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corvette suspension conversion?

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Old 06-11-2009, 04:08 PM
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Default corvette suspension conversion?

does anyone know if it is possible to convert a '00 ta ws6 suspension to a vette suspension? including drilling, tapping, welding. does anyone know if it would be alot of work and worth it, not worth it, or if it wouldn't be that much work? please chime in, thanks.
Old 06-11-2009, 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted by ws-6driver
does anyone know if it is possible to convert a '00 ta ws6 suspension to a vette suspension? including drilling, tapping, welding. does anyone know if it would be alot of work and worth it, not worth it, or if it wouldn't be that much work? please chime in, thanks.
No, no, and no. I don't understand this; the correct parts will make an F-body handle. If you want a Vette, go buy one.
Old 06-11-2009, 05:15 PM
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I pretty much agree with JamRWS6, for these reasons which I will pose in rhetoric:

1. How much money can one spend on this project? If one supposedly has "six-figure" income (or at least "six-figure" investment), what would be the ROI?
2. How much of the chassis statics and dynamics does one know before chopping and cutting?
3. When the project is finished, what has been improved? If it's performance, then...
4. Will it be reliable and/or easy to service?

Many people hate seeing posts like this, however there are a lot of realities that are like a hard pill to swallow.

But back to basics, the idea here is to improve performance, right? so...

The biggest question to be asked here is: How much of the F-body suspension are you readily familiar and experienced with?
Old 06-11-2009, 05:51 PM
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This topic comes up about every 2-3 months. For reasons unknown, the very detailed discussion that included pictures of a well built conversion on a late 90s Firebird, had been deleted, then re-posted by someone else. I thinh there were issues because the original pix were posted by a "non site sponsor" chassis shop.

Nonetheless, it takes a LOT of VERY ACCURATE fab and relocation work, as well as a LOT of money. So, it raises the obvious question....WHY?
Old 06-12-2009, 03:35 AM
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Might be easer and more cost effective to work with what you have.I have seen some posts of people who put an IRS in a f-body.Costs a good amout of money but,it's your car and you have to be happy with it.Why not,what the heck.They do look cool.
I would get a good set of shocks,tires and a Watts link and go from there if it was my
car.These things do work.Think about it carefully and do the research before you do anything.
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2000 t/a ws6 with lots of mods
Old 06-12-2009, 04:14 AM
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Are you talking about converting the rear to IRS or converting the front?
Old 06-12-2009, 06:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Suaveat69
Are you talking about converting the rear to IRS or converting the front?

You're kidding, right???







(the front already is an independent suspension)
Old 06-12-2009, 07:32 AM
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the OP's other postings clearly show he is nowhere close to being able to even consider taking on such a project, so spend time responding if you want to........

use the forum to gather and gain useful information, but don't fill it up with nonsense.
Old 06-12-2009, 08:12 AM
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Originally Posted by pjb
the OP's other postings clearly show he is nowhere close to being able to even consider taking on such a project, so spend time responding if you want to........

use the forum to gather and gain useful information, but don't fill it up with nonsense.
But maybe we have something going here! By the end of this post we may have a transverse leaf spring F-body!
Old 06-12-2009, 12:21 PM
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Search function must be broken...
Old 06-12-2009, 01:51 PM
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An F-body will NEVER handle like a Corvette with its suspension, no matter how much less bad Sam and Koni can make it. NEVER. My Camaro didn't even come close to handling bumps while turning as well as my stock G8 does. Not even close. That was with Tokico shocks, which aren't the best, but they aren't s***.

However, the amount of work that it will take to improve it beyond what it can do is well out of the 'worth it' category.
Old 06-12-2009, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by JamRWS6
But maybe we have something going here! By the end of this post we may have a transverse leaf spring F-body!
'Vette Brakes and Products already did that with the 2nd get F-bods......




BTW, what happened to the OP???
Old 06-12-2009, 05:49 PM
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Maybe he just came in to start a fight
Old 06-12-2009, 05:49 PM
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Originally Posted by dragonrage
An F-body will NEVER handle like a Corvette with its suspension, no matter how much less bad Sam and Koni can make it. NEVER. My Camaro didn't even come close to handling bumps while turning as well as my stock G8 does. Not even close. That was with Tokico shocks, which aren't the best, but they aren't s***.
"Handle like a vette" in the sense of feeling like a C5 or C6 Corvette, with its wishbone suspension and center of gravity, yeah your right. But if you are talking about outright handling (how much speed the car can hold in a turn) Fbodies can easily be setup to out handle vettes. My car definitely out handles my buddies stock C4, bumps or not.
Old 06-12-2009, 09:25 PM
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Well, old cars are... old cars
Old 06-13-2009, 12:38 AM
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Originally Posted by leadfoot4
You're kidding, right???







(the front already is an independent suspension)
I was talking about the front shock towers, eliminating them. That is why I asked the question. There are threads on the IRS conversion, hence why I asked.
Old 06-13-2009, 06:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Suaveat69
I was talking about the front shock towers, eliminating them. That is why I asked the question. There are threads on the IRS conversion, hence why I asked.
How are you going to eliminate the shock towers? The upper control arms, or front suspension components, in a unit-bodied car, need something to attach to.
Old 06-13-2009, 08:54 PM
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Originally Posted by dragonrage
An F-body will NEVER handle like a Corvette with its suspension, no matter how much less bad Sam and Koni can make it. NEVER. My Camaro didn't even come close to handling bumps while turning as well as my stock G8 does. Not even close. That was with Tokico shocks, which aren't the best, but they aren't s***.

However, the amount of work that it will take to improve it beyond what it can do is well out of the 'worth it' category.
Really? Check out this link http://www.grandbayouracingseries.com/standings.html

I am Matt Patterson (2000 Trans Am)
Dennis Gros - C4 Corvette
Bob Beasley - 2nd Gen RX-7 w/ LS2
Kenny Cangelosi - BMW M3
Trey Pennell - C4 Corvette (w/ 700hp Nascar motor)
Marshall St. Amant - C4 Corvette

I'd also suggest you check out a few of my videos on youtube. The only problem is that my camera points out the windshield, so you don't see any C4 Vettes.

Don't get me wrong, C4s handle great. But, they just can't hang with a properly set up F-body in the corners.
Old 06-13-2009, 09:01 PM
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Originally Posted by dragonrage
An F-body will NEVER handle like a Corvette with its suspension, no matter how much less bad Sam and Koni can make it. NEVER. My Camaro didn't even come close to handling bumps while turning as well as my stock G8 does. Not even close. That was with Tokico shocks, which aren't the best, but they aren't s***.

However, the amount of work that it will take to improve it beyond what it can do is well out of the 'worth it' category.
Handling bumps really has nothing to do w/ making a car handle. A stock G8s handling limits aren't any higher than a F-body....not to mention an LS1 F-body will still outrun a G8. Do you have personal experience w/ Koni'd f-bodies setup by Sam? If not, that is quite a big statement.
Old 06-13-2009, 10:03 PM
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Why? I didn't say the G8 is better overall. It has more potential, though, I think.


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