ZF vs. T56
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,437
Likes: 1
From: Gainesville Fl
ZF vs. T56
now I know the T56 on C5s is in the back and is part of the diff but sitting in any car with a T56 (be it in the back like a C5 or mated to the back of the engine like an F body) seems to feel so wimpy compared to a ZF. The ZF feels so bulletproof and heavy. i love the way it locks into gear and it always springs hard back to the middle of the gear box when you take it out of gear. The ZF with a hurst shift kit feels like what every high performance car should shift like. I have driven a camaro SS with a hurst shifter on it stock and maybe it was the completely round ball shift handle i didnt like but it didnt feel any more heavy duty or that much less of a throw distance than a regular camaro Z28. has anyone driven a car with the T56 mounted to the back of then engine that it actually felt as solid or heavy duty as a ZF. I know a lot of people probably dont like it but i like how loud the ZF is when you change gears as well. perhaps a T56 with a lightweight flywheel would feel a little bit more beefy?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,386
Likes: 534
I'm no trans expert but I don't think they put a Tremec 56 behind the LT-5 and 488 cubic inch Viper motors just because they thought the ZF was just not cool anymore. The ZF is a 6-speed so wether it's T56 or ZF, it's good to me. Both are expensive, heh.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
ZF is pretty bulletproof, it will take a bit more abuse than the T56.
I have one car with a ZF and one with the T56/Ripper shifter, both good pieces.
Dont pull the ZF and try for a T56 swap though, youd be going backwards.
Fwiw, all LT5's got ZF trannies.
I have one car with a ZF and one with the T56/Ripper shifter, both good pieces.
Dont pull the ZF and try for a T56 swap though, youd be going backwards.
Fwiw, all LT5's got ZF trannies.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
