Chevrolet Corvette C6 Transaxle - Chevy Corvettes transmission, differential, drive train, rear end

"Toughen up that Chevy Corvette Transaxle - Transmissions and Differentials!"

C6 GM Chevrolet Corvette Cutaway View image

There is no denying that the Corvette transaxle (transmission and differential) is one tough customer. On any of the stock Corvettes it would generally be overkill to modify the unit. Getting into the 600 or so plus horsepower ranges starts to add considerable stress though. At the 1,000 plus horsepower ranges a good (or bad) driver could routinely frag a stock transmission on a whim. The Corvette ZR1 though comes with a race-hardened 6 speed to handle the stock 638 horsepower it produces.

Most of this information is for the C6 base (and Z51), Z06, and new ZR1 (2009) Vette from the 2005 model year to the present day.

We will spend more time talking about the manual transaxle because nearly all performance oriented companies focus most of their resources on it. The automatics account for a huge share of the transmissions delivered in the new Corvette though, and the auto is a rough and ready transmission that has shown itself more than capable of winning drag races, while at the same time being a pleasure for the average driver who spends a lion's share of their time sitting in stop and go traffic.

The recommended oil change service intervals on the new Corvette transmissions are few and far between. Maintenance involves nearly nothing except for periodic inspections. Besides the engineering advances, the new high tech lubricants long lifespan contribute to the long service intervals.

C6 GM TR6060 Corvette manual Transaxle - Differential and Transmission – pictures - unitrax.biz

The Corvette transmission is moved from the traditional (for forward engine vehicles vs. the mid or rear mounted engines) rear of the engine (beside the driver) mounting position to the back of the vehicle in a rear mounted position basically bolting it directly to the differential near the back wheels. This moves weight rearward for an ideal forward vs. rear weight balance.

Hydra-Matic 6L80 transmission pics

The Automatic 6L80 HydraMatic transmission is a six-speed paddle-shift. The ZR1 and Z06 Corvettes ship from the factory with manual transmissions only. The standard (base) model Corvettes (coupes and convertibles) get the Hydra-Matic 6L80 automatic as an option.

Pictures - Hydra-Matic 6L80 6 speed with differential makes this a transaxle

A 2.73 performance axle ratio is available with the automatic as part of the Z51 option package.

The automatics shift points have been raised to higher RPM levels to accommodate the ever increasing horsepower in the base Corvette. It also includes GM's "Performance Algorithm Shifting" which is basically a computer control that helps the tranny target the optimal shift for the existing conditions the car is running under.

 TR6060 Transmission - 2009 Corvette ZR1 and standard 6 speed look identical on the outside - picture

The standard Manual transmission is a Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual gearbox starting in 2008.

Tremec T56 pictured above (is the ancestor to the new TR6060) pictures

The Borg Warner T56 was the Corvette manual transmission up through the 2007 model year. The new TR6060 transmission is a direct descendant of the T56 with much improved strength.

Different gear ratios are available on the TR6060. On the base Vettes, with the manual, there is the standard ratio (GM RPO MM6) and the optional "Z51 Performance Package" (GM RPO MZ6) which is designed with more aggressive gear ratios like those of the Z06. The ZR1 SuperCar transmission is basically a strengthened or race-hardened Z06 tranny (six-speed Tremec TR6060) with longer gear ratios and is described separately below.

The Z06 6 speed Tremec TR-6060 has a MM6 gearset. The entire transmission was toughened up starting with the 2008 models.

Shift travel has been reduced by modifying the synchronizers (syncros), the lever (knob) itself has been shortened, and the overall feel or ergonomics has been improved also.

ZR1 transmission twin-disc clutch system images

The ZR1 transmission six-speed is a race hardened Tremec TR6060 transmission with a MH3 gearset that has closer-ratios and longer gears. The ZR1 flywheel is a Z06 design with 9 instead of 6 bolts found on the Z06. The differential is a limited slip type with carbon and steel plates. The clutch is a twin disk type vs. the single disk Z06 version. The transmission is also designed for the top speed to be reached in 6th gear vs. the Z06 design which is geared for top speed in 5th gear and economy cruising in 6th.

One of the hottest modifications for performance tuners and hot rodders is going to be taking the hardened race parts from the ZR1 transmission and putting them into the standard manual for a substantial durability increase. Remember that the casings are the same.

There is another earlier "American Metal" article on the Corvette C6 transmissions available through this hyperlink.

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Chevy Corvette C6 hot rod Videos:

Hammer time Corvette transmission Stress Testin' video

 

2006 C6 Corvette Rear End Blows Up at Track videos

 

And, of course, when things work like they should -

World Record C5 Corvette IRS Run 8.60@163.95 - video

 

The famous ZR1 burnout Video videos

[ref] seriouswheels.com, wikipedia.org, howstuffworks.com

Visit the Corvette “American Metal Racing” modern muscle cars index for more information, images and videos.

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This series is dedicated to the Chevrolet Corvette C5 C6 C7 enthusiast. We include news and details on the base Chevy Vettes, the Z06, and new ZR1 SuperCar model. The LS2, LS3, LS7, LS9, a racing engine, crate motor, or hot rod tuning subject is always game for discussion. Factory stock General Motors Corvettes, the engines and options, performance and horsepower specialty tuners, and aftermarket parts to make a modified Vette the fastest or quickest are what we are all about. The main years of interest are 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and beyond for the GM future.

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Corvette "American Metal Racing" by Zorly aka Paul Malessa

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