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Is the part circled in yellow an add on? I have never seen this on another C3 (mine is a 1970/454/AT). Is it a bolt-on protection for the differential? Thoughts?
I will have to check to see if there are holes on the bottom of the plates. In looking at google images, it certainly looks like part of a traction bar system. It is about even with the exhaust pipes, so it does not hang too low. I will probably take it off at some point in time when I change out the rear spring.
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Originally Posted by 69L88
My vote would be a trailer hitch connection point
My '69 had a hitch setup on it when I bought it. If I hadn't seen that thing with my own eyes I would never have believed someone would put a trailer hitch on a Corvette.
In the 70's I have seen a Corvette show up at the boat launch towing a Flat bottom V Drive Boat with a Blown BBC and over the transom Headers. I know this cause I was doing the driving.
More likely to be a trailer hitch as mentioned about but at one point there was an aftermarket traction bar that mounted there as well.
M
So what did a traction bar do for a pumpkin that is essentially locked in place already? I'm sure there is a little bit of wind-up in the rubber mounts flexing, but was it really worth it?
I guess there is movement in the nose bushing setup as well as out at the sombreros so that all allowed for a certain amount of flex and twist. The currently available reinforcement caps from places like van steel take care of the outsides and poly cushions at the nose would tighten that all up but this was 30-40 years ago so I guess that was the simple answer at the time.
IIRC it might have been part of the motion vette thing so it's entirely possible it was a "while in Rome" thing with the camaros and novas at the time
Looks "Drag" +1
Less clearance than already there -1
I can't see adding one to mine but my exhaust is also right there so I couldn't anyway
M
Once you get enough traction with non stock tires, axle hop becomes a real problem on C3s with a strong launch. The issue is the rubber mounting of the diff crossmember and diff nose.
That Lakewood traction bar was an easy bolt on type solution. No idea how effective it was. Van Steel's solid diff mounting kit is another solution, albeit a little more work involved. I have the later kit. That delrin kit also lowers the rear of the car, improves the half shaft u-joint angles, as well as lessen the rear toe-in with a downward sloping half-shaft. Win-win-win!
And yes to quote the OP, preventing axle hop is definately a "differential protector". Because axle hop can shatter the spiders and/or the posi case.
Last edited by leigh1322; Feb 15, 2022 at 04:38 PM.
Once you get enough traction with non stock tires, axle hop becomes a real problem on C3s with a strong launch. The issue is the rubber mounting of the diff crossmember and diff nose.
That Lakewood traction bar was an easy bolt on type solution. No idea how effective it was. Van Steel's solid diff mounting kit is another solution, albeit a little more work involved. I have the later kit. That delrin kit also lowers the rear of the car, improves the half shaft u-joint angles, as well as lessen the rear toe-in with a downward sloping half-shaft. Win-win-win!
And yes to quote the OP, preventing axle hop is definately a "differential protector". Because axle hop can shatter the spiders and/or the posi case.
Cool kit, I have their alum disc and made my own solid pinion bush. Don't think they had the delrin cross member bushings when I set up my rearend.
Differential protector??
