Useless diff shield?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 336
Likes: 173
From: Canadian living in southern France
Useless diff shield?
Has anyone else decided to leave off the bent, dirty and what appears to me, unless, metal shield under the diff?
What's it supposed to do exactly?
What's it supposed to do exactly?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,068
Likes: 7,678
From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
Bought mine over 30 years ago and it was missing then! Still is.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 336
Likes: 173
From: Canadian living in southern France
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,809
From: Cool Northern Michigan
I suppose its purpose would be to protect the rubber liners in between the leafs. And in a small way protects the strut bushings too.
Its a very disappointing piece of metal for a high-end car. But I guess it serves its purpose.
Its a very disappointing piece of metal for a high-end car. But I guess it serves its purpose.
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Old Fart Pilot
Joined: Apr 2010
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From: Spokane, WA
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,410
Likes: 949
From: Tennessee/Rhode Island
Heat shield and yes it is there for a reason with the OEM GM standard steel leaf springs, way before the composite showed up on the base suspension cars in 1980.
I was careful to reinstall mine in 1986 when I put on the VBP 360 monospring myself.....shield is still there and so is the VBP 360 monospring, looking the same and acting the same, as 34 years earlier. Try that with a steel spring. One of the best mods for any C3 rear suspension..........
I was careful to reinstall mine in 1986 when I put on the VBP 360 monospring myself.....shield is still there and so is the VBP 360 monospring, looking the same and acting the same, as 34 years earlier. Try that with a steel spring. One of the best mods for any C3 rear suspension..........
Last edited by jb78L-82; Jun 19, 2020 at 09:48 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 495
Mine is still on my 80 L-82 but I just switched over to side pipes , to me it looks like a heat shield for the exhaust where the Catalytic Converter and 1 into 2 tail pipes all commerce right there very close to or under the aluminum rear diff and spring area , there has to be a ton of heat from the Cat that could transfer to the Diff without it at all providing the Catalytic converter is still on the vehicle , so maybe it's a Catalytic Converter shield Diff/Spring thing ?
Last edited by Eric P; Jun 19, 2020 at 10:10 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,410
Likes: 949
From: Tennessee/Rhode Island
Mine is still on my 80 L-82 but I just switched over to side pipes , to me it looks like a heat shield for the exhaust where the Catalytic Converter and 1 into 2 tail pipes all commerce right there very close to or under the aluminum rear diff , there has to be a ton of heat from the Cat that could transfer to the Diff without it at all providing the Catalytic converter is still on the vehicle , so maybe it's a Catalytic Converter shield thing ?
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 495
It still has a Cat shield above the converter and one under the spring , mines still covered in Oil from a previous pinion seal leak so hard to see everything in detail , just rebuilt the front end and plan on doing the rear end with composite spring later this summer where I'll clean and detail everything
Last edited by Eric P; Jun 19, 2020 at 10:15 AM.