Every C6 has composite leaf springs, front and rear, laid across the car. GM kept that layout for the sixth generation, and it shapes how you choose a kit. You can keep the leaf springs and change the shocks, or go to full coilover suspension. Below are all eleven sets of Chevrolet Corvette C6 coilovers we carry, with BC Racing first.
Shocks only or a full conversion? Call 1-800-460-9106 and talk it over with us.
Animated illustration. It shows where coilovers sit on a car, not your exact kit. Depending on the car and the kit, coilovers can lean forward or back or stand straight up, and some cars use a separate spring and shock in the rear. Your ride height depends on the kit and how it is set up.
Each answer narrows down the kits.
KW lists the Z06 apart from every other C6. GM gave the Z06 its own rear spring and stabilizer bar.
GM's optional F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control uses magnetic fluid shocks (magneto-rheological dampers). KW has kits for cars with and without electronic shock control.
For each case, KW sells a shock kit and a complete kit. Only the complete kit includes leaf spring removal.
BC Racing makes three series for the Corvette C6: BR, DS and ER. All three come on one kit made for the 1997 to 2013 C5 and C6. Its name says "Extreme by Default", so ask us about ride height before you order. Free shipping on BC Racing kits in the continental US.
The one BC kit comes in three series.
BR has one knob with 30 clicks that sets compression and rebound together. It is a good start for a C6 that sees mostly street miles.
DS has the same 30-click single knob, plus a digressive piston for firmer body control.
ER uses an upright shock with its own oil reservoir, and compression and rebound adjust separately, with 30 clicks for each.
To add Swift Springs to the BC C6 kit, use the Custom Build for BC Coilovers page. Talk spring rates with us first.
Three more brands make C6 kits. If you have questions about any of them, call 1-800-460-9106.
KW has eight C6 kits, four for the Z06 and four for other C6 cars. Each set covers cars with and without electronic shock control, as a shock kit or a complete kit.
Fortune Auto kits are hand-assembled in Powhatan, Virginia. There is one kit, made for the 2005 to 2013 C6.
Feal has one kit, made for the C5 and C6, 1997 to 2013.
For interstate miles and weekends away, a modest drop and soft damping keep the ride calm.
On the C6, GM's Z51 package brought more aggressive dampers and springs and larger stabilizer bars. For autocross, BC's ER lets you set compression and rebound separately. Ask us how the KW, Feal and Fortune kits adjust.
Long sessions heat everything up. Set the ride height on your C6 coilovers for the track first, then get the alignment done.
Kits that fit any C6 come first, then KW's non-Z06 and Z06 kits. Open a card for the price and full kit name.
Here is what Corvette C6 owners report most often in forums, recalls and service bulletins, and what each one means for your coilovers.
GM bulletin PI0430 says a Service Suspension System message (codes C0575 to C0590) on F55 Corvettes can come from a 90 degree shock-top connector that is not fully seated, so check it before replacing a shock. Corvette owners also report leaking magnetic dampers. A warning is not always a failed damper, and that changes what you replace.
Before you install: Read the codes and reseat the connectors first. If you convert, order the kit named for electronic shock control.
C6 owners on CorvetteForum report scraping the front spoiler on dips and driveways after lowering, and one warns of cracking radiator supports. A few settled at about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch drop. C5 owners report the same with the air dam. Coilovers make it easy to go lower than the car can live with.
Before you install: Lower in small steps, check clearance on your own driveway, and get a fresh alignment once the height is final.
GM said the sixth-generation Corvette began with the 2005 edition, as a Coupe and a Convertible. The short-long arm design and the leaf springs laid across the car stayed. GM said none of the suspension parts carried over from the C5.
The parts were new, but the leaf spring layout stayed. That is why the springs are still one of the three questions when you pick a kit.
KW sells shock kits for the C6, and they do not mention removing the leaf springs. Its complete kits say "incl. leaf spring removal." Call us to talk through which way you want to go.
Some KW C6 kits are named "with electronic shock control" and come with a cancellation kit. The other C6 kits do not mention it. Call us before you order and we will match the kit to your car.
From KW, yes. It has four sets of C6 Z06 coilovers. The BC Racing, Fortune Auto and Feal kits do not name a trim level.
Two kits here do. If you need C5 Corvette coilovers, BC Racing and Feal each make one kit for the C5 and C6, 1997 to 2013. Fortune Auto and KW list the C6 on its own.
BC's 1997 to 2013 C5 and C6 kit comes in BR, DS and ER.
KW's C6 shock kits say by name that they are not for the ZR1. No kit on this page lists the ZR1 as covered, so call us first.
BC Racing North America currently lists a two-year limited warranty on full kit orders, subject to its warranty terms. Each of the other brands sets its own warranty terms.
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