[Z06] C5Z06: Avoiding Breakage at the Drags
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 31
From: Central Florida
C5Z06: Avoiding Breakage at the Drags
I had 500+ passes in two stock C5Z06s and never broke anything.
But here are some ways folks break them....
(1) Brutalize the tranny with poorly timed shifts near the redline. Breaks synchonizers and shift forks.
(2) Get the rear wheels hopping on launch or the 1-2 shift and then stay on the throttle. Great way to break an axle or the diff case.
(3) Heat the tires at the drags and then dry hop it up to the line. Another great way to break an axle or the diff case.
(4) Burnout dry tires at the drags. More torture for the rear.
(5) Try to heat the tires at the drags, botch it, then try it again without reapplying water to the rear tires. This glazes the clutch or breaks the rear.
(6) Mod the motor to above 390 rwhp and then do hard launches at the drags on DRs. The rear will hate that.
Now, if you avoid the (1)-(6) driving errors, then you can probably make 500+ passes without breakage...like I did.
Good luck with your car.
Ranger
But here are some ways folks break them....
(1) Brutalize the tranny with poorly timed shifts near the redline. Breaks synchonizers and shift forks.
(2) Get the rear wheels hopping on launch or the 1-2 shift and then stay on the throttle. Great way to break an axle or the diff case.
(3) Heat the tires at the drags and then dry hop it up to the line. Another great way to break an axle or the diff case.
(4) Burnout dry tires at the drags. More torture for the rear.
(5) Try to heat the tires at the drags, botch it, then try it again without reapplying water to the rear tires. This glazes the clutch or breaks the rear.
(6) Mod the motor to above 390 rwhp and then do hard launches at the drags on DRs. The rear will hate that.
Now, if you avoid the (1)-(6) driving errors, then you can probably make 500+ passes without breakage...like I did.
Good luck with your car.
Ranger
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,824
Likes: 1
From: Middleboro Massachusetts
Originally Posted by Ranger
I had 500+ passes in two stock C5Z06s and never broke anything.
But here are some ways folks break them....
(1) Brutalize the tranny with poorly timed shifts near the redline. Breaks synchonizers and shift forks.
(2) Get the rear wheels hopping on launch or the 1-2 shift and then stay on the throttle. Great way to break an axle or the diff case.
(3) Heat the tires at the drags and then dry hop it up to the line. Another great way to break an axle or the diff case.
(4) Burnout dry tires at the drags. More torture for the rear.
(5) Try to heat the tires at the drags, botch it, then try it again without reapplying water to the rear tires. This glazes the clutch or breaks the rear.
(6) Mod the motor to above 390 rwhp and then do hard launches at the drags on DRs. The rear will hate that.
Now, if you avoid the (1)-(6) driving errors, then you can probably make 500+ passes without breakage...like I did.
Good luck with your car.
Ranger
But here are some ways folks break them....
(1) Brutalize the tranny with poorly timed shifts near the redline. Breaks synchonizers and shift forks.
(2) Get the rear wheels hopping on launch or the 1-2 shift and then stay on the throttle. Great way to break an axle or the diff case.
(3) Heat the tires at the drags and then dry hop it up to the line. Another great way to break an axle or the diff case.
(4) Burnout dry tires at the drags. More torture for the rear.
(5) Try to heat the tires at the drags, botch it, then try it again without reapplying water to the rear tires. This glazes the clutch or breaks the rear.
(6) Mod the motor to above 390 rwhp and then do hard launches at the drags on DRs. The rear will hate that.
Now, if you avoid the (1)-(6) driving errors, then you can probably make 500+ passes without breakage...like I did.
Good luck with your car.
Ranger
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 31
From: Central Florida
Originally Posted by 01QSZ06
About #1 -
So what's recommended when I'm at the drag or on the street for that matter and I bounce off the rev limiter? Engage the clutch w/o shifting and take my beatings??
So what's recommended when I'm at the drag or on the street for that matter and I bounce off the rev limiter? Engage the clutch w/o shifting and take my beatings??
If you do that and take care of your clutch fluid, then you may never miss a shift. It's the missed strong shifts under power that ravage the tranny.
Hitting the limiter, in and of itself, hurts nothing.
Ranger
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 31
From: Central Florida
Originally Posted by 01QSZ06
About #1 -
So what's recommended when I'm at the drag or on the street for that matter and I bounce off the rev limiter? Engage the clutch w/o shifting and take my beatings??
So what's recommended when I'm at the drag or on the street for that matter and I bounce off the rev limiter? Engage the clutch w/o shifting and take my beatings??
If you do that and take care of your clutch fluid, then you may never miss a shift. It's the missed strong shifts under power that ravage the tranny.
Hitting the limiter, in and of itself, hurts nothing.
Regarding maintaining the clutch fluid, here are the three best thread I know:
Clutch Pedal Woes--Fluid Impact
C6Z06 Clutch Hydraulic Fluid--the Chevy Spec
Clutch Pedal Woes--Fluid Changing Kit
Ranger
Last edited by Ranger; May 24, 2006 at 08:46 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,911
Likes: 1
From: Augusta GA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Awesome posts again Ranger
Rules to live by with a C5Z too. Keep the fluid fresh and clean (I change mine mine ala turkey baster before and after each trip to the track) and build the rear end before you make more HP than it can take (shafts, DTE brace). Great advise and thanks again.
Dave
Collections Hold
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,520
Likes: 2
From: Tacoma WA
Great advice as allways Ranger. I also have lived by those rules, and used Ranger's launch tech as a starting point. With that said, On my approx 16x pass I finally broke a left shaft. Rule 6a should be added, something like this: dead hooking on DR's is brutal.
Actually I got a lot farther than most by living within these rules. I have been spraying after my 1st half to full dozen passes with 485rwhp and
5xxtorque and the only up grades where a clutch (stock was fine and sold for $350) and the DTE brace. My tranny still shifts as if it were new, and I pulled everything apart to put in hardened shafts and the driveline/rubbers are in great shape. So, in conclusion, the above advice really works.
Robert
Actually I got a lot farther than most by living within these rules. I have been spraying after my 1st half to full dozen passes with 485rwhp and 5xxtorque and the only up grades where a clutch (stock was fine and sold for $350) and the DTE brace. My tranny still shifts as if it were new, and I pulled everything apart to put in hardened shafts and the driveline/rubbers are in great shape. So, in conclusion, the above advice really works.
Robert
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,252
Likes: 0
From: NH
An ear syringe works well also, available in any drug store.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/produ...ush&navCount=0
http://www.walgreens.com/store/produ...ush&navCount=0
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Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 513
Likes: 0
From: PA
Originally Posted by Ranger
(5) Try to heat the tires at the drags, botch it, then try it again without reapplying water to the rear tires. This glazes the clutch or breaks the rear.
Ranger
Im guilty of #5 my first time out with the car.
Luckily, my clutch came back to life!
Good advice Ranger.. Everyone should listen!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,654
Likes: 1
From: Palo Alto CA
Originally Posted by Ranger
Man, this reads like true confessions. Keep them comings. Let others learn from our mistakes.
Ranger
Ranger
Now my rearend whines like mad and I'm fairly sure it's no its way out in a hurry.
If you're going to drag race do it on the right tires.
-TJ
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 922
Likes: 0
From: Dallas TX
Ranger what technique would you recomend for a Zo6 making 546rwhp (not spraying out the hole). I have the hardened output shaft (drivers side) the rear end brace and 16" CCWs with 26/11.5/16 MT E/T streets (slicks)?
I have the spec 3 clutch so i dont think there really is a weak link anymore besides the actual casing on the diff.
I have the spec 3 clutch so i dont think there really is a weak link anymore besides the actual casing on the diff.
Collections Hold
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,520
Likes: 2
From: Tacoma WA
Originally Posted by F1_SS
Ranger what technique would you recomend for a Zo6 making 546rwhp (not spraying out the hole). I have the hardened output shaft (drivers side) the rear end brace and 16" CCWs with 26/11.5/16 MT E/T streets (slicks)?
I have the spec 3 clutch so i dont think there really is a weak link anymore besides the actual casing on the diff.
I have the spec 3 clutch so i dont think there really is a weak link anymore besides the actual casing on the diff.
Robert
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 31
From: Central Florida
Good advice, Robert56. Rodney at RPM Transmissions builds bullet-proof stuff.
At the big power-levels, each upgrade puts the excess load on the next weakest part.
Ranger
At the big power-levels, each upgrade puts the excess load on the next weakest part.
Ranger
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 924
Likes: 0
From: Calgary
Originally Posted by Ranger
(3) Heat the tires at the drags and then dry hop it up to the line. Another great way to break an axle or the diff case.
Can you elaborate on what you mean by "dry hopping it up to the line"? I can't figure out what that means!
Thanks!
Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
From: Shelton, Connecticut
Originally Posted by Vette Dream
Thanks for the always-useful advice Ranger!
Can you elaborate on what you mean by "dry hopping it up to the line"? I can't figure out what that means!
Thanks!
Can you elaborate on what you mean by "dry hopping it up to the line"? I can't figure out what that means!
Thanks!
-Mat-