Author: TJ

I have lived with three versions of this gearbox: the one in my Stingray, the one in my two Z06s, and the one in the ZR1 I drive now. From the driver’s seat they feel like the same transmission. Underneath, they are not. The final drive changes, the clutch packs and shafts change, and the fluid rules for track days are different depending on which car and which build date you have. Here is the whole TR-9080 story in one place: ratios, what each variant got, fluid, and the problems GM has actually documented, with where each fix stands today.

What the Tremec TR-9080 is

The TR-9080 is an 8-speed dual-clutch transaxle designed by Tremec for the mid-engine C8. It replaced both the manual and the torque-converter automatic the C7 offered, and the C8 has never had a factory manual. The transmission, the differential and the clutch packs share one fluid supply, one pump, one cooler and one filter.

• Two concentric wet clutches. The outer clutch runs the odd gears (1, 3, 5, 7) with five friction plates. The inner clutch runs the even gears (2, 4, 6, 8) with six plates, the extra plate making up for its smaller diameter, per LSX Magazine’s teardown.
• Torque rating at launch. Tremec’s 2019 release rated the first mLSD and eLSD versions at 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) and 7,500 rpm maximum input speed.
• Shift speed. Tremec quotes shifts in less than 100 milliseconds without interrupting torque.
• Differential. Base cars get a clutch-type mechanical limited slip. The Z51 package adds the electronic limited slip.
• Brain. A standalone transmission control module sits in the rear passenger-side wheel well. A replacement valve body has to be programmed to it with a 22-digit part unique number.
• Where it is built. GM’s St. Catharines plant in Ontario built the DCT under license from the 2022 model year. GM Authority reports that as of calendar 2025, every unit comes straight from Tremec in Michigan.

C8 Corvette gear ratios and final drive by variant

The gearset ratios are the same in every spec sheet I checked, Stingray, Z06 and E-Ray. What changes is the final drive, which is where each variant gets its personality off the line.

First gear is 2.91:1 and eighth gear is 0.33:1. Fourth gear is 0.88:1, so fourth through eighth are all overdrive gears. That tall top end is why a C8 loafs at highway speed.

The Stingray without Z51 runs a 4.89:1 final drive. The Z51 package shortens it to 5.17:1. The Z06 runs a 5.56:1 final drive, which GM Authority calls about seven percent shorter than the Stingray. The overall first-gear column is my own math, first gear times final drive. Both differentials on the Stingray share a 3.55:1 ring and pinion, so the difference is made inside the transaxle.

I could not find a published final drive for the ZR1, ZR1X, 2027 Grand Sport or Grand Sport X in any source I could open today, so I left them out instead of guessing.

What changed for the Z06, E-Ray and ZR1

GM tracks these transmissions by RPO code. GM’s own service articles name three: M1L, M1M and MLH. GM ties M1L to the Stingray, and GM Authority reports the Z06 unit as M1M. Third-party spec sites disagree on which code the E-Ray and ZR1 carry, so check the RPO sticker in your glovebox rather than trusting a chart.

Those ZR1 upgrades make sense when you look at the numbers. CorvSport lists the twin-turbo LT7 at 828 lb-ft, well past the 590 lb-ft Tremec quoted for the launch-spec gearbox in 2019. The Stingray’s LT2 was rated at up to 470 lb-ft with the performance exhaust.

The E-Ray shares the Z06’s 5.56:1 final drive on GM Authority’s spec sheet, and GM’s track guidance groups the MLH unit with the Z06’s: no extra track fluid needed. The E-Ray is gone for 2027, replaced by the Grand Sport X. I could not find a GM document describing transmission changes for the Grand Sport X, the 2027 LS6 cars or the ZR1X, so I am not going to invent any.

C8 DCT fluid: type, capacity and service

The C8 DCT holds about 11 liters, or 11.6 quarts, of fluid, according to LSX Magazine. GM specifies DCTF FFL-4 C8 Corvette transmission fluid, sold by ACDelco under part number 19418016. GM’s TechLink tells technicians to shake the bottle hard before pouring and notes a sealed bottle has a three-year shelf life.

• Filter: external canister filter at 7,500 miles, again at 22,500 miles, then every 22,500 miles. GM covers the first one.
• Fluid: changed at least every three years, with the Fluid Life System reset afterward.
• Warning message: CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID SOON gives you about 620 miles (1,000 km) to change fluid and filter.

Costs, the DIY versus dealer decision and the filter procedure are in my C8 transmission fluid and DCT filter guide, so I will not repeat them here.

Track days: the extra two quarts

Early Stingrays need extra fluid before a track day. GM’s 2020 Stingray track-prep TechLink said the DCT must have about two quarts of fluid added before track use, to protect against low pump pressure when fluid gets pushed up the side of the case under load. GM’s documents call the amount two quarts in one place and two liters in another. GM also says it is not required to drain the extra fluid afterward.

The rule depends on your transmission and your case:

• M1L with Z51: add the extra fluid before track use.
• M1L without Z51: GM does not condone tracking it, but says the same addition applies if you do.
• M1M and MLH: no track fill required.
• Any car with a Die 3 case: no track fill required. GM revised the M1L case late in the 2023 model year.

To tell which case you have, look at the front edge of the sump pan from underneath. GM says a Die 3 case has 4 fasteners along that edge and the older Die 2 case has 6. CorvetteBlogger reported the change started at Stingray sequence P5137263 in June 2023.

WRPDRIVE has a short video showing the extra fluid going in through the side fill plug, which is easier to reach than the top plug under the airbox: C8 Corvette gets 2 litres of DCT fluid added through the side filler plug.

Known C8 transmission problems and where each fix stands

These are the issues GM has put in writing, plus the symptom owners report most. Bulletins are applied when a car shows the symptom. They are not open recalls you can schedule ahead of time.

On the shudder reports: a 2025 Stingray owner on CarComplaints described a shudder at about 750 miles, and the dealer blamed riding the brake in traffic after an 18-mile test drive failed to reproduce it. On Canadian Corvette Forums, a 2024 owner described a hesitation on upshifts pulling away from a stop under about 30 km/h with a check engine light, and the car needed a new direct clutch assembly. That lines up with the snap ring bulletin, but only the dealer’s diagnosis can confirm it on your car.

The only DCT-related recall I found is the 2023 emission recall for the TCM software. To see what is open on your car, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask your dealer to check GM’s system too.

What to do when your C8 DCT acts up

1. Write it down. Photograph any message, note the mileage, speed, gear and temperature.
2. Check the basics. Know where your filter service stands. A maintenance reminder is not a fault.
3. Go to a Chevrolet dealer with your records. Inside the powertrain warranty, a covered failure is GM’s problem to fix, and your service records back up the claim.
4. Name the bulletins. Ask whether the fault matches 23-NA-176, 23-NA-197 or the park lock valve repair.
5. If it needs a flatbed, here is how to get a C8 into neutral with the engine off.

FAQ

Related posts

Sources: Tremec TR-9080 release, Chevrolet Z06 release, GM Authority on the Z06 DCT, GM Authority E-Ray specs, Automoblog on the Stingray DCT, SlashGear on Z51 gearing, Paul Tan on ZR1 transmission upgrades, CorvSport ZR1 guide, LSX Magazine TR-9080 teardown, GM TechLink on filter and fluid, GM TechLink on track prep, GM TechLink on the Die 3 case, GM TechLink on park lock valve parts, GM Authority on the 2021 investigation, CarComplaints on recall N212336962, GM Authority on DCT production.

I have owned four C8s: a Stingray, two Z06s and the ZR1 I drive now. The C8 is not a high-maintenance car, but it has one service item that GM treats as non-negotiable, two different engine oils depending on which engine you have, and a dry-sump oil system that confuses a lot of quick-lube shops. Below is the full schedule by mileage, oil type and capacity for every C8 engine, the track rules, and what owners and dealers are actually charging, with every number tied to a source at the bottom.

C8 Corvette maintenance schedule by mileage

The C8 runs on monitors, not a fixed oil-change mileage. The Oil Life Monitor, the transmission fluid life monitor and the engine air filter life monitor can all call for service earlier than the miles below. The intervals here come from the owner’s manual as quoted by owners on CorvetteForum and from Chevrolet dealer and TechLink publications. Where model years differ, I note it.

The first DCT filter change is due between 7,000 and 8,000 miles. Later DCT filter changes are due every 22,500 miles. DCT fluid and the external filter are due every 45,000 miles or 3 years, whichever comes first. Coolant on 2024 and later cars is due at 150,000 miles or 6 years.

C8 oil type and capacity by engine

This is the table the dealer blogs skip. GM’s own 2026 oil capacity chart, published through TechLink for dealer technicians, lists two different oils for the C8.

The LT2 in the Stingray and E-Ray holds 7.5 quarts of 0W-40 dexosR oil with the filter. The LT6 in the Z06 and the LT7 in the ZR1 and ZR1X each hold 8.0 quarts of 5W-50 dexosR oil. Mobil says its Mobil 1 Supercar 5W-50 was the first 5W-50 to carry the dexosR approval the Z06 requires, and it lists Mobil 1 Supercar 0W-40 for the LT2.

Early C8 documents, including the 2020 and 2021 track preparation guides, list 0W-40 dexos2 for the LT2. GM’s 2026 chart lists 0W-40 dexosR. If you are buying oil today, buy what your oil cap and current manual call for.

The 2027 LS6: the new 6.7L engine in the 2027 Stingray, Grand Sport and Grand Sport X does not appear in GM’s 2026 capacity chart, and I could not find a GM figure for it yet. Do not assume it matches the LT2.

Why the oil change is different on a dry sump

• Check it warm and running. Every C8 engine is dry sump, with oil stored in an external tank. GM’s TechLink says to check the level only with the engine warm and idling. A cold reading can look low, and adding oil to it is how cars get overfilled.
• The Z06 has two drain plugs. GM bulletin 24-NA-269 says the LT6 has one plug on the oil pan and one on the external tank, and both must come out. Leave one in and fresh oil can overfill the engine. The LT2 has one drain plug.
• The LT6 drain sequence: idle about 20 seconds to return oil to the tank, shut it off, pull the fill cap so the tank vents, and drain within 10 minutes of shutdown.

Oil Life Monitor, break-in and the first oil change

There is no 500-mile break-in oil change on a C8. GM’s TechLink told dealers that no break-in oil change is needed and that owners should follow the Oil Life Monitor after the first visit. That first visit includes one covered oil and filter change within 2 years of delivery.

• Oil interval: when the Driver Information Center says to change engine oil, and at least once a year even if the monitor still shows life left.
• Z06 break-in: 500 miles. The tach redline is set to 6,600 rpm for those miles, then resets to 8,600 rpm, and the system limits power in the first two gears.
• Before any track day: GM wants more than 1,500 miles on the car first. That applies to the Stingray Z51 track guide and to the Z06.
• 2025 and 2026 buyers: CorvetteBlogger reports dealers now have buyers sign an acknowledgement form covering the oil change within 2 years and the DCT filter at 7,000 to 8,000 miles within 3 years.

The DCT filter: the one service you cannot skip

The Tremec 8-speed dual-clutch has an external canister filter, and its first replacement has to land between 7,000 and 8,000 miles. The owner’s manual says 7,500 miles with 500 miles of tolerance either way. CorvetteBlogger reports GM will reject transmission warranty claims when this is not met.

• Changed it early? A filter replaced before 7,000 miles still has to be replaced again in the 7,000 to 8,000 window.
• Car is 3 years old with under 8,000 miles? Book a dealer visit. GM’s bulletin 24-NA-081 says filter replacement after 3 years is at the owner’s expense.
• Already past 8,000 miles without the change? Book a dealer visit now. The same bulletin allows a cost split on high-mileage cars that never had it done.
• 2024 and later: the oil change and the transmission filter are separate warranty items, so one does not cover the other.
• Replaced transmission: the 7,500-mile count restarts from the replacement.

Track rules for the DCT: GM’s 2021 track preparation guide says to add 2 extra quarts of DCT fluid before track use, and that the extra fluid does not need to be removed afterward. It also calls for a fluid and external filter change after every 24 hours of track use. Fluid checks and changes should be done at a dealer with the approved fluid.

Brakes, coolant, filters, plugs and tires

• Brake fluid: every 5 years on the street, per owners quoting the 2024 manual. For track use, GM’s guide calls for a DOT 4 high-performance fluid from a sealed container with a dry boiling point above 590°F (310°C), replaced before a track event if it is over a month old, and swapped back to GM-approved fluid before street driving.
• Bleeding: GM says to disconnect the negative battery cable before any brake flush or bleed, and to bleed manually or with a pressure bleeder, not a vacuum bleeder. If you are pulling the battery cable, my C8 battery guide shows where it is.
• Coolant: 150,000 miles or 6 years on 2024 and later cars.
• Cabin air filter: every 22,500 miles or 24 months.
• Engine air filter: when the life monitor calls for it.
• Spark plugs: 97,500 miles on the LT2.
• Front lift fluid: every 5 years, per owners reading the manual. Worth doing if your car is lowered and you lean on the lift.
• Tires: every C8 runs a staggered setup, so there is no front-to-rear rotation. Owners on CorvetteForum note non-directional tires can be swapped side to side. Sizes for every model are in my C8 wheel and tire size guide.
• Lifting the car: use the factory lift points. My C8 jacking points guide shows them.

What is different on the Z06, ZR1, E-Ray and Grand Sport X

C8 Corvette maintenance cost: real prices

Every number below comes from a posted price or an owner report I could read today. Prices vary a lot by dealer and region, so treat these as a range to call around with, not a quote.

A dealer oil change on a C8 runs about $150 at the dealer one owner reported, and about $85 done yourself. A DCT fluid and filter service runs $1,000 to $1,300 at the dealer that posts its prices. RepairPal lists an average annual repair cost of $737 for the 2023 Corvette, and says it does not have enough data yet to estimate yearly maintenance on the 2024.

Watch: Chevrolet’s own C8 maintenance video

This is Chevrolet’s Corvette Owner Academy video on driver maintenance, from the official Chevrolet channel. It walks through a DIY oil change and checking and topping up coolant and washer fluid on coupes and convertibles.

Made by Chevrolet. For the full transmission story, see my C8 Corvette transmission guide.

FAQ

Related posts

Sources: GM TechLink 2026 oil capacities, GM TechLink, 5.5L oil change service, GM TechLink, first service visit, GM TechLink, Stingray track prep, 2021 Corvette track preparation guide, Mobil 1 Corvette oil, CorvetteBlogger on the DCT filter, CorvetteBlogger on the acknowledgement form, CorvetteBlogger on Z06 break-in, GM Authority on Z06 break-in, CorvetteForum 2024 maintenance table, CorvetteForum schedule thread, CorvetteForum oil change prices, CorvetteForum DCT service prices, Schumacher Corvette DCT cost guide, Paragon LT2 kit, Paragon LT6/LT7 kit, Paragon E-Ray maintenance, Canadian Corvette Forums on E-Ray front drive fluid, CorvetteBlogger on E-Ray coolant caps, SlashGear on C8 costs, RepairPal, Chevrolet Owner Academy video.

A dead 12V battery on a C8 is a different problem than on a front-engine car. There is no hood latch you can reach from outside, the doors are electric, and the battery hides behind trim at the back of the frunk. I have owned four C8s (a Stingray, two Z06s and now a ZR1), and the question I get more than “what battery does it take” is “how do I even get in.” So here is the order of operations when the car is dead and locked, where the battery actually is, how to jump it, what to buy when it is done, and how to stop it happening again.

Dead car, locked out: the 7 steps in order

These steps come from Chevrolet’s owner’s manual, GM service bulletins and GM Authority’s walk-through of the 2020 car. Do them in this order and you will not need a tow truck to get to the battery.

1. Pull the mechanical key from the fob. Press the button on the side of the remote key, then slide the metal key out. GM’s manual warns not to pull it without pressing the button.
2. Find the backup key cylinder. It is on the driver side only, in the air inlet on the body behind the left door handle. It is tucked up inside the opening, so use a flashlight.
3. Unlock and open the driver door. With no power the door will not pop on its own. Open it by hand once the cylinder is turned.
4. Pull the hood release loop twice. The manual release cable loop is low under the dash, to the left of the brake pedal. Pull it twice, then lift the hood slightly until the gas strut holds it.
5. If the hood sticks halfway, close it and pull again. On some 2024 and 2025 cars a weak battery can release the primary latch but not the secondary one. GM says press the hood down until it is fully closed, then pull the cable twice again. More on that below.
6. Uncover the battery. Remove the left and right side shields at the back of the frunk, then lift off the battery cowl cover to expose the terminals.
7. Charge or jump it. Clamp a charger or jump pack on, or jump from another car. If you have the GM maintainer from RPO ERI, it plugs into the 12V port in the frunk.

If someone is stuck inside when the power dies, the manual door releases still work. Pull the door release handle on the floor beside the seat to open the door with no power.

Not dead, just a dead fob? That is a different fix. If the dash shows NO KEY FOUND or REPLACE BATTERY IN KEY, put the fob in the cupholder with the mechanical key end facing up, keep your foot on the brake with the car in Park or Neutral, and press ENGINE START/STOP. The fob takes a CR2450 coin cell.

Where is the battery on a C8 Corvette?

The C8 12V battery is in the front trunk, at the back wall of the frunk under the cowl cover, behind the left and right side shields. It is not under the rear engine cover and not in the rear storage area.

The C8 uses a Group 48 battery, also sold as H6, in AGM construction with top posts. That is the size you ask for at the parts counter.

One caveat: I have only confirmed this location for the gas cars, the Stingray, Grand Sport, Z06 and ZR1. If you have an E-Ray, Grand Sport X or ZR1X, check your own owner’s manual for the 12V location before you start pulling trim, because the hybrids also carry a high-voltage battery you should never touch.

How to jump start a C8 Corvette

Once the cowl cover is off, jumping a C8 works like any 12V car. The difference is getting there. Here is the order I follow, which is the standard jump sequence:

• Both systems are 12V. Make sure the donor car or jump pack is a 12V negative-ground system.
• Everything off. Lights, accessories and both ignitions off before any clamp goes on.
• Red first. Red clamp to the dead C8 battery positive, then red to the donor positive.
• Black last. Black to the donor negative, then the final black clamp to the ground point shown in the Jump Starting section of your C8 owner’s manual. The Vehicle Care chapter is where GM puts it.
• Start the donor, then the C8. Give the donor a few minutes before you hit ENGINE START/STOP.
• Remove in reverse. Last clamp on, first clamp off.

After the car is running again, expect a couple of chores. GM says the power windows may need to be reprogrammed after the battery has been discharged or disconnected. On convertibles, the top may not operate, and you may see a top not secure message, until the windows are programmed.

Why C8 Corvette batteries die

Most dead C8 batteries come from the car sitting. The C8 is full of modules that stay awake after you walk away, and a car that only comes out on weekends is the one that dies. Here is what GM and owners point to:

• Sitting without a maintainer. GM advises a battery maintainer if the car will not be driven at least weekly. Owners on Canadian Corvette Forums say the same thing, with one member telling people to plug in a charger if the car sits more than two weeks.
• A car that will not shut down (2020 to 2023). GM bulletin 23-NA-176, titled “Dead Battery, No Start, and/or Vehicle Will Not Shut Down,” covers 2020 through 2023 Corvettes. GM says the cause may be transmission park sensor drift or a communication error, and the car may not shut off, which then drains the battery. It applies to transmissions built before specific breakpoints, and the dealer handles it through GM’s technical assistance center.
• Running the convertible top with the engine off. GM’s manual warns that cycling the top repeatedly without the engine running can drain the battery.
• Intermittent drains that are hard to catch. A 2020 owner on Canadian Corvette Forums reported a dealer found no draw with the car off after paying for diagnostics, because the drain only happened now and then. Others in the thread suggested a stuck interior door release button or a software update that did not finish as possible causes. None of those were confirmed.

Then there is the worst version. In January 2026 Torque News reported a 2023 Stingray owner whose battery was too low to crank but still opened the frunk. After he charged it, the car locked itself with the only fob inside. The dealer cut a mechanical key to his VIN for $150 including tax, and that got him in. The lesson: keep the spare fob with you, not in the glovebox.

C8 replacement battery: group size and prices

Buy a Group 48 (H6) AGM. These are the three I would shortlist, with the price I saw on each seller’s page, the date I checked it, and the cold cranking amps each seller lists.

The cheapest C8 replacement battery I found was the ACDelco Gold 48AGM at $182.99 from Summit Racing in November 2026. The Odyssey was the most expensive at $362.99 from CarParts.com. Battery prices move every few weeks, so check the seller before you order.

ACDelco is the GM parts brand, so that is the one I would put in first. Whichever you pick, confirm it says Group 48 or H6 and AGM on the label.

How to keep a C8 battery from dying

The fix is a maintainer. GM sells its own as the Battery Protection Package, RPO ERI, and the charger itself is GM part 85530676. It plugs into the 12V power outlet in the frunk, so you never touch the battery terminals or pull the cowl cover.

GM Parts Giant listed part 85530676 at $146.74 against a $175.00 MSRP in November 2026, but showed it as unavailable because of a supply shortage. The site lists fitment for 2020 to 2025 Corvettes.

• Plug it in every time it parks for more than a few days. GM’s guidance is a maintainer if the car is not driven weekly.
• Keep the frunk outlet clear. If the tender is how you live, leave the cord routed so the frunk closes cleanly.
• Know your voltages. An owner on Canadian Corvette Forums says a fully charged 12V battery reads just under 13V at rest and 13.5V to 14.5V with the engine running. A cheap meter on the terminals tells you a lot.
• Do not cycle the convertible top with the engine off. Run the engine if you are playing with the roof.
• Carry the spare fob. A dead battery plus a locked car with the fob inside is the expensive version of this problem.
• Know your open bulletins. If your 2020 to 2023 car will not shut off, or dies for no clear reason, ask the dealer about bulletin 23-NA-176 by number.

Rick Corvette Conti has a short walk-through on getting into a dead C8 from the outside with the key on his YouTube channel: Dead C8 Corvette: how do you get in from the outside with the key. For more owner questions in one place, see the C8 Corvette FAQ.

FAQ

Related posts

Sources: 2025 Corvette owner’s manual, 2024 Corvette owner’s manual, GM bulletin 25-NA-089 (NHTSA), GM TechLink on the hood latch, GM bulletin 23-NA-176 (NHTSA), GM Authority on dead-battery access, GM Authority on the 2023 rear cylinder delete, Canadian Corvette Forums, Torque News, Summit Racing, AutoZone, CarParts.com, GM Parts Giant.

I have owned four C8s: a Stingray, two Z06s and now a ZR1. Both Z06s sat lower than stock on Paragon Hyperco springs and collars, and a lowered car is where jacking a C8 stops being simple. The car only gives you four places to lift, the floor jack has to fit under them, and the same four spots are where you would normally want the jack stands. Here is where the points are, what GM actually says, which pucks fit, and the mistakes that put C8s on the shop floor.

Where the four C8 jacking points are

The C8 has four factory lift points, and all four are slots in the steel frame rails under the car. There are two per side.

• Front pair: just behind each front wheel, under what GM Authority’s write-up of the GM procedure calls the “frame rail shipping slot reinforcement.”
• Rear pair: just ahead of each rear wheel. The Autopian’s reading of the owner’s manual puts them in front of the rear arches, behind the rear edge of the side intakes.
• What they look like: oval slots in the frame rail. A puck drops in and turns a quarter turn to lock.
• What they are not: the other cutouts in the frame. CorvetteBlogger notes the frame also has holes for tying the car down on transport trucks, and an untrained tech can mistake them for lift points.

The rear points sit farther back than you might expect. The C8 carries roughly 40 percent of its weight on the front axle and 60 percent on the rear, so the rear lift points are positioned to keep the car balanced on a lift. Lift too far forward at the back and the car wants to tip rearward.

What GM says: lift pad adapters, not bare jack pads

GM’s own guidance came out in a TechLink bulletin for dealer technicians dated June 29, 2020, titled “Properly Lifting the C8 Corvette.” The short version:

• The tool: GM says Corvettes have required the J-43625 Lift Pad Adapters since the C5. Those adapters are what owners call jack pucks.
• The procedure: install an adapter in each front and rear frame rail slot, rotate it 90 degrees, then center the hoist pad under the adapter.
• Floor jacks too: GM says the same adapters go in the frame rail slots when you use a service jack.
• The warning: using the adapters wrong can let the car slip or fall off the lift or jack.
• Big jobs: if major components come out while the car is on a hoist, GM says to support the opposite end with jack stands and strap the car to the hoist.

The GM jacking procedure summarized by GM Authority adds two details. The service jack pad should be 2.5 inches in diameter or smaller. And the front jack pads must not contact the floor pan, rocker panels or fenders.

Jack pucks that fit the C8, with current prices

There are two styles. Twist-in pucks drop into the slot and turn 90 degrees, and you pull them when you are done. Bolt-in or lock-in pucks stay on the car, so any shop can see exactly where to lift. Prices below were checked on the vendor pages on November 5, 2026.

The ACS price is a sale price, with $129.00 listed as regular. The Paragon set is also on sale, down from $169.99. The BendPak set is marked down from $40.00.

The cheapest set in the table costs $34.00, and every set listed costs less than one scraped rocker panel. Leave-in pucks make the most sense on a car that goes to a shop, because the tech does not have to guess. CorvetteBlogger tells the story of an owner who runs red pucks and simply tells the service desk to lift it from the red parts. Twist-in rubber pucks make sense if you only lift at home and want nothing hanging under the car.

Stingray vs wide body: are the jacking points different?

Not that I can find. The narrow-body Stingray is 76.1 inches wide and the wide-body cars (Grand Sport, Z06, E-Ray, ZR1) are 79.7 inches, but the extra width is in the bodywork. The puck makers sell one C8 set across the lineup: Paragon lists the same set for everything from the Stingray to the ZR1X and Grand Sport X, and ACS lists Stingray, Z06, E-Ray, ZR1 and the 2027 Grand Sport.

What does change between cars is what hangs below the body. Side skirts, front splitters and aero pieces can sit close to where a floor jack rolls in. BendPak’s puck instructions specifically warn to check floor jack clearance if side skirts or splitters are installed.

How to jack up a C8 safely, step by step

This is the floor jack routine, built from GM’s procedure and the puck makers’ instructions.

1. Park it right. Level, hard floor. Transmission in Park, parking brake on, engine off, wheels blocked on the end staying down.
2. Set the front lift first. If the car has the front lift system, put it where you want it before the car leaves the ground, and do not cycle it with the car on a jack or stands.
3. Measure before you roll the jack in. Check the gap from the floor to the bottom of the puck against your jack’s lowest saddle height. On a lowered car, measure, do not eyeball.
4. Install the pucks. Twist-in pucks go into the oval frame slot and turn 90 degrees. Tug each one to confirm it is locked.
5. Center the jack under the puck. GM’s procedure calls for a jack pad 2.5 inches across or smaller. Raise until the saddle just touches, then check again that nothing else is touching: no rocker, no floor pan, no skirt.
6. Lift slowly and watch the car. Stop and look if the body flexes, the puck tilts or the car shifts on its tires.
7. Support it before you go under it. A jack is for lifting, not holding. Get stands or wheel cribs under the car before any part of you goes underneath.
8. Lower it the same way. Slowly, eyes on the puck, then remove twist-in pucks so they do not fall out on the road.

The jack stand problem on a C8

Here is the catch nobody mentions until you are on the floor with a jack in your hand. The puck is the jacking point, and it is also the only spot GM gives you to support the car. You cannot put a jack and a stand on the same puck at the same time.

Owners have worked around it a few ways:

• Jack one point, stand the other end. Owners on CanadianCorvetteForums report that lifting at a rear point also brings the front wheel on that side off the ground, which lets them slide a stand under the front puck, then move the jack forward and swap.
• Stands with a recessed pad. Jack-point style stands with a cupped top that holds a puck are the clean answer, if the stand and the jack both fit under the car together.
• Wheel cribs or ramps. For jobs that do not need the wheels off, drive-on cribs keep the jack out of it completely.
• A lift with the right spread. Owners on the same forum say some QuickJack models do not reach the C8’s wider lift-point spacing, so check the spec before you buy.

Two-post lifts: why C8s keep falling off them

C8s have come off dealer lifts more than once. In September 2023, a brand-new 2023 Z06 convertible fell off a dealer’s two-post lift on camera. CorvetteBlogger called it at least the third C8 known to have fallen off a dealer lift, and both the video poster and forum members blamed a lift arm that was not on the correct points. In March 2026, Torque News reported a 2024 Z06 with about 3,000 miles that fell while being put on a dealer lift during an oil leak recheck.

The pattern is the same each time: the arms go where they would on a front-engine car, the rear arms end up too far forward, and the 60 percent rear weight bias does the rest. If your car is going on a two-post lift:

• Pucks in all four slots, with an arm pad centered under each one.
• Nothing under the rockers, floor or skirts. The composite body is not a lift point.
• Rock test. Lift just off the ground and check that it is stable before going higher, then lower onto the lift’s locks.
• Ramps if needed. GM’s TechLink notes that ground effects may need gradual ramps so the lift arms can get under the car.
• Strap it for heavy work. If a transmission or other major part is coming out, GM calls for stands at the opposite end and straps to the hoist.

What not to do

Watch: C8 lift and jacking locations

Jeremy Welborn’s short video, shared by CorvetteBlogger in March 2020, shows the C8 lift points under the car and the cutouts you should leave alone.

FAQ

Related posts

Sources: GM TechLink, Properly Lifting the C8 Corvette, GM Authority, CorvetteBlogger on lift locations, CorvetteBlogger on the 2023 Z06 lift fall, The Autopian, Torque News, BendPak AutoPucks guide, CanadianCorvetteForums, plus the vendor pages for Paragon, ACS Composite, PFYC and BendPak.