette Coilovers?
Let's just say that I am not a sticker man when it comes to my cars...But I loved the PFADT sway bars so much, that I just had to put their sticker in my back window 
Actually looks pretty good on a Cyber Grey car.
Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition
Since the Corvette was introduced, the track has always appealed to its consumers. Be it the heritage behind it, or the power within it, it is undeniable that the Corvette wields a force to be reckoned with on the track. The Z06 took this ability a step further during the C5 years, and was carried over during the C6 years. The top dog Corvette- the ZR1- has replaced the previous ZR-1's (C3/C4) and has earned quite a blistering name for itself, due to its heavily modified and Eaton TVS supercharged LS3 dubbed the LS9 producing 638 hp/603 lb-ft of torque. The catch is, a ZR-1 off the lot will run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $106,500-$114,000. That's a lot of money for a lot of car. Justifiably some might say, while others more than scoff at the price tag. The scoffing crowd needn't scoff anymore while they drool over the "best" Vette to come out. The other interesting note about this year, is it will be the 50th anniversary of the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans where the Corvette first entered and finished an astonishing 8th overall, and 1st in class (seen in B&W photo to right). To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this historical milestone for the Corvette, Chevy wanted to do something special.
Please welcome the 2011 Z06 Carbon Limited Edition.
The Z06 Carbon Limited Edition has been cited as being the middle child between the Z06 and the ZR1 by bridging the price gap of the Z06 (~$75k) and the ZR1 (~$110K), so expect to see the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition somewhere in the neighborhood of roughly $90K. The Carbon Edition features many of the goodies found on the ZR1, but while still remaining naturally aspirated, but combining it with the style and poise of a limited edition. The Carbon Edition will feature the 15" ceramic brakes off of the ZR1 with specially painted gray calipers, driver-adjustable magnetorheological shocks, black 20-spoke, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 2 rubber to put the power of the 505 HP of the (relatively untouched from the Z06-save for a carbon fiber engine cover) LS7 to the road.
The Carbon Limited Edition also comes with black headlamps and black mirrors. The introduction of a new color- Supersonic Blue -and the previously seen Inferno Orange will be the only two colors the car is robed in. Chevrolet will only produce 500 units of the Carbon Limited Edition. For this edition however, it should be noted that the differences- while not drastic- are quite noticeable. The rockers and splitter, along with the hood will all be made out of black carbon fiber (though the hood will be color-matched to the body and is raised like the ZR1 sans window). The rear of the car will be complemented with a ZR1 style spoiler, and the headlamps will be housed in black as well.
The interior of the Carbon Edition will also be clad in a special outfit, fitting of any special edition. The steering wheel, seats, shifter, and door panels will be in dark suede with a special logo designated strictly for the Carbon Edition. The interior is, in our opinion, just a reminder of the differences in the regular Z06 and the Carbon Edition; perhaps the grey interior (and the specially colored grey calipers) is an allusion to the carbon fiber itself. The 2011 Carbon Limited Edition is going to be an extremely limited release and more than likely among the last of the aging C6 generation. With the impending release news of the new C7 being rumored and designated for the 2012/2013 model year, the C6 variants can't be too much longer in the works until the next generation takes over with a smoother, faster 'vette. Corvette collectors and enthusiasts should take note of this impending change of the guard and realize that the C6 is soon to be phased out becoming an item to be sought after.
The Carbon Edition has quickly become the talk of the Corvette community as its release sounded the alarm of a small number of high quality, collectible, track worthy cars.
Escort Passport iQ
If you enjoy driving as much as we do, you'll be glad to know that someone came up with the bright idea of combining a GPS device with a radar/laser detector. This stroke of absolute genius is a major leap forward in the radar/laser detection world. This rules out the cluster of suction cups and 12-volt power hungry devices on the windshield- or at the very least thins the crowd. The engineers over at Escort developed the Passport iQ as a solution to this quandary. Not only is it a fully functioning GPS with everything you would expect from a Garmin, TomTom or any other GPS unit, but they 
went the extra step and included the added benefit of integrating a radar/laser detector into the unit as a seamless package detecting in the X, K, Ka, and Ku bands.
I'm sure Escort will never say it, but another added benefit, and the one everyone is thinking- is the fact that this unit, to the non-discerning eye would not be able to tell the Passport iQ apart from a regular GPS or navigation unit. In states like Virginia (for private and commercial vehicles) and Illinois, New York and New Jersey (for commercial vehicles) this is a tactful advantage, but be weary… the men in blue also read blogs and have the internet. It's only a matter of time before they catch on as well. The Passport iQ also comes with SmartShield VG2 Immunity, which prevents VG2 radar detector detectors from sensing the detector. The VG2 radar detector detector is used by police agencies throughout the United States and Canada, along with other countries in the EU to detect the use of a radar detector. The SmartShield VG2 Immunity is not completely fool proof however, and it should not solely be relied on to protect you from the prying eyes of the law. The only way to never get caught speeding is to never speed. It's as simple as that. But I won't say that this doesn't provide some peace of mind, and an increased amount of protection.
The navigation unit is supplied with Navteq maps and free 90-day trial subscription to Escort's Defender Database system which includes icons and warnings for known speed traps, red light cameras, and speed cameras. After the free trial expires there is a subscription fee to access the database. However, you may make notes and references on the maps as you travel to include personal observations of speed traps, cameras etc. The Navteq software has the options of viewing maps in a birds-eye view, or plan-view 2D mode. The Passport iQ captures the unique function of being able to record all of this data as you travel and save it for future reference. The iQ also displays the posted speed limit (where available) and sounds a warning when you exceed 10 mph above the posted limit (this is generally the bottom line for prosecutable ticket range in most areas). The display also posts your real time speed as determined by GPS, which has proven to be more accurate, especially on older cars equipped with a cable driven speedometer.
Specifications:
|
Operating Bands Radar Receiver/Detector Type GPS Receiver Laser Detection |
Display Type Power Requirement Auto-Calibration Circuitry SmartShield VG2 Immunity Dimensions |
The only drawback that seems to be discussed about the device is the disconcerting bounce that results from the weight of the device when mounted to the windshield via suction cup. Since it is the amalgamation of 2 different devices into one, the weight is fairly substantial. The other option (and for states like Minnesota and California where affixing devices to the windshield is prohibited) is the dash mount method. The drawback to this method is the obstruction of the rear facing laser detector that needs to be mounted high enough to "see" out the back window above the rear seats. But despite the mounting issues, the unit seems to be quite impressive and the rumors from Escort are confirming what the critics are hoping for in future models. The future models could possibly be equipped with real time traffic information as well as Bluetooth support. If it is released, it will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 premium, most likely from Navteq.
The unit retails at $650 USD, which some might say is a bit high, but if you factor in a speeding ticket (most people who buy detectors usually do so after being burned at least once.. depending on the severity), and then a good navigation unit, plus the radar/laser detector, the price is well worth it. We might even suggest waiting for the next generation to come out with live traffic and Bluetooth, as that would prove to be an invaluable option.
Big Brakes, High Performance Pads and Rotors, and the Corvette
Wilwood, Brembo, SSBC, StopTECH, and AP Racing are a few of the big names that immediately come to mind when the phrase "Big Brakes" gets thrown around. What's lesser known is that a large number of people misinterpret information like rotor size, drill patterns, pad material, and the number of pistons in a caliper. I'm writing this article to try and put a cap on some, if not all of these issues for the reader out in the world wide web of information. The goal is to try and explain some of these terms and concepts and their meanings to the best of my abilities, and narrow a couple of brands (maybe even one) down that seem to stand above the rest, in terms of fitting the needs of the new Corvette. But in order to do that, we must first understand the basics of braking, and how it is best achieved. Believe it or not, it doesn't start with how big your brakes are…
It starts where the rubber meets the road. Literally- your brakes don't stop your car, your tires do. Your tires are your first point of contact in the war against momentum. Think about it this way- if you can lock up your stock brakes, then you don't need bigger brakes, you need stickier tires. This is the point of contact on the road for everything- turning, acceleration, and braking. But before you go out and purchase a brand new set of Mickey Thompson drag radials to run on the street, let's briefly discuss a few basics on the tires. I am not advocating one tire supplier over another in this article, but the Tire Rack articles I reference happen to be some of the best tech articles on the internet for informational purposes. I'm sure most of you are well aware that each tire has a size to it. But, for those of you that don't 
here's a basic rundown of things to look for when choosing a set of tires. Size is obviously most important and is measured by width, aspect ratio, and rim size. This is stamped on the side of each tire in the width/aspect ratio/speed rating and rim size format. So a tire that is 225/50/R16 (like the one shown in the diagram from Tire Rack) is 225mm wide, has a 50mm aspect ratio to the wheel, is a radial tire and fits a rim size of 16 inches (tire size article here). The next most important piece of information for our purposes will be focusing on tread wear rating. Basically, in short the tread wear rating achieved on a tire is a good indication of how sticky a tire is. Plainly speaking, the stickier the compound the better the tire grips the road but the faster it wears out. This translates to having to replace tires more often, and wet weather driving should be approached with extra caution. So without writing a full tech article on how to determine all of these factors, I have provided another link to Tire Rack's tech articles outlining each of these points (tread wear/ UTQG test standards here). So, now that you've gone out and bought the stickiest tire you could legally run on the street, (***It bears repeating once again that when purchasing tires, a general rule of thumb is: the stickier the tire, the lesser the tread life, and generally speaking the worse the wet weather traction is going to be. ***) you want your braking to be improved further. Understandable.
Press on eager eyes, press on.
Suspension is the next area I want to touch on briefly as well. I'm not writing a tech article on how to modify your suspension today, but think of it this way: your tires are only able to remain connected to the road as much as your suspension keeps them planted on the road. In short, your contact patch (the area that your tires are actually touching the road-generally less than one square foot); can only be efficiently used if it is firmly planted on the road. So, on the new Chevy Corvette (or any new car for that matter) this shouldn't be an issue initially, but aftermarket springs and shocks go a long way in terms of keeping your car planted to the road firmly and more effectively. Factory suspension is designed to be comfortable and usually not maximized for the track. So, if your plans are to track the car, I strongly encourage upgrading the suspension for better handling and traction. The more effectively your car is connected to the road, the more the contact patch is efficiently used. The more your contact patch is efficiently used, the better the traction. The better traction is maintained, the better the braking. See? Great braking starts with great tires and great suspension.
Rotors: Cross-drilled vs. Slotted vs. Blank
Now I'll move on to perhaps the biggest debate in aftermarket braking: rotors. I repeatedly hear people debating whether or not cross drilled is better than slotted rotors, or whether slotted rotors are better than blank face rotors and vice versa for each of those, or a combination of the two. This is not an easy debate to settle, but before I anger the World Wide Web, we should examine the strengths and weaknesses of each. Cross drilled, although they may be the cooler looking of the bunch, are susceptible to cracking under heavy use (such as track time). By drilling holes in something (this may be obvious…) the structural rigidity of said object is reduced (it should also be noted that it substantially reduces un-sprung rotating mass, but this is negligible compared to the downfalls stated later). Brakes work on the principle of friction, and when friction happens- the byproduct is heat. Rotor temperatures can reach upwards of 900 degrees Fahrenheit when used heavily on the street and occasional track days, temperatures on the track have been recorded for an F1 brake rotor generating heat in excess of double that at 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. So as these components heat up, they also cool down, expanding and contracting putting these stresses on normal metal or alloy components is harsh enough; let alone drilling them full of holes. So, after repeated use in these conditions, the weakest area of the rotor tends to give way to the stress. This is evident in the manifestation of cracking around the weakest area of the rotor: the holes. A prime example can be seen in the picture below. This can result in catastrophic brake failure, which not only can be dangerous to you and others, but be extremely costly to repair. When the big names in racing technology like Brembo, Wilwood, etc. recommend against using cross drilled rotors on the track, their advice should be heeded. The only exception to this rule I can see is when the manufacturer uses ceramic or carbon/ceramic brakes, a markedly more expensive option seen on the feet of Ferrari, Porsche GT series cars, and other high end supercars.
After ruling out cross drilled rotors as a serious track or heavy use option (in my honest opinion, I question why they are even still made as an aftermarket option) the next rotor face design most heavily debated is slotted rotors. Slotted rotors serve multiple functions in their design: they help to expel hot gases as they are generated against the face of the rotor and the pad, while simultaneously sweeping the face of the pad free of dust, and any (in the uncanny event) debris that might have been sucked into the rotor/pad braking surface. Slotting rotors also helps the "bite" 
characteristic of the pad- much in the same way drilled rotors have the same effect. Slotted rotors have been around for quite some time now, and have proven themselves to be a viable option over blank faced rotors. However, the reasoning behind a slotted rotor is the same as a drilled rotor without the apparent disadvantages, and has proven so in various forms of racing.
The next option is a blank faced rotor; this is structurally the strongest of the three discussed options. But a blank face rotor lacks the advantage of slots to help expel heat and debris from the pad and rotor area, effectively running hotter than the slotted rotors. However, a vented, blank face rotor seems to be the rotor of choice for most race teams. By venting the rotor, with vanes inside the rotor itself, the air in the surrounding wheel and hub is effectively impelled through the surface of the rotor itself drastically dropping temperatures on the rotor face. Many manufacturers have developed an excellent system, as seen in the cut away picture from StopTECH-the impeller design pulls air through the surface of the already drilled rotor aiding in cooling. It is a fact that the heat generated by the braking process must be dissipated. The rotor (disc) handles roughly 80% of this job; therefore any advances in cooling this component are of great benefit. Vented rotors were initially introduced by Ford on the GT40 in 1966. With this we should also note that cooling is a large part of effective braking. Although not practical for most street cars, large ducts are often used in race car design to aid in cooling brakes; less heat means longer life, and less wear.
Pads
Brake pads are another serious point of contention for many enthusiasts and racers. The brake pad itself is a shaped conglomeration of friction material bound to a backing plate usually made of steel. Pad material can and has been made of various materials including asbestos (not commonly used anymore for obvious health reasons), ceramic, Kevlar, copper, aramid fibers, and other various organic and semi-metallic combinations. For the sake of argument I will not delve deeply into the "best" pad or pad materials, but there are a myriad of companies that produce brake pads, and each generally defines the differences between common light economy car use, and those designated for heavy truck, street performance or race only abuse. Some commonly noted companies include Hawk, EBC, Porterfield, Project Mu, Brembo, and so on. Different pads are geared towards different goals, some value less noise over less bite, others value less dust over less noise, and others still are designed for maximum performance regardless of noise or dust. The choice in pad is almost as unique as the driver, but more importantly the goals the driver has for the car and its performance and how the driver likes the brakes to perform at a certain point. Some racers prefer a harsh initial bite, making braking less initially modulated; while others prefer a moderate bite to help them gauge modulation in extreme braking situations. Again, pad choice is as unique as the car and varies uniquely from driver to driver,
Calipers
Ahh, those big shiny, colorful, name bearing beauties we all see behind the wheels of the cars on the greatest circuits in the world, clamping down on massive rotors slowing the car in impeccable fashion. These beauties are engineering feats in themselves, and are the final product of months of R&D, reshaping, resizing, structurally balancing, and finally matched to the car for perfect clamping force distribution. That being said let's delve into some of the different setups that calipers come varied in. There are many different configurations for a caliper that go into play in order for it to function at its maximum efficiency. Things like number of pistons in the caliper, caliper material, piston material, the brake fluid being used, the size of the piston(s), the weight of the vehicle, the intended use of the vehicle, etc. The list goes on for quite a while longer, but for our purposes I will explain very simply how the caliper functions. In a nutshell, the process goes as follows: your car has a brake fluid reservoir usually behind a brake booster/master cylinder. This master cylinder is connected to the pedal which pivots on an axis- acting as a lever. When you place your foot on the pedal and apply pressure, this lever (pedal) amplifies the force of your foot and forces fluid in the brake master cylinder and through the closed system traveling throughout the vehicle to each corner at the same time, expanding and driving the piston out of the cylinder in the caliper against the pad to clamp down on the rotor. A simple cutaway of a caliper is below courtesy of howstuffworks.com and for a further in-depth explanation of how disc brakes work, please click on the picture to link to the article.
Now that we know how a caliper works, let's examine how companies reach a conclusion on which size rotor, what size caliper, and what size piston within the caliper to use, and how many of them. This is an extremely complicated process that focuses on the corner weight of the vehicle, and starts and ends with the factory braking bias. The engineers of each braking system from the factory, for every car and manufacturer, had to put the system/car through an extremely stringent series of tests. In order for the car to pass, it had to be deemed road worthy after hundreds of hours of testing and reevaluating and ultimately the approval from the DOT and other governmentally mandated safety laws. In reference to braking bias, it is logically apparent that when you brake, weight shifts forward, and say you had just slapped some no name (or-as popular in the sport compact world, taking a higher performance model and installing its bigger brake setup on the base model car) bigger brakes, and would actually find that your stopping distances increased. What? Bigger brakes taking longer to stop the car? That's right; by upsetting the braking bias you upset exactly how much pressure the brakes apply to each corner. By installing a bigger rotor, with a bigger set of pistons, it might be setting the braking bias too far forward resulting in the undue amount of pressure being put up front with not enough bias in the rear consequentially creating longer braking distances.
Fluid and Lines
Fluid is an entirely big subject in itself, and for our purposes I will refrain from making extreme recommendations, but if I was to over broaden the subject and make a **GENERAL** recommendation, I would say that it would be safe to do three things regardless of brake set up. Initially, I would recommend first and foremost following the exact specifications of any brake kit manufacturer that you end up purchasing. The amount of time these companies have spent researching which fluid works best for their kits, and the components that they use in each kit (rubber seals, and different metal components of the system react differently with different chemical make-ups of different fluids). Secondly, for a performance application, avoid DOT 5 fluids as they are silicone based and more compressible over glycol-ether based DOT 3, 4, and 5.1 fluids. Thirdly, I would recommend bleeding your brakes 2-3 times a year, more if you drive hard or especially if you track the car, or live in a humid climate. But honestly, this is not an easily approachable subject for the amount of depth we're going into for this article. But on the subject of lines, I am a firm believer in stainless steel braided, Teflon coated lines. They do not expand in the same way that factory rubber lines do, creating a stronger pedal feel with better response. Dollar for dollar, it's probably the cheapest and most noticeable performance upgrade you'll spend on brakes.
Summary and Notes on Fitment
So, how do we determine which kit is better for our new Chevrolet Corvette? There are a few big name companies with great kits on the market, namely Wilwood, Brembo, and StopTECH. These are all big names and can offer incredible quality, and superb fitment. They each are 6-piston front/4-piston rear kits with the options of either slotted, or drilled and slotted rotors. As discussed earlier, slotted is the better option when choosing high performance rotors. Each kit comes with a set of stainless lines, and requires a minimum wheel size of 18 inches. It should be taken into consideration also when purchasing a kit of this magnitude that these will be larger than the factory brakes, and wheel fitment is crucial. The minimum clearance for each of these brake manufacturers is 2mm. This is easily accounted for when you follow the brake manufacturer's directions for test fitment. The manufacturer will provide a FREE template online to be printed out to scale and then applied to poster-board or cardboard and then cut out placing this inside the wheel and double checking measurements and fitment. Pretty straight forward and easy to do with the wheel obviously removed from the vehicle. I hope that this article has helped clear up some of the misconceptions on big brakes, and brakes in general.
Road and Track’s Road vs Track ZR1 and C6.R Showdown
Road & Track lived up to their name this time when they pitted the ultimate American Road machine, the Corvette ZR1, against the ultimate American track machine, Corvette Racing's C6.R. The ZR1 is a nasty, aggressive, mean, cruel, powerful, and all around monster of a production vehicle that uses its 6.2L Supercharged V8 to tear up stretches of asphalt and spit them out. The C6.R has been dominating in its class all year long, and if a beautiful and incredible piece of machinery that highlights the dance-like capabilities of the Corvette body on the track. Radical vs Refined. Beast vs Beauty. Road vs Track.
The C6.R, as the comparison shows, is still a powerful and capable machine. The regulations of the ACO prohibit the C6.R from utilizing the bigger, more powerful engine of the ZR1. They also limit the brakes, and other aspects, of the C6.R, so that it must shave weight wherever it can to maximize performance. Because of its weight-saving designs, and its race tuned body, the C6.R does more with less, and posts track times that are the envy of most other vehicles on Earth. Of course, in doing all of this, it loses a lot of the explosive tail-end focused power of the ZR1. The ZR1 provides this power thanks to its TVS Supercharged LS9 which delivers 638 and 604 Torque to its wide wide wheels. The vehicle is still designed for road driving though, and because of that comes with the niceties and amenities (A/C, Stereo, Power Accessories) that are expected of such. These things give it a much heavier build than the C6.R, and as result, a tail-end that, while powerful, is infamous for losing itself around sharp corners quickly. Who can blame it though? With that much power, it can't be an easy job to hold the asphalt. I've also never read or seen any review of the ZR1 that doesn't call it an absolute blast to drive, many of which even highlight its wild and aggressive nature (and fish-tailing rear-end) as reasons why it is, possibly, the ultimate driver's vehicle.
Based on these two things, this is definitely a fun and interesting comparison, the results of which aren't wholly surprising, but which are cool to see. Here's a little teaser video for the upcoming Road & Track magazine that's worth a watch, and be sure to check out the actual written comparison when it's released, as it looks like it will be a great article, from start to finish.