Q: “I autocross a 2007 Z06 Corvette. It is modified and I just installed a softer sway bar in the rear to get rid of some traction issues after I softened up my Koni shocks to their softest. To make sure I don’t have any push issues in the front, should I add one swipe to the front shocks to just tighten them up? I appreciate your opinion.”
A: Hmmm… I can’t really answer your question with a simple yes or no. There are so many factors to consider! You really just have to try it and see. I would recommend making bigger changes than one click on shock setting, though. I suggest you make a fairly big adjustment in one direction, and then in the other direction. The goal is exactly that: figuring out what direction to go. The usual adjustment to help a car not push (understeer) is to soften the front end, so you could start in that direction. But sometimes the push is caused by the car being too soft and it rolling over too much. And that’s why you need to try the other direction too. Stiffening the front shocks might make the car feel more responsive, or it might cause more understeer after the initial responsive turn-in. So, you might gain on the initial turn-in, and lose a bit later in the corner – but if the corners are short enough, it might not be a problem.
Again, you have to experiment with it.
I have a Shocks for Drivers eBook available at https://speedsecrets.com/ebooks that will help you understand and tune your car’s handling with the shocks.
For more advice on how to tune your car’s handling, download my free How to Tune Your Car’s Handling eBook here.