To those breaking rear diffs
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From: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, SoCal, back to Boston MA
To those breaking rear diffs
Have you thought about, or have you already converted you rear suspension over to rod ends and heavy duty links.
Why would this help out?
The upperlink in our suspesion is the halfshaft.
Rodends would have less binding.
Heavy duty links would take some of the load off the halfshafts.
My intuition thinks that those who have do it would have less diff issues.
Why would this help out?
The upperlink in our suspesion is the halfshaft.
Rodends would have less binding.
Heavy duty links would take some of the load off the halfshafts.
My intuition thinks that those who have do it would have less diff issues.
Safety Car
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From: [Quote=WOEII] Is dried brown doodie powders man! [/Quote]
This is just a WAG based on observation, feel free to take out the flame thrower 
From what I have seen the center section seems to break in a similar fashion. This is due to the center section attempting to rotate under power. I have seen this as many others and probably yourself included, that the manual transmission cars impose a severe shock load on the drivetrain. I haven't seen an auto break one but that doesn't mean that it hasn't happened, and with more preaching to the choir I would deduce the reason as no slack in the drivetrain.
I am sure those parts wouldn't hurt but I am not so sure on how they would stop the diff from trying to rotate. I can see triangulating the nose of the diff with the batwing bolts helping but I am not sure on how or if it is even possible to fit in such a piece or how strong it would be. Alternatively you could also brace the diff from the other side using something similar but I am not sure what you could mount it to in the rear of the car.
From what I have seen the center section seems to break in a similar fashion. This is due to the center section attempting to rotate under power. I have seen this as many others and probably yourself included, that the manual transmission cars impose a severe shock load on the drivetrain. I haven't seen an auto break one but that doesn't mean that it hasn't happened, and with more preaching to the choir I would deduce the reason as no slack in the drivetrain.
I am sure those parts wouldn't hurt but I am not so sure on how they would stop the diff from trying to rotate. I can see triangulating the nose of the diff with the batwing bolts helping but I am not sure on how or if it is even possible to fit in such a piece or how strong it would be. Alternatively you could also brace the diff from the other side using something similar but I am not sure what you could mount it to in the rear of the car.
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Originally Posted by Upstate
I Alternatively you could also brace the diff from the other side using something similar but I am not sure what you could mount it to in the rear of the car.
I'm not sure what brian's getting at with the links reducing load on the halfshafts, that doesn't make any sense to me.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Manassas VA
I have broke 1 d44. The pin in the carrier broke. This in turn tore up the rest of the parts. Im not sure why it broke other then a bunch of high 1.6x launches. As another forum member told me, these things are not bullet proof.
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Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
That's been my suggestion. First one to build it wins the prize.
I'm not sure what brian's getting at with the links reducing load on the halfshafts, that doesn't make any sense to me.
I'm not sure what brian's getting at with the links reducing load on the halfshafts, that doesn't make any sense to me.
Bracing from the back could be accomplished by removing the spare tire, and running links from the bottom of the diff, where the links mount, up diagonally to the frame. Keeping in mind that the last frame is aluminum.
Safety Car
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From: Austin Texas
It seems this guy is well on the way to solving the broken D44 issues...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1554451605
It's narrowed for a street rod, but that Viper case is MUCH beefier than our D44's, and the size of the gearsets inside are also beefier.
This looks like a MUCH better way to make a marginal Dana 44 more reliable...
My 2 cents....
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1554451605
It's narrowed for a street rod, but that Viper case is MUCH beefier than our D44's, and the size of the gearsets inside are also beefier.
This looks like a MUCH better way to make a marginal Dana 44 more reliable...
My 2 cents....
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Originally Posted by BrianCunningham
The halfshafts serve as one of the suspensions upper links. By making the other links stiffer, they take more of the suspension load off.
The diff basically needs reverse traction bars to keep it from twisting, with some ~2 ft long triangulated links it wouldn't take that much vertical tension on the end links to hold the diff in place. This would take load off the diff snout. Damn I need a welder. Could have one on each side of the diff, or better yet one in the middle that bolts to the top and bottom sides of the cover, this would straddle the spring easily.
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Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
It's the suspension's only upper link for maintaining camber. None of the other members can take any of that load off of it.
With the stock geometry, there’s a lot of camber change when the car squats, but all these side loads apparently aren’t what’s killing the diffs.
The diff basically needs reverse traction bars to keep it from twisting, with some ~2 ft long triangulated links it wouldn't take that much vertical tension on the end links to hold the diff in place. This would take load off the diff snout. Damn I need a welder. Could have one on each side of the diff, or better yet one in the middle that bolts to the top and bottom sides of the cover, this would straddle the spring easily.
OK, transfer it to a horizontal load. Go from the bottom of the diff, to frame directly under where the dogbones hook up. No need to remove the spare.
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Originally Posted by BrianCunningham
Ah, so it’s the loads being transferred via the C-channel that’s killing it.
OK, transfer it to a horizontal load. Go from the bottom of the diff, to frame directly under where the dogbones hook up. No need to remove the spare.
OK, transfer it to a horizontal load. Go from the bottom of the diff, to frame directly under where the dogbones hook up. No need to remove the spare.
Oh hell, I'll just draw one in solidworks tonight.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Cape Coral FL
Originally Posted by loiq
Sounds like the diff needs a pinion snubber to limit upward travel.
Back to the original idea...
Using spherical rod ends as opposed to the bushings would eliminate bushing deflection, and transmit more energy into the front suspension mounts, so you'd likely have to box and or gusset them to both be effective and to avoid breakage.
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From: On a Wisconsin Death Trip
Mopar guys still use them and so do Mustang guys.
Competion Engineering sells a universal one:
http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...h.asp&N=400172
You'd probably need some preload on it in a Corvette since there's not much room for movement before something breaks.
Competion Engineering sells a universal one:
http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...h.asp&N=400172
You'd probably need some preload on it in a Corvette since there's not much room for movement before something breaks.
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Actually it's WORSE. Not only is the end of the diff being kept from twisting by the C-beam, the C-beam is also, thanks to our liquid engine mounts, keeping the engine from twisting under torque. The two combined are probably what's doing it. Niether load is present in the Viper setup.
You either need a pinion snubber as suggested, or brace it from the bottom to the frame, like I was saying.
Solid bawting bushings would help.
Also I think a torque strap on the engine would help too.
You either need a pinion snubber as suggested, or brace it from the bottom to the frame, like I was saying.
Solid bawting bushings would help.
Also I think a torque strap on the engine would help too.
Safety Car
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From: Orange County NY
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13
Originally Posted by loiq
You'd probably need some preload on it in a Corvette since there's not much room for movement before something breaks.
My engineering knowledge is quite limited, so please bear with me... Assuming we are able to come up with solid mounting point(s) for some type of "bracing bar", is there any reason why the center section needs to move at all?The reason I am asking is: I just had a roll bar welded into my '87. Would it be workable to run a solid bracing bar from the center section (possibly around the snout area where the C beam bolts to it), through the rear compartment "floor", to the lower rear, horizontal portion of the roll bar?
Or am I way off base?
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Bremerton WA
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by BrianCunningham
Actually it's WORSE. Not only is the end of the diff being kept from twisting by the C-beam, the C-beam is also, thanks to our liquid engine mounts, keeping the engine from twisting under torque. The two combined are probably what's doing it. Niether load is present in the Viper setup.
You either need a pinion snubber as suggested, or brace it from the bottom to the frame, like I was saying.
Solid bawting bushings would help.
Also I think a torque strap on the engine would help too.
You either need a pinion snubber as suggested, or brace it from the bottom to the frame, like I was saying.
Solid bawting bushings would help.
Also I think a torque strap on the engine would help too.