Corvette Axle?

[FlatBlack65]

So, here goes a question i need help with. I'm doing research for a friend that has an '89 chevy Z-71 with a bunch of modifications: suspension lift, body lift, different transmission, and a rear end with disc brakes out of what the previous owner said was from a corvette. The stamping sais: LAS K201 2

anyone with any links or code books or info on where to find these rearend codes in a list or anything will be greatly appreciated

[Keyser Sose]

here's a link to the codes over the years

http://home.comcast.net/~jmasperi/vetrears.htm

and here's a link to the locations. Apparently they moved them around some

http://images.search.yahoo.com/searc...rear+end+codes

[jlcustomz]

Does he have an independant rear suspension ? Or just a straight truck axle with a vette brake swap? I think truck diff covers were 14 bolt.

[FlatBlack65]

its a gm 12 bolt solid axle, so i'm thinking it was from the earlier years

[FlatBlack65]

Originally Posted by jlcustomz

Does he have an independant rear suspension ? Or just a straight truck axle with a vette brake swap? I think truck diff covers were 14 bolt.

yeah, its a solid axle, so i'm just wondering with the stampings (LAS K201 2), what its out of. He's just trying to track it down so he knows what he's dealing with. On a side note, i never knew till now that corvettes even now the 2013 ones use a rear leaf spring!!! Such low tech, but obviously it works, right? go figure

[Keyser Sose]

is transverse, like on a Model A furd, so even older than you thought

[FlatBlack65]

Originally Posted by Keyser Sose

is transverse, like on a Model A furd, so even older than you thought

well he has a traditional, solid rear axle with the normal leaf spring set-up. I was making a comment on the new vettes using the transverse leaf spring even today. I would have thought that they would be using progressive rate coil springs. but they are still using the leaf. interesting.

[melissadunagan]

Corvettes have had IRS since 1963. The transverse spring helps keep the car flat in corners, it puts weight on the side trying to lift.

[464elky]

the gen 1 corvettes with solid rears were very narrow. I can't imagine getting any wheel clearance under a truck frame unless the frame is narrowed. They were also the pumpin type like a ford 9 inch. If the carrier housing doesn't unbolt from the front it is not a solid axle vette.

[mrblanche]

The independent rear on a Corvette is one reason hot rod builders refer to Corvettes as "donor cars."

The single-leaf transverse spring works very well. It is progressive in its own way, due to the taper in the spring. In fact, I guess you could say all leaf springs are progressive to a certain extent.

[jlcustomz]

Another point to think about here, once a rear has been worked on ,the only way to know what ya got is to pull the cover.

[chevyefi]

6 lug truck with a "Corvette" rear.
Can't say I'd give it too much thought.

[FlatBlack65]

Originally Posted by mrblanche

The independent rear on a Corvette is one reason hot rod builders refer to Corvettes as "donor cars."

The single-leaf transverse spring works very well. It is progressive in its own way, due to the taper in the spring. In fact, I guess you could say all leaf springs are progressive to a certain extent.

No, i totally get it. I was just commenting that i never knew that corvettes used transverse leaf springs in the rear, even in the newest edition 2014 re-designed Vette. I think its cool though. Gonna let my buddy know that his rear is not vette. Maybe the rear disc brake conversion is from a vette? Is THAT a common swap? I've never had any experience with rear-ends......well, AUTOMOBILE rear-ends anyway....um.....uh....er.....yeah.

[lorandolph]

Originally Posted by FlatBlack65

No, i totally get it. I was just commenting that i never knew that corvettes used transverse leaf springs in the rear, even in the newest edition 2014 re-designed Vette. I think its cool though. Gonna let my buddy know that his rear is not vette. Maybe the rear disc brake conversion is from a vette? Is THAT a common swap? I've never had any experience with rear-ends......well, AUTOMOBILE rear-ends anyway....um.....uh....er.....yeah.

Having owned 8 Vettes now ranging from 75 on... and lately an '09 ZO6 - I can attest to the fact that the transverse spring works extraordinarily well thank you very much! Chevrolet transitioned from a traditional steel leaf spring somewhere around 1980 to a fiberglass composite one first to save weight. The spring design has evolved over the years with tapering and variation in the composites and how they are layered and composed from the center outwards. I believe you could indeed say they are "progressive". Just because it is transverse doesn't make it primitive - it is in fact a pretty thoroughly engineered piece of tech.

[FlatBlack65]

its all good. I love Corvettes. I'm not knocking them by saying i didn't know that they had leaf springs, and mistakenly thinking that leafs are low tech. Obviously i'm ignorant of all the high tech leafs GM is using on those. A 7:19 lap time at Nordschleife (Nurenburgring) in 2008 mind you, only bested by quarter million plus super exotics says allot for the technology in the Vette.....rear leafs and all. No offense meant to the corvette folks. My deepest apologies