NYC6

Hmmmm...could his location be Nigeria?

KM1959

Maybe they do.

Don LT-1

I have an 05 and my axel snapped in 06 with only 4000 miles on car. It broke at moderate excelleration at 20 mph. Dealer said it was his 3rd at that time.

HawaiiC6

JJ, serious if you posted a help request post wouldn't you be checking as he made it sound very urgent. But seeing that you have been on the site from 04 with only 2 stars shows you aren't around much either.

blaine

I just wanted to let everyone know that the axle broke on my 06 z51 yesterday on my ride home, just cruising in traffic. 50mph in 5th and all i hear is a clunk and what sounds like a blown tire. Had it towed into the dealer and they are taking care of it under warranty right now. I would just like to know how something like this happens out of the blue considering the only mods on my car are borla stingers, short shifter, and koni fsd's.

talon90

With all due respect I have to get the obvious questions out of the way.

Have you ever done a burn out?
Have you ever missed a shift?
Have you ever drag raced the car?
Have you ever had the back end dance out during a spirited drive?
Have you ever experienced wheel hop?

Any and or all of this type of incident if not initiated properly or handled properly could contribute to this type of failure. Frankly, it has damn little to with the mods that are on your car. It is not likely excessive horse power that contributes to this type of failure. 400 hp is plenty to do damage if it gets into the wrong driving conditions.

I'm sure the axle breaking had very little to do with you lugging along in 5th gear on the highway. That was simply when it gave way. The damage likely occured sometime previous.

blaine

I completely agree. I wasn't implying that i'm a perfect little angel that has done everything right. I'm not even angry about it, just curious sense i have very limited mechanical knowledge. However, i do not feel that i abuse the car on a regular basis and if there is an aftermarket option available that may help prevent this in the future i may pursue it

07MontRedcp

I have seen to much of this lately.

BJK

AORoads

plz fill in your profile.

and yes, there are aftermarket parts that will beef up the rear end. but we're not talking small dollars here. everything from strengthened half shafts to different gear sets, housing, etc. can get expensive. mostly it's for those who race their car, or abuse them on the street. if you fall into one of those categories, expect to pay the price, one way or the other.

07MontRedcp

The C5 half shafts are much stronger and are a direct fit.

BJK

NORTY

So you have a Z06 and are making 503HP on the ground with 475tq? Sounds like a "wheel hop" previously got ya. Are you in Cali?

pimpinvcu

Really? Never thought about that. What would be a fair ballpark figure to swap that out? Is it something I could do in the garage? I have an 05 and most of the driving is moderate daily use but I do want to start doing an occasion autocross. Recommended?

Thanks!

blaine

I'm also curious about this.

siffert

My C6 A6 has never been to a dance to do the wheel hop. However, I have been to the local strip joint. Just wondering what the difference is flooring WOT from the get go at the steeet light as opposed to doing the same at the Xmas tree light?

talon90

The tree box and the first few feet of a dragstrip tend to be loaded with rubber and can contribute to the car hooking up/not hooking up causing wheel spin which can lead to wheel hop. Also, most of us that will give a spirited romp from a stop light while agressively accelerating rarely are taking the car to redline for three consecutive gear shifts. Those higher RPM's can really wreak havoc if the wheel slips or catches spinning at those high speeds.

siffert

Thanks for the info. I really dont get any slip or spinning myself unless the surface below me is not conducive for good traction. In which case at the first sign of slip/spin, I back off.

Also, what about those who road race their cars...you are always going near or at redline consecutively lap after lap.

talon90

It really isn't the spinning or the high RPM that would / could do damage. Either of those can happen and not cause a half shaft or differential to break. It is the sudden change that can do the damage, the wheel spinning at high rpm that suddenly regains traction or encounters an uneven surface and begins to stutter. That abrupt change in state will shock the rear mechanically and that is what could do the damage. Doing that enough times can cause stress fractures which can fail later due to subsequent shock or prolonged vibration.

07MontRedcp

Pretty easy to do in the garage from what I have read on the forum and I think they are in the $400-500 each range. I also watched them pull my half shafts when I was having control arm bushings replaced. Pretty straight forward. Here is one thread and there are others.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...=C5+half+shaft
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...=c5+half+shaft
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...5&postcount=16
In this last link to a post by Ranger, please notice the last sentence about loose axle nuts.

BJK

Amped

That failure mode should have been captured in a DFMEA or at least identified during durability testing before production ever began. Then the correct materials and safety factors could have been chosen to negate the effects you mentioned. The C6 is a 400+ hp sports car after all.

Even my C5 had performance/competition driving verbage in the owner's manual. Something about changing the oil more frequently, but nothing warning the driver that missing a shift or accelerating too quickly could cause a catastrophic part failure.

Firedog

Mine broke a year and a half ago, but it broke while a hotel valet was driving it. I'm the most conservative driver I know, and I'm quite sure it had nothing to do with the way I drove it. With the number of broken axles being refered to here, I can only assume that GM didn't build them stout enough.