Installing C5/C6 Corvette Steering Knuckles for Extreme Drift Angles
Installing C5/C6 Corvette Steering Knuckles for Extreme Drift Angles
Corvettes actually have all the goods to be a decent drift car. Except for limitations of stock steering knuckles.
Drifting has become ever more popular, and with one of the most common mods being an LS swap, why not just start with a car that has one in the first place? Well, in theory that sounds awesome, but the C5 and C6 Corvette platforms do have some limitations. Mainly that comes down to the steering knuckles which don’t offer the amount of steering angle needed for lurid slides.
Stock steering knuckles on the C6 are limited in movement of the front tires. What’s perfectly fine for every day use ends up being a bit of a burden when you’re trying to get the rear end kicked out. For the Corvette C6 here, front angle for the tires is at a less-than-ideal 30 degrees. This is what the new steering knuckles will fix, as they re-locate where the tie-rod ends join up to them. Changing the fulcrum in this way allows the stock tie rods to be used, while only having to replace the knuckle and tie rod end.
With the changes being so simple, it becomes almost as easy as a plug-and-play kit. In this specific instance, the sway bars were kept in place just to show that clearance isn’t an issue, and even the brakes and brake lines were fine. However, rim size is important. Wheel spacers were used . the two-inch kind. with an 18x.5 rim that has a +30mm offset. This is done to have adequate inside tire clearance at full lock. In all the steering angle increased from 30 degrees to 56 degrees.
While you’d think this would have some wild effects on the steering wheel, it is said to still be fairly normal on the street, with the only noticeable aspect being a tighter and quicker turn-in. But if you’re using your Corvette for drifting, that’s exactly what you need.
