Just an FYI based on my experience with a DIY diff swap. Last weekend I was the unlucky sap that blew his diff with 4.10s at Island Dragway in NJ.

Yesterday my 15 yr old nephew and I swapped my old Z06 diff back into my coupe. Under the guidance of my hot rod hobbiest brother in-law. He has a lift and a proffesional setup in his garage, but he's not a proffesional mechanic. Nor am I.

We were able to remove the destroyed diff and install the replacement in about 6 hours all in without removing the entire drivetrain. We had to lower the torque tube and trans on the jacks but we were able to lower it enough on the jacks to turn the diff and remove the old and swap in the new... without unbolting the torque tube from the clutch housing or the trans. You'll need to be patient, use your muscles a bit to turn the diff enough to clear the housing passed the rear tub, but it can be done relatively simply if you have extra hands to assist. Alone this would have been a real PITA. Likely not something I would attempt solo.

Be sure to put a brace under your engine. A jack for the trans, a jack for the diff, two assistants and someone tall and strong enough to pull the diff and turn it as you pull it back off the studs.

The car isn't as fun to drive with the 3.42s but it's back home in my garage in one afternoon.

 

That’s good info. I was wondering the same thing several months ago. Rear diff in my 02 z06 was whining and getting louder. Bought a replacement and swapped out in my garage on jack stands. I ended up just pulling the trans and diff together, swapped diffs and re-installed. Wasn’t really too bad of a job.

Have you had a chance to dis-assemble the rear diff that blew up yet? I’m curious as to what failed in it.

 

Job was 100 Xs easier than most have explained or described. Not sure what all the fuss was about.

I havent fully opened it yet, but it was total carnage. The whole passenger side casing cover shattered and broke into three large pieces and a thousand small pieces. The ring gear was also inialated. Thinking the gear itself broke causing a chain reaction. I have pics I will try to post up later this AM or IM you. Haven't posted a pic on here in a decade.

 

 

Holy mackerel you smoked that thing!!!

 

It was a total sh*t show on my part. I kept telling myself through staging....don't dump the clutch....don't dump the clutch. Tree lit up... and I dumped the clutch! Jumped out of the hole a full car length in front of the CTSV next to me. Wheels hopped between 1st to 2nd shift and that's all she wrote. It was over in a fraction of a second. With the exception of the self inflicted humiliation which stung for days, but started to hurt a little less with the success of the DIY diff swap.

I blame my wife for kissing me goodbye that AM and saying "Have fun today babe, be safe and don't break your car again."
What's next, a "don't sink your boat" while she packs a banana in my cooler?!

 

LOL you aren't the first and you won't be the last my friend...

 

To the OP: how much hp are you running? Glad you had a backup differential, was the 4.10 rear single or 3 rib? I always hear a lot about the strength of them, but I've seen just as many 3 rib diffs broken as single.

 

You are right about that bud. However, I'm pretty confident it's the last time for me. I had taken an 8 yr hiatus from the 1320 because I was tired of breaking cars. I was reminded in seconds why I made that decision years ago. It's just so much fun though! LOL!

 

This car is making 428rwhp and 408 rwtq. I was street driving that 4.10 diff for about a year and a half. The car drove exponentially better with the 4.10s. The gears put the cam in the power band, so drivability was improved drastically over the 3.42s.

The diff was a single rib, with hardened output shafts. So once track tested with a bit of my bad decisions/driving peppered in...it grenaded. I would not have chosen to upgrade the single rib myself, but I paid a good price for it, with the 4.10 ring and pinion installed. I picked it up here on the forum a few years back from a forum member for about the price of the ring and pinion.

I plan to go the 4.10 route again soon. This time a 3 rib, with the gear and shafts installed by Cartek...with the trans brace.