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In stock form, the C5 Corvette is delivered with a fairly typical American car posture, sitting a tad too high with a tad too much space between the wheel and the fender. If you have noticed, many German vehicles don't really sit any closer to the ground, but they appear lower because they don't have the space between the wheel and the fender. Thankfully, there's something you can do to your C5 to give it that ground-hugging look too.
Did you know that your Corvette has adjustable ride height? It sure does, and all you need to lower it is a couple of wrenches and a floor jack. While supporting the end of the spring with the jack to unload the pressure on the control arm, you simply turn the screw counter-clockwise until the rubber pad bottoms out on the spring. The rear is slightly different because instead of a screw, it uses a bolt and nut. You will need to unload the spring the same way as the front, then loosen the nut until the last thread is at the very top of the nut. It's a good idea to use red Loc-Tite to securely hold everything together.
While we were under the Corvette, we decided to add some additional attitude to our altitude adjustment by replacing the factory rotors with the new performance brake rotors from Zip Corvette Parts. These drilled and slotted rotors will provide a competition look behind the new 2000 Chrome Reproduction Wheels that we're using to round off the new look.
Follow along as we show you how to install the brakes while taking some of that altitude out of your C5 at the same time.
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01: Here are the stock rotors on our 1999 C5 Corvette. Although the factory provides a great set of brakes, they just don't look sporty. Nothing beats a set of race-style brakes peeking from behind spoked wheels. |
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02: Since we're replacing the factory rotors with new performance Corvette Brake Rotors from Zip Products, we'll get the stock rotors out of the way to gain a little more access to the control arm for lowering. First, disconnect the brake line and let it drain into a bucket. |
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03: Next, remove the bolts from the caliper so it can be removed from its bracket. Once the caliper is removed, you can also remove the brake pads, making sure to note which location they are in if you plan to reuse them. We opted to replace ours with a new set of Hawk Corvette Brake Pads. |
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04:Once you have the brake pads out of the way, you will have just the caliper bracket left to remove, using either a long breaker bar for your socket or a big torque wrench. |
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05: Remove the two large bolts that hold the caliper bracket to the spindle. These are very tight so you'll really have to lean into it. |
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06: With the caliper bracket off, simply slide the rotor off the hub. Depending on the mileage on the Corvette, it may not just slide off easily. In that case, tap it with a rubber mallet. |
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07: Removing the rotors is not necessary for lowering your C5, but it does provide additional access to the spring adjuster. Use a floor jack to support the end of the spring to unload the pressure off the control arm. Then, using a 10mm wrench or socket, turn the screw in the end of the spring counter-clockwise until the rubber pad bottoms out on the spring. The rear is slightly different because instead of a screw, it uses a bolt and nut. You will need to unload the spring the same way as the front, then loosen the nut until the last thread is at the very top of the nut. It's a good idea to apply red Loc-Tite to hold everything together. |
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08: With the suspension height adjusted, start the reassembly of the brakes by sliding the new brake rotors onto the hubs. |
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09: It's a good idea to use red Loc-Tite on every important bolt, like the caliper bracket bolts. When you reinstall them, be sure to torque to 145 lb. ft. |
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10: Here is the bracket installed and torqued. |
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11: The Hawk pads are very easy to install. They just slide right into the bracket. |
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12: With the caliper installed, bolts tightened, and the brake line reinstalled, it's time to bleed the brake system. But first, disconnect the battery because when you open the bleeder and the brake pedal goes to the floor, it will send an ABS signal to the PCM if the battery is connected, causing all your lights to light up like something is wrong. If you disconnect the battery, you will not send a signal and you have no worries. Go ahead and bleed your brakes starting with the right rear, then the left rear, right front, and finally the left front. You always bleed the farthest away from the master cylinder first. |
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Altitude Adjustment: 1997-2004 C5 Corvette Brake Rotor Replacement Source: Zip Corvette Parts 8067 Fast Lane Mechanicsville, VA 23111 (800) 962-9632 Parts List:
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