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#11 |
![]() Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: New Brunswick
Posts: 951
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That's good, but we have that whole science problem. As in, rubber does age. Yes, there are things that can slow the aging, or mitigate some of the damage caused by it. But rubber parts will age and deteriorate. They just will. And a 30 year old part, installed in a car, will not be the same as it was when new.
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1990 ZR-1 # 996 "All Corvettes are red. The rest are mistakes." - John Heinricy |
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#12 |
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: fort worth
Posts: 183
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Just don't be suprised when you do the work and discover no discernable difference in ride quality. If the car had a lot of miles I'd say go for it, but if it's a low mileage car you're probably just making work.
New rubber isn't necessaribly better rubber. The quality of new rubber products has gone down hill. The 50 year old trailing arm bushings in my 71 vette are still good. I also have a 45 year old schwinn unicycle with the original tire and inner tube that still holds air. I have other equipment that the rubber is junk in only a few years. |
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#13 |
![]() Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: st louis mo
Posts: 748
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ what he said
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95 admiral blue z(sold)/ / 93 ruby z(sold) 91 steel blue z/95 aqua z haibeck 510, 91 callaway 415 areobody #5 |
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#14 | |
![]() Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: New Brunswick
Posts: 951
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And I'll guarantee you, a 50 year old rubber part is not what it was when it left the factory.
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1990 ZR-1 # 996 "All Corvettes are red. The rest are mistakes." - John Heinricy |
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#15 |
![]() Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Brooklyn ny
Posts: 1,045
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Yeah not crazy about our suspension in our cars......I remember someone saying " The car rides like a Cadillac on the softest setting...... " Yeah until you hit uneven pavement.".
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#16 |
![]() Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 183
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I have no doubt that rubber deteriorates with time. But in a sample size of (2), *all* rubber and plastic components (suspension, hoses, vacuum lines, weatherstrip, misc. interior parts, etc.) in my 1991 ZR-1 with 13K miles are in way better shape than in my 2-year younger 1993 Mustang LX 5.0 with 73K miles. So while the Mustang may have received lower spec components from the get go, IMHO use conditions (mileage, storage, etc.) have as much or more to do with the condition of aging rubber components than age alone.
Currently I have no plans to change the suspension parts on my Z. |
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#17 | |
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Virginia
Posts: 79
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#18 |
![]() Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 530
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As stated by several folks, you may not notice the difference...but you will have piece of mind. That said maybe drive it for awhile and see what you think. Mine is a 91 and is not very soft except on touring setting, even then it is not what I would call squishy, on sport it can be a bit harsh on bad roads. However my suspension has a lot of aftermarket parts in it, that someone else put in. I did recently replace the shocks and found that the bilstein originals were slightly different than the bilstein replacements. The difference is where the top bushings sit, on one set the tops were concave and on the other (newer) they were convex.
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#19 | |
![]() Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: New Brunswick
Posts: 951
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Hmmm. How did it effect the installation of the Bilsteins? Anything I should prepare for? We do always have the option of going with the 1992+ springs. Would definitely give us a better ride, and I still think the 90-91 Bilsteins could certainly control them well.
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1990 ZR-1 # 996 "All Corvettes are red. The rest are mistakes." - John Heinricy |
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#20 |
![]() Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 530
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Steve at Crossed Flags did the install, I think he ended up swapping the top hats. so it fit like it was meant to.
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