Driving around yesterday the Z06 unravelled a bit.
Luckily I was able to limp it home and in the process ruled out the trans and clutch almost entirely.
I suspected immediately it was the driveshaft being as the former owner told me he didn't service it when he had the trans out recently.
Pulling it apart tomorrow but I figured I'd get a jump on getting parts together.
I've always wondered how well the OEM style DS couplings hold together at all on a boosted car.
Procharged 600 WHP LS6 with RKT rebuilt trans, 30 spline output shaft and diff rebuilt to match.
Clutch is a low mile Mcleod RXT.
Again, dumbfounded the DS was not addressed when the trans, diff, and clutch were just replaced/serviced...

Best case scenario I replace the couplers and bearing. Poly couplers? Billet couplers? New DS with coupler eliminators? Seems like if the DS is buggered I might as well eliminate the couplers with the new one?
I figure it's worth at least intalling a remote bleeder and possibly replacing the clutch slave cylinder and maybe even master cylinder while I'm at it?

Since I don't have my own lift but have access to one for 2 weeks starting tomorrow, I want to do it right the first time.

Appreciate any experience or insight.

Thanks, Joe

 

If the problem is in the torque tube it is most likely the couplers. I ran DSS poly couplers for 3 years or so and they failed. I am going billet next and having the assembly balanced.

At 600 I doubt the driveshaft is the problem itself. Now, if you plan to up the HP in the future a 1 piece shaft from DSS is not a bad option

 

Thanks.
I am looking for experience with the alternatives to rubber couplings. You wrote that the poly couplers failed after 3 years. I suspected that poly couplers would not last long. Also, I have read some accounts of the aluminum couplers failing, which again doesn't surprise me. There's a reson why there's a flexible coupling at both ends of the DS, to allow for slight misalignments due to manufacturing imprecisions and flex of the chassis andTT, otherwise the DS could be solid. After some time the holes in the aluminum coplings will become deformed, there's no way to avoid it.
I'm trying to avoid tearing into it again in a few years thus why I'd consider a permanent solution (ar as near permanent as is available) even if it raises the cost of the repair by $1500.
I see there's a Driveshaft Shop replacement DS with u-joints for $1k or so, and am leaning towards that type of upgrade.
It's gotta be noisier than the OEM rubber couplings but my car is already kinda loud and rough around the edges.

 

Sucks, but at least you were able to limp it home. I hate when things are apart and not done while it would have been ideal to do at the time. I remember the rubber rag joint failed on my 64 skylark and I wanted to kick my OWN *** because I had just replaced the steering gear 2 years prior and threw the old steering joint back in cause it looked good. Rubber takes a beating in that type of environment. Which is why I like old muscle and METAL U-joints lol Pain in the *** to replace...but essentially will last a life time if not abused and greased frequently. My mercedes also use rubber propshaft couplers but in the 20 years ive owned one of them...never had an issue and still looks practically new. RWD car as well.

 

Poly couplers SUCK! DONT!

 

The biggest problem people have with billet couplers is vibration. That is why I am going to get the entire assembly balanced after installing them.

I can't say I have ever heard of a billet coupler failing though....

 

I dont think it as much of an out of balance issue as much as its is a transmitted harshness vibration issue through the drive train. But, its never a bad idea to have the assy rebalanced any time you disassemble it and change out components.

Bill

 

Turns out the issue is one of the 12mm bolts backed out of the DS and was flailing around. The threads in the DS are effed up so it's done. There's a magic marker scribble on the DS pointing to the front bearing indicating it was replaced Mar 2022.

I bought the car end of summer last year, and I'm still sorting out who did what to it and who worked on the TT. The guy I bought it off bought the trans from another guy freshly rebuilt by RKT in MD (after he blew up 3rd gear in the original trans) and the diff was then rebuilt by RKT and the pinion opend up to accept the 30 spline output shaft in the built T56. He doesn't remember what was done to the TT.

The couplers look fine, maybe they were replaced then and the bolts not properly tightened... I bought a TT assembly with 55k miles on it from Contemporary Corvettes in Bristol PA today (good place to deal with, got my 70k miles 97 LS1 for my 69 Camaro vert for $3200 a few months back) and I broke two t50 torx bits trying to disassemble that DS and I still have 5 of the 12 bolts to remove. No friggin way a factory installed bolt fell out. I'm replacing the couplers with new AC Delco units (Rock Auto $144 each the best price I could find and in stock) and the bearings with Timkens.