[Raifsvette]

I have a 2015 Corvette Stingray Z51 3LT with Magnetic Ride Control. In retrospect perhaps I should not have ordered this configuration because the ride is very rough and bumpy due to the poor roads in my area. I noticed in a GM video that it is possible to adjust the MRC so the ride is not so stiff. I asked my dealer about this and they have not told me this is possible....presumably because they have no experience with this procedure. Has anyone had their MRC adjusted and does it appreciably soften the ride? Is there a diagnostic code for the soft ride?

If there is little or no improvement with the above adjustment is it possible to install 1LT shock absorbers in my car to give me more of a "Cadillac" ride?

I have less than 200 miles on the car and may have to sell it if either of the above options don't work.

Thank you Forum members for your input!!

 

[Podstathis]

I have a 2015 Corvette Stingray Z51 3LT with Magnetic Ride Control. In retrospect perhaps I should not have ordered this configuration because the ride is very rough and bumpy due to the poor roads in my area. I noticed in a GM video that it is possible to adjust the MRC so the ride is not so stiff. I asked my dealer about this and they have not told me this is possible....presumably because they have no experience with this procedure. Has anyone had their MRC adjusted and does it appreciably soften the ride? Is there a diagnostic code for the soft ride?

If there is little or no improvement with the above adjustment is it possible to install 1LT shock absorbers in my car to give me more of a "Cadillac" ride?

I have less than 200 miles on the car and may have to sell it if either of the above options don't work.

Thank you Forum members for your input!!

Hi Raifsvette

Magnetic Ride Control will give you the smoothest ride possible over bumpy roads! It has the ability to absorb and make for a better ride on bumpy roads. However , you must set your select ride on touring!

I've always insisted on magnetic ride control on all my GM/SUVs whenever the option was available. It makes for a superior and more comfortable and controlled ride especially on Michigan Roads

In comparing my C7 Z51 Magnetic Ride to my Base C6 there is no comparison in ride quality. When setting the C7 to Touring, it's a smoother ride by by far.

As one GM Engineer explained, the vehicle absorbs bumps much faster allowing for a better ride while allow better control !

 

[Z06]

Just to add... another major advantage of Mag Ride is it's dynamic. It's not just one fixed softer damping setting like on standard C7 or one fixed firmer damping setting like on a standard Z51... it's always working and adjusting damping characteristics in any mode. Well worth it for its adjustability and versatility, IMO.

 

[mjw930]

The MRSC is tied to the drive mode, there is no "adjustment" There are 3 "settings", Tour, Sport and Track in order of compliance. Tour mode is used for the drive modes Wet, Eco and Tour. Sport is tied to Sport mode and Track is tied to Track mode.

While MRSC will provide a more controlled ride it has no bearing on spring rate, which many confuse for shock stiffness. The Z51 has higher rate springs which cannot be overcome by any shock. From a sports car standpoint neither the base or Z51 are overly stiff. It sounds like this is your first true sports car and you aren't liking the ride compliance, that's too bad.

If the car will not meet your needs in Tour mode then you are SOL but at least the resale on these in Cali is pretty strong so you shouldn't lose much when you sell it......

 

[TxSparky]

Great question and thank you for posting this. I have postponed my order while attempting to decide on base 2LT or 2LT Z51 with mag ride for well over a week. I hope you get an answer quickly as this will help both of us and i'm sure countless others. i hope the tour setting works for you.

 

[alinhouston15]

I just got a Z51 3LT with mag ride control. Few years ago I test drive a Corvette and one of reason why I did not buy it was the suspension, it was too stiff. When I tested the new 2015 Z51 y felt in love with it. Set the suspension mode to T and the ride is "smooth". Now, I may be wrong but I would never expect the vette to feel like a Cadi, two different animals. I was driving a MBE350, which is a nice sedan, but it was never my expectation that the Vete will fell like a sedan. When I set the mode to S or T then I can feel the difference and the car get really stiff and ready for a nice road or a track. Again I am not expert but this new z51 with the Mag ride is far better than previous ones

 

[abshapiro]

Uh-OH! Same experience as me -- stiff ride. It certainly is not like my wife's Lexus. But then the C7 is not suppose to be a Lexus. I believe the issue in not Mag shocks but that the Z51 package has stiffer springs, thicker torsion bars, and lower profile tires. I find myself now avoiding several roads and driving an alternate route to work. I went as far as considering putting touring tires on the C7 in an attempt to smooth the ride. However, now after 2000 miles I would not change a thing -- it is just so much fun to drive on twisty roads the way it is. The Lexus will be used for those 300 mile aim it straight trips down I5 between San Francisco and LA.

 

[Charlie Dog]

Most, if not all, sports cars today have these low profile tires and they are a factor in the quality of your ride. I had a Lexus IS AWD with these tires and you could feel every bump in the road. So, you take the combination of the sports suspension and the low profile tires and it's not going to ride like a Buick. To echo what's been said, the touring (T) mode is probably the best ride you're going to get in this car. I currently have a little over 600 miles on my Z51 and I personally enjoy very much the ride in T mode and would not have a problem traveling long distances. Perhaps things might loosen up with more miles on the car and result in a little better ride. However if things don't work out and you decide you'd like to sell, PM me because a good friend of mine who lives in the SF area might be interested. He was visiting at my place recently and fell in love with my Stringray and thought the ride was amazing. He sent me an email after returning home and said I got him thinking about a Stingray.

 

[MrFord]

Hey Raifsvette, I think you received good insights from the others here. I am also in San Francisco, also 3LT Z51 MRSC, and I find the ride on Tour to be excellent.
(I find the track setting too harsh on most roads.)
Maybe mjw930 is onto something with respect to your expectations? You won't get luxury sedan type ride from a low slung sports car, alas.
I came out of a 2008 Cayman S with PASM, which I thought had phenomenal ride quality until I drove a C7 with MSRC.
The C7 is infinitely better riding and handling.

 

[Raifsvette]

Forum Members:

Many thanks for all the valuable insight. Unfortunately, when I ordered the car in February I expected a greater change in firmness / ride in each mode. It is still a spectacular car.

Raif

 

[Sauraus]

Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I have to say that the mag ride in W,E or T is definitely softer that my Camaro SS, and the S & R modes are much firmer and an absolute blast!

Even the wife noticed this pushing the car around Angeles Crest Hwy this weekend, I switched from T to S on her and she instantly put down more power on those curves and didn't want switch back!

 

[Fleet]

For what its worth the MSRC implementation in the Vette is much better then my ATS. I did not expect a Caddy to ride like a sports car. As the OP I complained about the ATS ride to the Caddy folks, their reply; it was normal but if I wanted a softer ride, replace the summer run flats with standard summer or all season tires.


As a wise guy once said ... "Its all relative"

 

[NSC5]

My 2016 Z06 is my third MRC equipped GM vehicle and the best implementation of the group. The MRC works OK on my 2014 ATS but the combination of MRC with the tires and springs of the Z06 makes for a very versatile setup.

For those who are displeased by the stiffer ride of a Z51 compared to the regular Stingray you may want to investigate whether you can find a tire/wheel combo that will let you run a non-ZP tire that doesn't have an ultra low profile. A tire with more sidewall compliance will noticeably smooth the ride but at the expense of some reduction in handling. I don't know if there is a possible tire/wheel setup that will work with the brake size but it is worth investigating. My 2014 ATS came with ZP summer performance tires which was the only way to order a limited slip differential with the 3.6L ATS and for winter I use regular non-ZP all season tires on a base set of 17" wheels which result in a taller and more compliant sidewall with the same outside tire diameter/rotations per mile as the low profile summer tires. The ride is noticeably smoother and I expect there is less chance of wheel/tire damage from potholes hidden under the snow.

 

[Boomer]

I believe the issue in not Mag shocks but that the Z51 package has stiffer springs, thicker torsion bars, and lower profile tires.

Yup. Thats the prob OP has and I think he may have recognized it. "In retrospect perhaps I should not have ordered this configuration because the ride is very rough and bumpy due to the poor roads in my area."

My non-Z51 rides smooth and handles bumps fine. Roads are generally good in my area. OP's post is old (2014) guess he dealt with it.

 

[Sauraus]

One other thing I'd recommended, low profile tires like the 19"/20" Z51 setup do require that you keep a close eye on the tire pressure. Anything beyond the factory 30psi will have a significant impact on your ride.

I personally prefer a little more on the front than on the back, and run 33psi front / 31psi rear and cannot complain about the ride quality, but that is a personal preference. Running the car on 30/30psi made it very soft and smooth, but again that's all very subjective.

 

[eric.snuder]

Have had Vettes both with and without(C6) and aZ51 with mag ride is the very best way to go!!

 

[Mack]

Our 2014 z51 did NOT have it. The Z06 does. Even though we have the Z07 option with the Cup2 tires, the Z06 rides way better with Mag ride control. But, you can make it a very hard ride in track and sport.

 

[eric.snuder]

For what it is worth.. I agree 100% switch to touring