Drivetrain upgrades
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,927
Likes: 279
From: Portugal
Drivetrain upgrades
I'm beginning to put together the "spec's" for the next little project. What I'm looking at most likely is
1) driveshaft and halfshaft upgrades to high-strength pieces
2) u-joints upgrades
3) driveshaft safety loop
4) beam plates
Beyond that, what about the "yokes"? Do I need to upgrade those while I'm at it? I guess if I get into that, just rebuild the "trailing arm" or whatever it's called on a C4 while I'm at it.
How about the differential? Is the 1990 a Dana-44? or Dana-36? How much HP/TQ can it take? Should I just rebuild it or leave it til it breaks or change out or what?
Is there some website or webpage out there sharing somebody's experience with this type of project?
:steering:
1) driveshaft and halfshaft upgrades to high-strength pieces
2) u-joints upgrades
3) driveshaft safety loop
4) beam plates
Beyond that, what about the "yokes"? Do I need to upgrade those while I'm at it? I guess if I get into that, just rebuild the "trailing arm" or whatever it's called on a C4 while I'm at it.
How about the differential? Is the 1990 a Dana-44? or Dana-36? How much HP/TQ can it take? Should I just rebuild it or leave it til it breaks or change out or what?
Is there some website or webpage out there sharing somebody's experience with this type of project?
:steering:
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,171
Likes: 1,735
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Re: Drivetrain upgrades (DiabolicalDave)
Spindles might need replacing if you've got that much power running through it.
If its a manual, its always a D44 in a C4. There is no 'concrete' limit to what it can take.
If its a manual, its always a D44 in a C4. There is no 'concrete' limit to what it can take.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 4
From: Houston TX
Re: Drivetrain upgrades (vader86)
Spindles might need replacing if you've got that much power running through it.
If its a manual, its always a D44 in a C4. There is no 'concrete' limit to what it can take.
If its a manual, its always a D44 in a C4. There is no 'concrete' limit to what it can take.
From what I have seen, the next weakest link you face Dave is the U-joints, followed by the shafts themselves, and then the yokes/spindles at about the same point.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,171
Likes: 1,735
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Re: Drivetrain upgrades (CorvetteZ51Racer)
ALMOST....all '84s are D36s. In Dave's case, however, if it's a stick, it's a D44.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,653
Likes: 428
From: Melbourne Florida
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: Drivetrain upgrades (DiabolicalDave)
I just finished doing this on my 93 A4...I drag race my car a lot...I started with a tranny rebuild good to 600 HP...at the same time I had a Trango Stage 2 shift kit put in and a TCI 2400 stall converter...it only took 2 months and I exploded my Dana 36 launching on street tires...one good hook is all it takes, apparently...this led to a Dana 44 conversion from the drive shaft on back including new u-joints on both the drive shaft and half shafts...also did a drive shaft loop at the same time....
One month later the posi unit broke...while they putting in the new posi unit I had them install new 3:73 gears as well...I never was happy with the 3:45's that came in the Dana 44 even for only a month...I also had a Hurst line lock installed and at the same time put in new poly bushings everywhere in back as well as stainless steel brake lines....oh yeah, I also had new Bilstein shocks put on as well...
To say I'm done for a while is to put it mildly...I am really looking forward to making passes at the track without breaking for a while... :thumbs: ..good luck
One month later the posi unit broke...while they putting in the new posi unit I had them install new 3:73 gears as well...I never was happy with the 3:45's that came in the Dana 44 even for only a month...I also had a Hurst line lock installed and at the same time put in new poly bushings everywhere in back as well as stainless steel brake lines....oh yeah, I also had new Bilstein shocks put on as well...
To say I'm done for a while is to put it mildly...I am really looking forward to making passes at the track without breaking for a while... :thumbs: ..good luck
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Re: Drivetrain upgrades (DiabolicalDave)
I'm beginning to put together the "spec's" for the next little project. What I'm looking at most likely is
1) driveshaft and halfshaft upgrades to high-strength pieces
2) u-joints upgrades
3) driveshaft safety loop
4) beam plates
:steering:
1) driveshaft and halfshaft upgrades to high-strength pieces
2) u-joints upgrades
3) driveshaft safety loop
4) beam plates
:steering:
No trailing arm on the C4. You have two "dog bones" per side. I think only Mackey had problems with those on his '96. The were composit or fiberglass. Yours should be aluminum. Good luck.
vader86,
That's OK. Some cars, just don't count.
You could have just said "all automatics have Dana 36's".
RACE ON!!!
