Project C7 Corvette Stingray Z51: Drivetrain Improvements

The stock torque tube and prop shaft assembly weigh 56.6 pounds.

The new carbon fiber Chevrolet Performance torque tube weighs 41.4 pounds-15.2 pounds less than the mostly steel torque tube our Stingray came equipped with from the factory. The savings were a little less than the claimed 15.5 lbs, but oh well- that’s hardly anything.

Now it was time to tear out the perfectly good stock clutch!

Despite weighing 65 pounds, the twin disc McLeod RXT 1200 clutch and flywheel assembly are actually a few pounds less than the stock unit it replaces. This is probably due to the stock flywheel being a super heavy, diesel-like dual mass flywheel. The lighter weight means faster revs and better shifts.

Here is a close up of the heavy factory dual mass flywheel. Although these things are not too great from a performance standpoint because they are heavy, they are very smooth and today’s picky 90th percentile customer does not tolerate any noise or vibrations in an expensive car anymore.