The introduction of the C4 for the 1984 model year was a watershed in Y-body history. The long-in-the-tooth third generation Corvette was gone, replaced with a clean-sheet design that was a radical departure from the “secretary’s car” the Corvette had become. While the C4 has become something of a “lost generation” for the average Corvette enthusiast, even today, more than 25 years after the last one rolled off the assembly line, they’re still a cult hit among autocrossers and track day enthusiasts. Inexpensive to buy, and with a ton of aftermarket support, they’re a great choice for someone who wants a Corvette they can flog without feeling guilty, and with the right work done, they can show their taillights to newer Corvettes in every turn.

Of course, three decades passing have done no favors for the perishable parts of those C4’s suspensions, and Job One for anyone looking to get some g’s out of their fourth gen is some much-needed maintenance work. Fortunately, Corvette Central has taken an exhaustive look at refurbishing the C4’s underpinnings, and in their recent tech article, Chris Petris steps you through everything involved in bringing your Corvette’s suspension back to better-than-new condition. With some simple tools and patience, it’s possible to turn that 1984-1996 Corvette back into the world-beating sports car it was when the generation first made its debut.