C5 drivetrain....
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,414
Likes: 25
From: Texas
C5 drivetrain....
questions.......
At what point should I need to do "upgrades" to my rear differential... (DTE)?
I have 388 RWHP 383 RWTQ current best et is 12.55 at ~112mph...still on street tires....
Will be doing a clutch sometime in the near future, and drag radials....
saw winters post on breaking his car, and some people saying it is the shaft in the differential...
at what point (hp, or et?) should I need to upgrade? and what should I upgrade to?
hardened shaft? which one? which brand?
trans/diff brace?
This car will not be an all out race car, but most of its abuse is taken out at the 1/4 mile dragstrip....
At what point should I need to do "upgrades" to my rear differential... (DTE)?
I have 388 RWHP 383 RWTQ current best et is 12.55 at ~112mph...still on street tires....
Will be doing a clutch sometime in the near future, and drag radials....
saw winters post on breaking his car, and some people saying it is the shaft in the differential...
at what point (hp, or et?) should I need to upgrade? and what should I upgrade to?
hardened shaft? which one? which brand?
trans/diff brace?
This car will not be an all out race car, but most of its abuse is taken out at the 1/4 mile dragstrip....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,107
Likes: 4
From: Northern VA
When they break is when you need to upgrade 
If and when you do the clutch, i would do the brace and possibly the output shaft then. As long as your not getting wheel hop with the street tires you should be fine. I'm on drag radials with stock clutch and it's working well. It's not that hard of a launch cause i slip the clutch. I'm still in the 1.7 60's for now hoping to work down to the low 1.6s. Not worrying too much myself, but if it breaks it breaks... Luckily if i break my car now i have the whole winter to fix it and i won't be down for next season.
If and when you do the clutch, i would do the brace and possibly the output shaft then. As long as your not getting wheel hop with the street tires you should be fine. I'm on drag radials with stock clutch and it's working well. It's not that hard of a launch cause i slip the clutch. I'm still in the 1.7 60's for now hoping to work down to the low 1.6s. Not worrying too much myself, but if it breaks it breaks... Luckily if i break my car now i have the whole winter to fix it and i won't be down for next season.
Last edited by Stevo92z28; Nov 1, 2009 at 10:07 PM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,414
Likes: 25
From: Texas
^ yea I have the if it breaks it breaks attitude too, but was just wondering at what level these things break...
I have thought about doing the brace and output shaft when I do the clutch... just have to see how the cash flow is at the time....
link for shaft
link for brace
is DTE the cheapest place to get them from? Or can you find DTE parts from another vendor cheaper?
I have thought about doing the brace and output shaft when I do the clutch... just have to see how the cash flow is at the time....
link for shaft
link for brace
is DTE the cheapest place to get them from? Or can you find DTE parts from another vendor cheaper?
AMP Racing
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,756
Likes: 589
From: Washington TWP NJ
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2017 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,414
Likes: 25
From: Texas
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 754
Likes: 2
From: dothan alabama
it breaks at stock power level or 887 hp lol, mine broke with the 340 rwhp, but i as running mt et streets i would just wait til my last stock one breaks unless you already have the drivetrain out
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,009
Likes: 491
From: South Florida
I broke my output shaft, ring and pinion, and diff casing with 331rwhp and street tires. Wheel hop will rip these things apart, and anyone who saw the carnage knows it was absolutely DESTROYED. If I had to do it all over my first mods would have been a clutch, rear, and tires.
If you are going to race the car, get at least a good rear with both shafts hardened, along with the brace. Why not spend the extra couple hundred bucks and risk having the other shaft snap? I have an RPM trans and stage II rear and I love it. I just wish I woulda changed out the clutch of all destruction (spec twin) while everything was out.
If you are going to race the car, get at least a good rear with both shafts hardened, along with the brace. Why not spend the extra couple hundred bucks and risk having the other shaft snap? I have an RPM trans and stage II rear and I love it. I just wish I woulda changed out the clutch of all destruction (spec twin) while everything was out.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
AMP Racing
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,756
Likes: 589
From: Washington TWP NJ
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2017 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12
Perhaps dte has changed their design, but, theyused to use washers as spacers where it bolts to the diff. ECS designed theirs so it wouldn't need spacers. It just fits like it was designed specifically for our cars.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 214
Likes: 10
From: Leroy Ohio
I was going to say just before or just after it breaks. I've done both. I ran 2 years on the stock stuff than added an aftermarket diff before I added any HP and broke it on the third trip to the track. Last Sunday, about 4 years later, broke the output shaft on a stock Z06 diff that replaced the aftermarket one. I did not put in hardened shafts, but will this time.
Rebuilt the trans last winter because I lost 5th & 6th, I would assume that was not race related. Wheel hop does break things but they also break without it as in my case.
Rebuilt the trans last winter because I lost 5th & 6th, I would assume that was not race related. Wheel hop does break things but they also break without it as in my case.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,480
Likes: 62
From: Middletown DE
What do you think the brace is for? 
here is the description of the product from the ECS site:
The problem of differential case fracture, transmission case breakage and driveline deflection during hard acceleration on the street, road course or drag strip is a common, inherent problem with the C5 Corvette that often shears the differential away from the attachment point at the transmission. A trans / rear brace is the best way to limit the potential for case fracture on your big horsepower corvette.
here is the description of the product from the ECS site:
The problem of differential case fracture, transmission case breakage and driveline deflection during hard acceleration on the street, road course or drag strip is a common, inherent problem with the C5 Corvette that often shears the differential away from the attachment point at the transmission. A trans / rear brace is the best way to limit the potential for case fracture on your big horsepower corvette.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 214
Likes: 10
From: Leroy Ohio
What do you think the brace is for?
here is the description of the product from the ECS site:
The problem of differential case fracture, transmission case breakage and driveline deflection during hard acceleration on the street, road course or drag strip is a common, inherent problem with the C5 Corvette that often shears the differential away from the attachment point at the transmission. A trans / rear brace is the best way to limit the potential for case fracture on your big horsepower corvette.
here is the description of the product from the ECS site:
The problem of differential case fracture, transmission case breakage and driveline deflection during hard acceleration on the street, road course or drag strip is a common, inherent problem with the C5 Corvette that often shears the differential away from the attachment point at the transmission. A trans / rear brace is the best way to limit the potential for case fracture on your big horsepower corvette.
. I used to have one and took it off. That wasn't the question. I have seen many threads here about broken diffs but I do not recall a single one about a broke tranny case. I suppose you buy stuff from infommercial on TV as well.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,480
Likes: 62
From: Middletown DE
I have one on my car for pure insurance - i dont drag my car that much, but putting down more then enough power to break things. I am not saying my rear will not break, but if it prevents the tranny case from breaking - it is well worth it.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 214
Likes: 10
From: Leroy Ohio
[QUOTE=SmoothFRC;1572032345]Apologize if i came off sarcastic ...... QUOTE]
I've heard agruments for and against, but honestly, never seen a post here regarding broken trans case. I have my own reasons for taking it off but would not try to convince anyone not to use it if they want to.
I've heard agruments for and against, but honestly, never seen a post here regarding broken trans case. I have my own reasons for taking it off but would not try to convince anyone not to use it if they want to.
