To obtain the neutron spectroscopic amplitudes for 90-96Zr overlaps, experimental data of elastic scattering with small experimental errors and precise optical potentials were analyzed. In this study, the elastic scattering angular distributions of
C +
(A = 90, 91, 92, 94, 96) were measured using the high-precision Q3D magnetic spectrometer in the Tandem accelerator. The São Paulo potential was used for the optical potential. The optical model and coupled channel calculations were compared with the experimental data. The theoretical results were found to be very close to the experimental data. In addition, the possible effects of the couplings to the inelastic channels of the
targets and
C projectiles on the elastic scattering were studied. It was observed that the couplings to the inelastic channels of the
C projectiles could improve the agreement with the experimental data, while the inelastic couplings to the target states are of minor importance. The effect of the one-neutron stripping in the
C+
elastic scattering was also studied. The one-neutron stripping channel in
C +
was found to be not relevant and did not affect the elastic scattering angular distributions. Our results also show that in the reactions with the considered zirconium isotopes, the presence of the extra neutron in
C does not influence the reaction mechanism, which is governed by the collective excitation of the
C core.