Why was the C3 engine offset to the passenger side?

JeffP1167

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
2,727
Location
Yucaipa, CA.
How much was it offset to the passenger side and will this affect how all my C4 rear suspension mounts?

I can't find a lot of info on this and being I am transplanting C4 front and rear suspension into my c3 frame will this be an issue if I try and use the c3 motor mounts?

Or was the c4's engine offset to the passenger side like a c3 as well? I suppose since the c3 engine was offset the c3 transmission tunnel was offset as well.
 
How much was it offset to the passenger side and will this affect how all my C4 rear suspension mounts?

I can't find a lot of info on this and being I am transplanting C4 front and rear suspension into my c3 frame will this be an issue if I try and use the c3 motor mounts?

Or was the c4's engine offset to the passenger side like a c3 as well? I suppose since the c3 engine was offset the c3 transmission tunnel was offset as well.

Look at the motor mount "horns" on your C3 frame. I think you'll find the driver's side horn longer than the passenger side. The transmission frame mount is on the frame centerline. The driveshaft is on the frame centerline.
 
I posted the answer in another thread, I thought here, but somewhere just recently too....

the requirements for an IRS is equal length swing arms/ drive axles, that means the diffy has to be mounted on the centerline, but due to construction, the pinion is off to the passenger side by about a inch or so, so to keep driveshaft angles correct and not too much offset at high RPM's, the rest of the drive train is mounted a inch or so to the right also.....

I always wondered why myself, until I was under there one day and the reason hit me like a ton of brix.....

:lol::thumbs:

I just now thought about a CV joint driveshaft....bet that would work and alleviate the problem...

first CV joints I remember seeing were in '75 Caddy Eldorado Convertible.....GOD they were massive make a whole damn VW outta one of them....
 
Last edited:
ok, so I found a c4 dana36 and what looks like the dana44 that my 82 has. So by the looks of the c4 differential is it safe to say it has it's motor offset as well?

KGrHqNHJBkE9YpbLzpBPQrStFmw60_12.jpg
KGrHqZHJBIE7zlYJivBPBTQMUFJ60_12.jpg
 
the driveshaft is NOT on the centerline, the differential pinion is neither

check th tech section, there's a diagram in there about driveline angles.
 
[QUOTEIt was offset one inch. Reason, to give the driver more foot room than the XKE. Nutz[/QUOTE]

Really?? I have an XKE, do we believe GM would make all that effort for one inch of legroom when the E Type is so resricted?

I find, all these years later, the XKE and Corvette dual is laughable. They are apples and oranges and for the Brits to attempt to battle on the Corvettes rules is a joke.

Ya wanna go from E lPaso to DC in a hurry, drive the E type. Ya wanna go from Cental to Main in a hurry drive the Corvette.

Different animals entirely that should not cross pollinate.
 
Different animals entirely that should not cross pollinate.

Tell that to the corvette historian writers and the Stingray designers. In no form was I comparing the two cars. Mitchell owned and enjoyed driving a XKE.[/QUOTE]

An old friend was a son of the Editor of the Christian Science Monitor, he drove a E Jag.......back when, 50 years ago or so......

my damn memory not worth shit, and I can't remember the last name....

but at any rate, it would be nice to have a couple straight edges in those pix above for the diffys.....going down the output shafts, to measure the pinion offset I bet it's a inch or so.....any takers????
 
I can´t give any explanation as to why the engine/rear axle was offset but i did pretty accurate measurements during my frame modification. The engine was offset 25mm (approx. 1") to the right, and the rear axle was offset 21mm (approx.0.85") to the right as well.
I think this can bee seen on photos in my thread on page 6 or 7.

/Daniel
 
I can´t give any explanation as to why the engine/rear axle was offset but i did pretty accurate measurements during my frame modification. The engine was offset 25mm (approx. 1") to the right, and the rear axle was offset 21mm (approx.0.85") to the right as well.
I think this can bee seen on photos in my thread on page 6 or 7.

/Daniel

So, are the halfshafts different lengths to keep the rear wheels symetrical to the body?
 
Top