lefty2023

first off i am not a mechanic so if you could try to explain it as if i were a girl i would appreciate it. i have a 2001 camaro ss M6 bone stock and the rear gave today. im having it looked at tomorrow so i dont have much time to do much searches. i plan on adding a few bolt ons in the future, nothing to crazy tho. i was curious if its worth putting 4.10 gears in a DD car since it sounds like im gonna have to replace it. what can i expect from a stock car by adding this as far performance? gas mileage? driveability? overall noise? what can i expect to pay extra for the 4.10 gears? like i said im trying to research as much as possible but time is not on my side. what would you do? thanks in advance

LM97Z

iTrader: (4)

All I will say is this plane & simple, don't skimp, don't waiste a dime on that 10 bolt, because you'll end up breaking it again, sooner then you antisipate, spend the $$$$ & get a Moser or strange 9" with the gears you want & be done.

Now, as for the 4.11s, i've decided to go with them for my 97 M6, i've heard they work great & the mileage doesn't suffer, plus they are a blast, BTW, these are going in my Moser 9"

scidav87

iTrader: (16)

Stock GM gears, and Yukon gears are quite gears (can't hear them when set up good) Richmond gears and Summit racing brand gears, and basically all other performance gears have a nice little whine to them (being a harder metal, which is also more brittle) the gears will cost in between $100 and $200 depends where and which brand...driveability is actually, i think alot nicer cause it pulls itself alot easier and you don't have to pedal is so much on big hills, however you WILL shift more, and at 80MPH in 6th with 4.10's is about 2100RPM! Mileage, if you IN TOWN will not change and sometime get better cause the car can pull itself easier and not have to gas it as much and you just shift more to compensate. However, highway driving, your gas mileage will suffer a bit, depends on how fast you drive. Labor for a gear swap is right about $250 plus parts. For a 6-speed car, it would be a blast with 4.10s. I have a Heads/cam car with right around 475HP and just put 4.10s in yesterday. The gears make the car accelerate insane quick, but i get next to no traction now with crappy Fusion ZRI's. I just bought used GM gears and did the labor myself. I too wouldn't throw $$$ into a 10 bolt if your gonna be dragging the car, just go with the flow till it breaks, and either fix it for good with a 9" so on so forth, or just put a junkyard 10bolt in.

Pntbll309

iTrader: (33)

I love how people never give the 10 bolt ANY credit. I have many friends who have run the 10 bolts dog hard and they havent had **** happen. I know a few M6 cars spraying 100+ shots out of the hole on MT E/T Streets (not the radials).

EPP

iTrader: (22)

It must be the elevation! lol I've never heard of anyone else having any success with the 10 bolt with an M6. Bob

omcar

iTrader: (10)

I have bracket raced the 7.5 10 bolt in my '84 monte carlo for 10 years, my '95 formula for 5 years and my '01 formula for 8+ years..I race 4 times a month and during all this time, I broke the gears in the Monte Carlo once. So you tell me if the 10 bolt is puny...If I was launching at 4-5k like some A6 guys I would consider a 12 bolt but for a A4??

ssvert99

iTrader: (26)

if you are gonna race the car or use sticky tires, then invest in a stronger rearend. otherwise put a few parts in the stock rear to upgrade it. properly driven and not abused it will live for you if setup correct.

EPP

iTrader: (22)

Thats why I said with an M6. Bob

LM97Z

iTrader: (4)

Agreed, i'm not really bashing the 10 bolt totally, but are F bodies deserve better IMO, hell my stock rear has 160K on it & is still tight & quite, but it has never been abused at all, but for us who want to have fun behind are M6s, these 7.5" 10 bolts are a 50/50 risk, even with better parts, but if you don't abuse it, it will last a long time, i have proof of that sitting in my garage.

strokerblackhawk

iTrader: (4)

man 4.10s a tall gear if you drive it everyday and it's not a strip car i would go with 3.73 reason being on the street 1st gear is useless with 4.10s cause it's not going to hook up without some serious rubber and the damn car goes like 20mph in first redlined. my buddy had a set of 4.10s and he didn't like them for everyday driving he said i killed his gas millage and he couldn't get out of the hole without blowing the tires off the car in first and second. just my two cents but on an every day driver i would go with 3.73.

Jawsgear

iTrader: (2)

If you are tyring to be conservative go 3.73 ratio if you want to have fun with the car go 4.10. I would run either a Motive Performance or a GM Ring and Pinion. GM gear will garunteed be quite.

Jeff

Bad Blue WS6

iTrader: (41)

i had 3:73's in my 10 bolt,,,when i got my 12 bolt, it came with 4:11's,,,i love it,,it is very different feeling, and yes, 1st gear is pretty much over in a blink of an eye, but im climbing the RPM range much , much faster now, and there is no take off lag feeling like i had, its all take off now...hell my clutch even seems to engage better, hardly any chatter (Spec 3) at all, and my car has ALWAYS chattered when leaving in first..i cant explain it, but its a fact. I also installed BMR/UMI everything back there so its all different. I had doubts, cause i really liked the feel of the 3:73's compared to my buddies car (3:42's), but to be honest,,there was not much of a difference between his and my old set up,,the 4:11's though, are a different story. I am quite pleased.

stfuad

Not to go too off topic... I like my f-body as much as the next guy but for such a cheap car (MSRP) you get what you pay for. Cheap interior pieces and weak rear ends.

LM97Z

iTrader: (4)

I disagree, i've seen much cheaper quality cars then the 4th. gen. camaros/firebirds for the price range, i think there a fairly well built car & deserved much better then that 7.5 10 bolt., & i'm a Mopar lover by heart, i realize they did it for weight savings. For GM to put such a good powertrain under these cars, they were idiots to stop at the most important part IMO, but thats here nor there, it happened.

LSZ

Yeah agreed go 9" or 12 bolt... you could always try to "build up" a 10 bolt but why? Get the car driveable again if you must. And start putting together a nice rear. If you have trouble saving money like me. Just buy it in pieces!

DAVESS02

iTrader: (30)

9" with 31 spline axles, trutrac differential, and a strange nodular center housing. It'll be just like driving your stock rear without the blowing up part. If you can afford it, upgrade to the aluminum center case for lighter weight.

lefty2023

ok so i had to get the car up an running as soon as possible and i didnt have the money to upgrade the rear and went with the 10 bolt w the 3.42 gears again. but what exactly causes the rear end to go out? i rarely dump the clutch but when i do its usually at no more than 2500 rpms but i do alot of fishtailing/powerslides and some high speed stuff. what effects the rear end the most? is it dropping the clutch, fish tailing, or high end speed stuff or everything that includes having fun? i want to try to make this rear end last a little longer than the last one but still have alot of fun driving it, bc thats reason i bought the car! im the giving the 10 bolt a chance to redeem itself!

Sprayed 99

iTrader: (14)

i broke my 10 bolt 3 times on the street when the car was bone stock. don't waste the money on a 10 bolt like i did. upgrade it and save $ in the long term. s60, 12 bolt, 9".... wat ever

LM97Z

iTrader: (4)

To answer your Q, its the abrupt "Shock" of the standard that stresses them, also wheel hop is very stressful as well, if you can get another 10 bolt on the cheap, just do that for now, but i would be saving my nickels for a 9" transplant.

TT632

iTrader: (3)

I'm sure the common denominator for the guys that break their 10 bolts is High rpm launches and wheel hop (where you are getting large impact loads, just as severe as a trans brake launch!). Like many, I haven't broken a 10 bolt yet. Most likely it is because I am cognizant that it is a 10 bolt and I avoid dumping the clutch at 5 grand and avoid wheel hop like the plague.
If your going to keep it a stocker and ease up on your launches, stick the 4:10's in it and call it good. If your going to racing with it or modifying it, start looking for a 9".