Gears & Axles - How much HP can a stock rearend really handle??

I've heard people say they will die with stock HP, I've heard people say a stock rearend can handle 500HP...

inputs?

Well...from personal experiance, the stock rear died just after launch on the 3rd track pass after the McLeod clutch install. The only things done were lid, cutout, and we were running nitto's that day. So as you can see...fairly stock car and it died. Another member of the local car club though is running heads/cam and in the 11's..and his stock rear finally broke. A lot of it has to do with whether you're an A4 or M6...and then luck after that....

I have seen poeople run many 10 second passes on the stock rear and it wa still fine (A4) and I have seen the borke on the street in a stock 2.73 rear auto...

Just depends on the car, and how well the gears are setup. There is no power level where they just start breaking. Most of the time in an automatic they are gonna last a pretty good amount of time even under some decent power.


Chris

I've ran a 1.496 60' with my stock rear end without breakage. It did start making noise shortly thereafter. I have since replaced it with a completely different rear end and with an Eaton carrier. So far so good but so far only a 1.54 60'.

i am thinking you can have as much horse power as you like,but you can have to much tire!!!!!!!!!!!! it does not matter how much horse power you make, but how much you put down to the ground thru your tires & how sticky your tires are!!!!!!!

None!!!

i broke an axle shaft on a stock 12.80 second car with DR. now i run 11s on ETs and every thing is fine for now.

if you want your rear end to last, get an A4 and lighten the car up some.

question is what are you going to do with the car?
if your plans heads/cam/headers + gear something to ponder is
look at the costs
if all your planning is a gear, figure like 400-500 for new gears + install
it might live, might not. do you have a cheap/easy means of towing?
if so, this route is for you.
if not 2 choices left. hop up the 7.5 or the 8.8/12 bolt/9in asby
to hop up the 7.5 you will spend around a 1000 on top of the gear
this will fix everything but the main problem (ring & pinion)
or buy one of the asby's
with the asby's you have the option of selling your 7.5 or keeping it
for if/when you sell your car

heh, it will handle exactly 10hp less then whatever it took to break it :D

Just get a rear Eric. I have been telling you for a few years that with a 6 speed they are grenades with the pin 7/8 of the way pulled out! But since you do not have DRs yet, you might live for a while, then again, you did just get a torque arm.......

Mine broke on the street, I was a dumb ass and fixed it with all new stuff. New posi, new everyting 4:10s and a T/A girdle and stud kit, a solid pinion spacer and the thing still broke at the track running a 2.0 60' time on nittos. So it's up to you. I have an 8.8 rear on the way. You can bite the bullet and get a new rear and feel secure or you can worry about it breaking like I did and then have is break on you and be out $$$$.

My car has been 10.60's with the stock rear end. Though the rear end sounds like sh@t now. I will be going to a 12 bolt Moser as soon as I get my money right.