C6 rear end strength
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Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 30
Likes: 2
From: Vancouver,BC
C6 rear end strength
I got a 2008 non-z51 C6 making a bit over 500whp and recently picked up some 275/40/17 et street radials. Looking to get out to the drag strip more on a prepped surface and was wondering if I should start looking at building the rear end? Anyone have any feedback on how much power these rear ends can handle?
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,502
Likes: 3,629
Its a hit and miss on how much torque you can put to the diff.
Hence clean dig without the tires breaking will allow more torque through it, then wheels starting to spin, getting into wheel hop, and once the tires do bite during the hop, torque goes through the roof to crack the diff case and trans output shaft.
Bottom line, it's a light weight road course independent suspension diff on a sports car meant for road course type use, not a built iron solid ford 9" that you can throw major G's at on launch. Hence if you bought the car for just straight line racing, pretty much bought the wrong car to start with.
For the amount of money you have in the car now, could have built a Vega to get you down the 1/4 mile in under 8 seconds, and that a time that even the best built street C6's will never touch no matter how much HP you have under the hood.
Hence clean dig without the tires breaking will allow more torque through it, then wheels starting to spin, getting into wheel hop, and once the tires do bite during the hop, torque goes through the roof to crack the diff case and trans output shaft.
Bottom line, it's a light weight road course independent suspension diff on a sports car meant for road course type use, not a built iron solid ford 9" that you can throw major G's at on launch. Hence if you bought the car for just straight line racing, pretty much bought the wrong car to start with.
For the amount of money you have in the car now, could have built a Vega to get you down the 1/4 mile in under 8 seconds, and that a time that even the best built street C6's will never touch no matter how much HP you have under the hood.
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Joined: Feb 2011
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I got a 2008 non-z51 C6 making a bit over 500whp and recently picked up some 275/40/17 et street radials. Looking to get out to the drag strip more on a prepped surface and was wondering if I should start looking at building the rear end? Anyone have any feedback on how much power these rear ends can handle?
After years of running a stock Z06 differential I went back to a 2.56 to help alleviate traction issues I was having as it launches quite a bit softer than the Z06 one.
I figured it would likely be a ticking time bomb as I'm making around 600rwhp and with the 2.56 diff I've run as fast as 10.06 with a 1.42 60ft. Years ago I blew up two "built" differentials that were originally 2.56s and that was while I only had an LS2 instead of the LS7 I have now.
Looking back on that now, I'm pretty sure they weren't built very well as I've got around 60 passes on the stock 2.56 diff that came from a car with 70K miles and I haven't had any issues with it. Yes, it may still blow up at some point but fortunately they're pretty cheap compared to a Z06 diff so I kinda view it as a consumable part like brake pads or tires.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 1,212
Likes: 215
From: Dallas, Tx
SurprisIngly a lot actually.
After years of running a stock Z06 differential I went back to a 2.56 to help alleviate traction issues I was having as it launches quite a bit softer than the Z06 one.
I figured it would likely be a ticking time bomb as I'm making around 600rwhp and with the 2.56 diff I've run as fast as 10.06 with a 1.42 60ft. Years ago I blew up two "built" differentials that were originally 2.56s and that was while I only had an LS2 instead of the LS7 I have now.
Looking back on that now, I'm pretty sure they weren't built very well as I've got around 60 passes on the stock 2.56 diff that came from a car with 70K miles and I haven't had any issues with it. Yes, it may still blow up at some point but fortunately they're pretty cheap compared to a Z06 diff so I kinda view it as a consumable part like brake pads or tires.
After years of running a stock Z06 differential I went back to a 2.56 to help alleviate traction issues I was having as it launches quite a bit softer than the Z06 one.
I figured it would likely be a ticking time bomb as I'm making around 600rwhp and with the 2.56 diff I've run as fast as 10.06 with a 1.42 60ft. Years ago I blew up two "built" differentials that were originally 2.56s and that was while I only had an LS2 instead of the LS7 I have now.
Looking back on that now, I'm pretty sure they weren't built very well as I've got around 60 passes on the stock 2.56 diff that came from a car with 70K miles and I haven't had any issues with it. Yes, it may still blow up at some point but fortunately they're pretty cheap compared to a Z06 diff so I kinda view it as a consumable part like brake pads or tires.
