Sir_wilhelmsemuth
New Member
Hi guys,
This will be a more lengthy post, covering a bunch of items.
looking at making a move for lowering springs, but trying to gather some more information and also waiting for Renick to get their Spec R springs back in stock cause I'm leaning that way and I don't see any real reviews for them online.
So while I love the Blackwing I do find some things that personally take away from the almost perfect driving experience it provides.
While I know that the issues I am about to talk about also have other large contributing factors ( sway bars, suspension bushings, tires , etc. ) I also think springs could help the needle in the direction I want to go so to speak.
I find the front end likes to push out ( understeer ) and the rear feels a bit squishy/wobbly at the limit. Now I've read that the new 2025 Blackwing will have a "Precision Package " option , which seems to address the majority of the issues I'm feeling.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Precision Package
Tested with Car & Driver
Key points pulled from above :
Spring rates are 70 percent stiffer up front and 60 percent in the rear, there's a stiffer front anti-roll bar, and pretty much every bushing has been replaced. There are bits inherited from the Camaro SS 1LE and ZL1 1LE and—in the most extreme case—one of the rear cradle bushings is now 1000 percent stiffer. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires remain standard, but track-oriented Cup 2R rubber is available, and the 285-section width is 10 millimeters wider than the stock PS4Ss. (Interestingly, in the interest of development time and cost, these are off-the-shelf tires versus the GM norm of having them customized for the vehicle.) The front suspension knuckles had to be revised to be able to accommodate 2.8 degrees of negative camber up front, and a second set of rear toe-control links are provided—they come in the trunk, and are about 0.1 inch longer—to be able to adjust the rear alignment to negative 2.0 degrees of camber (stock track alignment is -2.4 degrees front, -1.5 degrees rear). Finally, to make it all sing, the electronic controls—steering, MR dampers, stability control including Performance Traction Management, and the electronically controlled limited-slip differential—get a retune.
So , with that information out there, I've been calling around and trying to figure out which direction I would go.
When it comes to springs, I've looked and called around gathering whatever specs I can find.
OEM CT5 V Blackwing Specifications
I've pulled this information from TapOuts posts, which is the most information I could find for the OEM specs.
Front Spring Rate : 190 lbs
Rear Spring Rate : 535 lbs
So taking that as the baseline these are the options available to us :
Eibach : called and spoke to Eibach directly
Front Spring Rate : 220 lbs
Rear Spring Rates ( Progressive Spring ) : 428 - 628 lbs
Lowering : 0.7 all around
Cadillac CT5-V PRO-KIT
Tap Out
Front Spring Rate : 215 lbs
Rear Spring Rates : 680 lbs
Lowering : 17-20 mm ( 0.670 - 0.780 )
Swift Sport Lowering Springs
Refined Performance ( Formally Renick ) : called and spoke directly to them
Dual Rated Track Spring
Front Spring Rate : 30% higher than stock ( my guess is the area of around 247 lbs ? )
Rear Spring Rates : 30% higher than stock ( my guess is the area of around 695 lbs ? )
Lowering : 0.75 all around
CT5-V Blackwing "Spec-R"
Cadillac Precision Package
Front Spring Rate : 70% higher than stock ( my guess is the area of around 323 lbs ? )
Rear Spring Rates : 60% higher than stock ( my guess is the area of around 856 lbs ? )
Lowering : not specified yet
No part numbers listed yet, will update once they release.
I have a strong guess that the rates that were using aren't crossing over from each brand of spring, because while I've heard the Refined performance springs ride the tightest, I can't imagine the OEM springs being THAT much stiffer.
From what I can tell from talking to Refined performance their spring would be the most capable on track but harshest on street, with TapOut and Eibach options being the more streetable options. Also I know this is all subjective, but I'd like to gather a database if you will of personal opinions so there could be some form of comparison.
There is also the issue of geography and climate - guys living in Florida and California COULD run a more track orientated spring without so much concern due to the roads not being as beat up. I live in Ontario, Canada so our roads ( and Michigans ) get beat up from the snow and salting. It would also be interesting to get people opinions on that as well.
Swaybar Options
Its intersting that the Precision Package includes a front swaybar option, so obviously the team at Cadillac realized there is some body roll to improve on. I'd be interested in this as well. I know Refined Performance is working on a hollow front bar for the CT5 and that the existing rear bar that they have for the ATS-V and Camaro 6 will fit on the CT5.
Rear Craddle Bushings
The rear bushings on the Blackwing are the same rear bushing in the 2.0 and 3.0 models as well. They are not stiffened up for performance and I feel that some of the rear squishy feeling could be attributed to that. In all my previous sports cars the rear end always benefited from adding some rigidity to the rear bushings, wither it be inserts or swapping to polyurethane. I feel in our cars the swap that Cadillac made in the Precision Package to stiffer rubber bushings and not rigid aluminum like the ZL1 1LE is ideal to maintain drive ability , but no options as of yet exist. And even once the parts are released the work to swap out the bushings is substantial. Right now I can looking into comparing the Camaro6 rear craddle bushings to the CT5 and seeing it there is any crossover so that lock out kits from that would possibly be used. If so, I would post options in here as well.
Update : There's a guy currently working on cradle bushing inserts for the CT5 , he has already made a solution for the CTS-V V3.
REVELRY RACING
This will be a more lengthy post, covering a bunch of items.
looking at making a move for lowering springs, but trying to gather some more information and also waiting for Renick to get their Spec R springs back in stock cause I'm leaning that way and I don't see any real reviews for them online.
So while I love the Blackwing I do find some things that personally take away from the almost perfect driving experience it provides.
While I know that the issues I am about to talk about also have other large contributing factors ( sway bars, suspension bushings, tires , etc. ) I also think springs could help the needle in the direction I want to go so to speak.
I find the front end likes to push out ( understeer ) and the rear feels a bit squishy/wobbly at the limit. Now I've read that the new 2025 Blackwing will have a "Precision Package " option , which seems to address the majority of the issues I'm feeling.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Precision Package
Tested with Car & Driver
Key points pulled from above :
Spring rates are 70 percent stiffer up front and 60 percent in the rear, there's a stiffer front anti-roll bar, and pretty much every bushing has been replaced. There are bits inherited from the Camaro SS 1LE and ZL1 1LE and—in the most extreme case—one of the rear cradle bushings is now 1000 percent stiffer. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires remain standard, but track-oriented Cup 2R rubber is available, and the 285-section width is 10 millimeters wider than the stock PS4Ss. (Interestingly, in the interest of development time and cost, these are off-the-shelf tires versus the GM norm of having them customized for the vehicle.) The front suspension knuckles had to be revised to be able to accommodate 2.8 degrees of negative camber up front, and a second set of rear toe-control links are provided—they come in the trunk, and are about 0.1 inch longer—to be able to adjust the rear alignment to negative 2.0 degrees of camber (stock track alignment is -2.4 degrees front, -1.5 degrees rear). Finally, to make it all sing, the electronic controls—steering, MR dampers, stability control including Performance Traction Management, and the electronically controlled limited-slip differential—get a retune.
So , with that information out there, I've been calling around and trying to figure out which direction I would go.
When it comes to springs, I've looked and called around gathering whatever specs I can find.
OEM CT5 V Blackwing Specifications
I've pulled this information from TapOuts posts, which is the most information I could find for the OEM specs.
Front Spring Rate : 190 lbs
Rear Spring Rate : 535 lbs
So taking that as the baseline these are the options available to us :
Eibach : called and spoke to Eibach directly
Front Spring Rate : 220 lbs
Rear Spring Rates ( Progressive Spring ) : 428 - 628 lbs
Lowering : 0.7 all around
Cadillac CT5-V PRO-KIT
Tap Out
Front Spring Rate : 215 lbs
Rear Spring Rates : 680 lbs
Lowering : 17-20 mm ( 0.670 - 0.780 )
Swift Sport Lowering Springs
Refined Performance ( Formally Renick ) : called and spoke directly to them
Dual Rated Track Spring
Front Spring Rate : 30% higher than stock ( my guess is the area of around 247 lbs ? )
Rear Spring Rates : 30% higher than stock ( my guess is the area of around 695 lbs ? )
Lowering : 0.75 all around
CT5-V Blackwing "Spec-R"
Cadillac Precision Package
Front Spring Rate : 70% higher than stock ( my guess is the area of around 323 lbs ? )
Rear Spring Rates : 60% higher than stock ( my guess is the area of around 856 lbs ? )
Lowering : not specified yet
No part numbers listed yet, will update once they release.
I have a strong guess that the rates that were using aren't crossing over from each brand of spring, because while I've heard the Refined performance springs ride the tightest, I can't imagine the OEM springs being THAT much stiffer.
From what I can tell from talking to Refined performance their spring would be the most capable on track but harshest on street, with TapOut and Eibach options being the more streetable options. Also I know this is all subjective, but I'd like to gather a database if you will of personal opinions so there could be some form of comparison.
There is also the issue of geography and climate - guys living in Florida and California COULD run a more track orientated spring without so much concern due to the roads not being as beat up. I live in Ontario, Canada so our roads ( and Michigans ) get beat up from the snow and salting. It would also be interesting to get people opinions on that as well.
Swaybar Options
Its intersting that the Precision Package includes a front swaybar option, so obviously the team at Cadillac realized there is some body roll to improve on. I'd be interested in this as well. I know Refined Performance is working on a hollow front bar for the CT5 and that the existing rear bar that they have for the ATS-V and Camaro 6 will fit on the CT5.
Rear Craddle Bushings
The rear bushings on the Blackwing are the same rear bushing in the 2.0 and 3.0 models as well. They are not stiffened up for performance and I feel that some of the rear squishy feeling could be attributed to that. In all my previous sports cars the rear end always benefited from adding some rigidity to the rear bushings, wither it be inserts or swapping to polyurethane. I feel in our cars the swap that Cadillac made in the Precision Package to stiffer rubber bushings and not rigid aluminum like the ZL1 1LE is ideal to maintain drive ability , but no options as of yet exist. And even once the parts are released the work to swap out the bushings is substantial. Right now I can looking into comparing the Camaro6 rear craddle bushings to the CT5 and seeing it there is any crossover so that lock out kits from that would possibly be used. If so, I would post options in here as well.
Update : There's a guy currently working on cradle bushing inserts for the CT5 , he has already made a solution for the CTS-V V3.
REVELRY RACING
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