DEP: I did read all the posts at least until I got the feeling you are just wading in for the now.

Anyway, thank you very much for pointing out that you are becoming more and more paranoid as time goes by. You start a thread knowing that it will cause most here to "rant" one way or the other, then you feel like we are picking on you. You used to be a fun guy but now.......... into my ignore list. BTW: It won't hurt my feelings at all if you do the same. Rest in peace.

 

Yep...I find it interesting that upon your return the first thing you do is make a point to attack me on every thread I post to. Welcome to MY ignore list

Dep

 

Do you need a suspension for drag racing?
If a solid axle is so great for straight line couldn't the suspension just be eliminated? Lock in a solid axle and most of this conversion is gone.

 

I think the 'suspension', and the 'solid-axle' are two different things in this case:
while the suspension isn't the best for drag-racing, the C3's rear-end, from the carrier out-board to the wheel, has many 'moving-pieces', prone to breakage, that don't help in a straight-line / acceleration-contest.

Many late 2nd-generation Camaros and Firebirds run well into the 11's (and even quicker) with the fairly-standard 8.5" ring-gear 10-bolt rear-end with little-to-no problems or breakage:
if it was easily-possible to mount a complete 10-bolt housing with leaf-springs, I'd think most C3 drag-racers would go this route, but since it isn't feasible, narrowing the frame-rails, and installing a much-stronger 9" Ford housing (which also makes gear-changes easier) with wheel-tubs and a coil-over/4-link suspension is what most often happens.

 

That's not a good argument for IRS at all. Duntov designed the car to sell and make GM money. The Corvettes primary intention may have been based on road racing but the suspension was never anything special even in the early years. Then it was not updated or even maintained well from 1963 -1982 when the factory did indulge in some sponsored road racing.Gulstrand did what he could with the IRS and there was very little he didn't replace. It still had an early 50's design until the C-4 came out. So I can't see any great direction on handling by GM for almost 20 years. Ask TT , Norval and Redvetracer or several others here to see how bad the C-3 suspension really is. If it were that great we wouldn't be trying to re-design the IRS for handling and it is for sure not built to drag race.

As for drag racing, the Corvette body is a great one for any racing event. The problem is that the IRS is not bullet proof and as horsepower and suspension have evolved the Corvette now has need of a solid axel suspension to be competitive in drag racing. I can't see the big deal of going to a solid axel in a C3. There is nothing sacrilegious about it. If someone decides to use a Corvette for drag racing so what? To me it is no different changing a Vette to solid axel than changing from leaf springs on a Camaro to a four link with coil overs.

Nascar is another area of racing that uses a body to represent a vehicle that under the skin has no actual parts of the original car at all. Front wheel drive Monte Carlos were never laughed at when Dale Earnhardt drove them even though they were no longer front wheel drive.

I can't see any argument to say that all Corvettes should stay IRS.

Alston Chassis Eng. will tell you the best way to do it Dep. Just don't tell them you are putting in a little 302, they might put on training wheels instead of wheelie bars.

 

Because the differential is mounted to the frame.
Stick a solid axle in there, mounted to the frame and unsprung. No suspension.

I don't know if a suspension is needed on a drag car thats why I ask this.

 

If someone like Twin Turbo told me my car would handle better with a solid axle I would do one this winter. I really don't see the big deal. I just thought for hard street running the independent rearend handled better.
To me it is all about handling .

 

The true benefit of the solid axle over the IRs in case of drag racing is the anti squat that you can set it up with because the differential is part of the suspension unlike the IRS where you can get maybe 20-25% of anti squat, on a solid axle it's possible to get 100% anti squat and therefore transfer all power directly to forward propulsion instead of wasting it in the suspension.

 

Plus only 2 u-joints to worry about instead of SIX. Plus much beefier ring and pinion gears than what the Vette comes with. Plus aftermarket parts that make it even MORE heavy duty.

 

The only un-sprung drag-cars are dragsters, who's chassis have slip-joints on the vertical bars, allowing the upper and lower frame rails to 'flex', keeping the front tires on the ground, while transferring weight to the rear tires.

 

I might be over-simplifying things, but would seem to me that an f-body-type rear, where the control arms would attach to where the trailing arms are, and the coils perch where the exisiting x-member is, could maybe be fabricated.....

 

 

I just cant say it any better myself!

 

how hard r u running on the street? if u can go fast around corners and still see around that very nice motor than you must have a co-pilot because i cant do right turns as fast as left turns! If you rode in my vette the only time you know when i have a solid rear is when i bang all 4 gears hard and all my stuf is still intact when I slow down! Just do it !

 

I often cruise in the 100mph range and yes right corners are harder but after 4 years of driving this combination you get a system that works. I often take corners at 3 times the recommended speed. The worst part for me about installing a ford 9 inch is the 26 inch driveshaft. Right now the driveshaft angles are almost straight, within a degree anyway.
What happens with the ford 9 inch is the short short driveshaft goes through a big big change if you have a suspension that actually works. Spring it hard enough and that is not a concern. To me I like running soft springs and actually have the wheels go up and down. This puts a big load on the universals.
Before anyone says What about the 1/2 shafts?? They are running at about 1/3 the speed of the driveshaft.
The installation is not a problem, weather is is actually better from the handling point is...

 

I would like to see you do a post on installing the rearend. Did you cut the battey boxes, modify them in any way?
Are you running 2 leaf springs? coilovers? ladder bars?
Do a post on this giving as many pictures as possible.
How about high speed vibration with the short driveshaft.
Start a new post on this.

 

I agree with Norvals idea

A post about how to go about this, what parts of the frame has to be cut, moving things like battery box and gas tank, how it handles afterward, what to look out for when doing this swap from someone that's already done it, what size/width tires would fit afterwards, would be PRICELESS on this forum... as this topic comes up every month.

 

You mean vettes can go round corners too?

 

Looks like a little too much tire for the vette body.framerails too wide.

 

Looks like everything fits in the picture in the profile.