I don't drag my z06. Once in a great while I'll track it, but I doubt that makes any difference... Aside from replacement valve springs, headers, a Callaway Honker CAI and a Chuck Cow Tune, the engine is bone stock. When the clutch died I replaced some of the components with a Tick Master, MacLeod RST, a 14-lb Lwt flywheel, and 4.10 gears.

Before I finally decided on the 4.10 gears, I was considering an H/C/I build targeting ~470rwhp, but decided against it. However, during that time, I found a PFADT differential brace for sale and bought it as I stocked up on parts.

Would the car benefit by my installing it? I know most guys install them to cure wheel hop and as their mods cross the 450rwhp mark, but my car is mostly stock as far as HP goes, so I wonder if it serves any purpose to install the PFADT? I don't think it'd help save the differential whatsoever, but I thought I'd ask them who'd know.

Thanks, Guys!

 

I guess the question goes back, do you ever get wheel hop? I know with my close to stock 04Z I do. Depends on time of year, temps, road conditions... and my right foot.
I'd install one if it was in my possession.

 

if you already have it then install it in my opinion

 

Agree - you have it and might as well install it.
It won't hurt to have it on and with 4.10 gears you have increased the likelihood that you might get some wheel hop.
And, who knows, you might get the crazies one day and take it to the strip.

 

From what I understand, the brace does not limit, stop or eliminate wheel hop. Nor does to prevent the damage caused by wheel hop. The brace helps clamp the trans to the diff and differential side covers to prevent them from trying to separate under high HP/Tq applications.

When you have enough traction the differential ring gear and the pinion try to push apart. The brace helps the cases resist that force.

If you are experiencing wheel hop, you need to address the following things to help prevent it:

- Better tires
- Better differential mount
- Better engine mounts
- Better shocks
After all of that, you can still have some drivetrain shake/wheel hop but it will be more controlled..

Once you get all the traction that you can, no wheel hop, your next week link is the weak C5 parts in the differential. (output shafts, belieview springs and clutches.

 

ARGH. I meant I have a PFADT "transmission mount", not a "transmission/differential brace"... what I've got doesn't resemble a "frame" to bolt the tranny and differential together. I don't have the DTE-type "brace" like the one below






My brace looks like this:


Duh. I'm sorry for the error. And thanks again for all ya'lls advice!

So... the question again... do you think the car would benefit if I installed this yoke? I don't ever remember ever experiencing any wheel hop when I've hammered it.

Thanks again!

 

I good friend of mine runs C5's in NASA and said he has video from one of his cars on track where they put a camera in the back to monitor just how much the trany/diff assembly moved around on the stock rear mount. He was amazed by the amount of movement. Personally I think the C5 rear trany/diff mount is a fairly **** poor design engineering wise - this was addressed by the factory with the C6. The PFADT rear mount brace addresses this shortcoming. But, not without any side effects - from what I understand is that in a street driven car you may not like the increased amount of NVH that will be transmitted into the interior cabin due to the installation of the brace. So as always, YMMV.

 

All good points to consider. I'm not a fan of changing good GM original engine or diff mounts unless they are broken and C6ZO6 shocks and sway bars along with good tires

should fix you up right......

The light weight flywheel is a NO NO in any street driven car in my opinion for a few reasons.

The brace sound nice, but after you listen to it rattle against your exhaust for a few thousand miles... you'll want to kill yourself.

Unless you simply WHEEL HOP or HAMMER your car to death (both of those reasons cause the same problems) you should have no reason to

install a diff brace or rigid mounts.

Chuck CoW

 

Hey Chuck Cow- just curious to hear your reasons for the light weight flywheel on a street car being a no-no?

I run a Fidanza in my C5 Street car and love it in comparison to the stock feel with my build. However I changed the clutch to a Centerforce at the same time so hard to compare what the difference in driveability would have been with just a flywheel change. My brother runs a stock clutch and flywheel in his car and I hate it. Yet he drives mine and hates mine.

Is your perspective based on the way it engages/drives or mechanical?

 

The engine NEEDS the MASS to perform well.... Most people (especially me) hate aluminum flywheels because starting off and launching usually suffers.....alot.

Rotating MASS (flywheel & clutch) are necessary to overcome the "moment of inertia" or transition from stationary to moving.... The heavier the mass, the easier it is to transmit that

energy to the vehicle to make it start to move.... When the flywheels get lighter (even only a few pounds...) a huge amount of the energy required to get the vehicle moving quick... IS LOST.

Once you get that mass moving....It likes to stay MOVING.... Aluminum can rev quick.... but with no torque behind it and with a load on it.... usually falls flat.

Aluminum flywheels are marketed under the premise that lighter revs faster and is somehow better..... If you own a car with license plates that drives on a public road... and has an aluminum flywheel....

You know how your clutch suffers and what a drag it is to drive on the street.

There is absolutely NO REASON anyone should have an aluminum flywheel on a street car. A comparable steel and or HEAVY flywheel will always perform better than aluminum.

Cars that benefit from aluminum flywheels are for instance..... NASCAR vehicles that operate in the 8,9, & 10,000 rpm zone and never go below 4,000 rpm.

If you're not a NASCAR driver, then aluminum flywheels are not for you.

A lesson I learned at 19 years old was building my first SERIOUS small block for my 1968 vette. I had a 7,000 rpm small block, high compression, Nascar heads, and a huge roller cam.

In addition, I had a 3.36 (wow, that sounds scary.. he he) rear end........... With a Doug Nash 4+1 5 speed. 3.27 first gear.... 1:1 5th.

At first, the 3.27 does not sound too intimidating.... until you do the math and discover that my first gear was (as if I had a 4 speed in the car.....). 5.15:1 rear end ratio....

That all sound fun, but going against every bit of advice HOT ROD magazine and the local experts had to give.... I built the motor with a giant THICK 8" iron balancer and a

billet steel explosion-proof flywheel......and had it balanced. Everyone said it would never work......

That was likely the most fun car I ever drove and I owe much of it to the rear end/nash combination..... and the VERY HEAVY rotating mass of the hi-revving 350 engine

which was unstoppable and left the line with the wheels in the air every time..... As if it was a big block..... But it wasn't.

It's a lesson I learned young.....and will never forget. Every car that ever came into my shop with an aluminum flywheel... drove like a loser.... especially off the line.

I think there was maybe 1 or 2 special case exceptions... and they were very over built cars.... which most people are not driving.

DO NOT USE ALUMINUM FLYWHEELS on the street..... They are for RACE CARS ONLY.

Trust me.
Chuck CoW

 

Chances you want to sell the pfadt mount? PM me a price if so maybe we can work something out since I am about to do a clutch job

 

Rather than going to the expense and trouble of installing the trans brace--I installed the SOLID trans mount---On my C5 with 475 Crank HP it really created a firm feel at launch and the traction off the line was improved--AND it takes less than an hour to install !

 

Sorry for the late reply. I didn't see that this post was resurrected. I sold the brace a while back.

To Chuck's advice about Lwt flywheels... I don't have any background to argue the point. However, I never ever launch from a stop. I bought it because I wanted it for highway passing. Dunno how a heavier flywheel would have worked and since the swap came at the same time as the 4.10s, I don't know how much difference there would have been, but I'm completely happy with the Lwt flywheel setup. In 5th gear the response is quite decent, and down-shifting into 4th to use the hammer with this combo is completely satisfying. 3rd -> 4th -> 5th WOT seems pretty strong, to me, too for no H/C/I mods. I dunno if an OEM flywheel can do better.

I have a Japanese friend whose English isn't fluent (but his Japanese is). He rode in the car before and after. When I WOT'd it in 2nd and rowed through the gears to 95 on the on ramp, he yelled, "GOBO NU KI !!" with exhilaration. He had to explain it to me... It's a word that has no English equivalent that I can think of; it means 'the power to pass several competitors all at once during a race'. (actually... the power to pull a burdock* out of the ground--*like a BIG carrot) I just wish the word would fit on a license plate...

 

Thank you for the insight. I always appreciate hearing others perspectives, especially those that have the experience to back it up.