Drivetrain Slop

viperbilliam

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I'm breaking in my new 05 and have been noticing slight "clunks" from my backside, particularly when I shift into 5th (at low rpms). Any of you notice this?
 

Ron Hickey

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This has been a Viper feature since Day One. Nothing to worry about. ("They all do that!") The best description I ever read about this was in Car & Driver in 1997 or 1998: "Agricultural noises from the drivetrain"

Look at it this way -- it's the price you pay for having a drivetrain that can handle 510 HP and 535 Lbs-Ft of torque.
 

kwiksilver

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If you are in 5th at low rpms you are bogging the engine. I rarely use 5th unless going about 70 mph and higher. Even though it has tons of torque that has to be to low rpm
 

Cris

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So I assume the Z06 has these agricultural noises as well? If not why the Dodge?
 
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viperbilliam

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Thanks for the reassurance; being a newbie I'll react to unfamiliar sounds and think "is there something wrong with the car?". I don't object to the mild slop; I just wasn't accustomed to it. It's probably an essential character of the car and I can accept it.
 

Skip White

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Will the reason behind this so called drive-line slop, is a combination of several factors. You are sitting very close to the drive train, the trans, diff, and u-joints in this car are huge compared to your typical family car, and this enhances the feal and noise. If the car did not have the center console on it, you would just about be able to touch and see every component in the drive line from the front of the transmission to the differential yoke. Most cars on the market also have dampening feutures in the clutch. Many cars have now have rubber flex joints instead of steel u-joints, not to mention fluid filled hydro motor mounts. All these things are not desirable in a true sport car. As you become more accustomed to the car, this will lessen.

One thing you can't do in a parking lot, is give partial throttle when loffing around looking for a place to park. You must accelerate and fall back to a idle. The car will back lash if you don't do this. This is partly due to the engine computer, as it can not smoothly control the engine speed at fast idle.

You will get very used to this after in a few months of driving.

ps, as for the Z06 not having or having these issues. There engine is much smaller than the Viper. They run the same T.56 trans, but a lighter version of it. They may have a better idle motor setup and this may help in that area. GM cars really are advanced in electronics and daily driver comforts, without sacrificing much. I give them credit for that.
 
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viperbilliam

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Thanks, Skip. No wonder I feel some of the drivetrain although it's minor. I'm aware of the electronics in the Vette but I don't think GM has full control of their electronics technology and I spent way too much time at the dealer's with my C5. I drove a few C6s and impressive as they were, they still have problems like the dead battery syndrome. It's something I'm not willing to tolerate. One major reason for my Viper purchase was the relative simplicity of the electronics in the car; less to go wrong and the SRT10 Viper history reflects that.
 

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