Differential Questions
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 11
Likes: 1
Differential Questions
I have a 03 with 44K on it, bought it about 10 months ago and love it. Since purchasing it is has had a differential noise. I mainly hear it at highway speeds in 5th or 6th.if you back off a bit it tends to go away. Sounds kinda like the gear noise that a truck ring and pinion make. I have changed the lube in it and the oil in the 6 speed for good measure. The noise has not changed. I have a friend that bought a C6 new, and said that his made the same sound when it was new. The noise is not terrible but there, if I have the top down I don't hear it (I know just drive it with the top down). I am just asking is some noise normal?
On a different note I checked the posi differential today and found that with both wheels off and the car in gear I can turn each rear wheel at the axle nut getting a torque reading of about 130 ft lbs on each side. When I mount a rear wheel and put that side on the ground, put the car in gear and check the torque on the unmounted side I get 60 ft lbs on both sides. Are these torque numbers indicating that me differential clutches are ok?
Thanks
On a different note I checked the posi differential today and found that with both wheels off and the car in gear I can turn each rear wheel at the axle nut getting a torque reading of about 130 ft lbs on each side. When I mount a rear wheel and put that side on the ground, put the car in gear and check the torque on the unmounted side I get 60 ft lbs on both sides. Are these torque numbers indicating that me differential clutches are ok?
Thanks
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,421
Likes: 302
From: CSRA, SC
I have a 03 with 44K on it, bought it about 10 months ago and love it. Since purchasing it is has had a differential noise. I mainly hear it at highway speeds in 5th or 6th.if you back off a bit it tends to go away. Sounds kinda like the gear noise that a truck ring and pinion make. I have changed the lube in it and the oil in the 6 speed for good measure. The noise has not changed. I have a friend that bought a C6 new, and said that his made the same sound when it was new. The noise is not terrible but there, if I have the top down I don't hear it (I know just drive it with the top down). I am just asking is some noise normal?
On a different note I checked the posi differential today and found that with both wheels off and the car in gear I can turn each rear wheel at the axle nut getting a torque reading of about 130 ft lbs on each side. When I mount a rear wheel and put that side on the ground, put the car in gear and check the torque on the unmounted side I get 60 ft lbs on both sides. Are these torque numbers indicating that me differential clutches are ok?
Thanks
On a different note I checked the posi differential today and found that with both wheels off and the car in gear I can turn each rear wheel at the axle nut getting a torque reading of about 130 ft lbs on each side. When I mount a rear wheel and put that side on the ground, put the car in gear and check the torque on the unmounted side I get 60 ft lbs on both sides. Are these torque numbers indicating that me differential clutches are ok?
Thanks
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 11
Likes: 1
Thanks for the reply, I did see in another post that when new the torque at each wheel should be about 100 ft lbs. I was wondering if 60 ft lbs on each side could be considered normal with a Corvette that has 44K on it
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,421
Likes: 302
From: CSRA, SC
I'm not sure what the "end of life" spec is so maybe someone else will know. But I can say that from what RPM told me a diff with 50k on it is "on borrowed time" and like I said I killed one around 60k, ran it another 15k until it was so loud I couldn't hear the radio. I replaced it with one with 80k on it and it lasted 18 months before it got annoying. Since then I have not tracked my car and won't make the mistake of another OEM spec diff once I move into my new house in a couple weeks.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 786
Likes: 46
From: Tucson, AZ
Purchased my car with 90k miles and now has 110k... I believe the diff was replaced since it had a brace. Diff has always been noisy, constant whine, under light load... likely heavy load too, but exhaust drowns it out. Clutch break away torque started at 100-ish, then less and been 0 for some time now... can almost spin each wheel. BUT still an LSD on corner exit. No metal when drained that I can see and no slop in the axles and dry seals.
This is primarily a track car with 65+ track days. No plans to rebuild the diff yet as feels fine on track.
just another data point for you.
This is primarily a track car with 65+ track days. No plans to rebuild the diff yet as feels fine on track.
just another data point for you.
