I read an awesome post by Patrick G stating that 2.73's in a stock 10 bolt are beefy ..so who has broken one, if anyone(surely some have)? Don't care if it's a stock car or built, just A4 and 2.73s. Please tell mods if any though.

I've read a lot of posts about people doing swaps from 2.73s to 3.73s and it's much more fun on the street but only cut off a tenth or 2 at most, one guy said his track times were the same. So if the 2.73 10 bolt holds up well, and a gear swap does very little.... Sounds like a good way to save $2k+ on a built rear if you can sacrifice .1-2 at the track?

 

Gears aren't what breaks first IMO, its the posi that's the weakest link.

 

My 2.73's gave out on me. Lightly modded - catback exhaust, some programing, 60 deg thermostat, SLP air lid. That's it, nothing major at all. Rebuilt it putting in 3.42 gears.

 

I also broke my 2:73 rear in my lt1 was with an automatic to... Swaped in a junkyard 3:42 rear and so far so good.

 

I never had a problem with my 2.73's at 430whp. The gears themselves are beefy, the pinion is pretty massive for a ten bolt. I did however swap in some used GM 3.42's because with a 3600 stall and 2.73's you will hate life. Always driving around up against the stall just driving around town. However, when I swapped out my gears I found my carrier and pinion preload were wayyy loose. No noise but it was bound to blow pretty soon. That was the stock 98 Auburn posi, replaced it with a torsion before it had a chance to puke itself through the cover.

 

My 2.73s worked fine until the posi broke. The 2.73s have so many teeth on the pinion they are lots stronger, but other 10 bolt parts are not.

 

i got a full 273 ring n pinion . u want to buy it?

 

agreed

 

I have seen people on here post going from 273s to 373s with a DR pickup .3-.4 on there time. I bet the people saying .1-.2 gains are still using there street tires and they are spinning now..

 

I assume the rear broke for the previous owner of my car, because when I bought it it had a three series carrier, but came from the factory with a two series 2.73s. When I bought it the only mod was a flowmaster musfler.

 

Oh God you're gonna get lemons started..........wait for it....

 

I myself have never seen this.
Now, a stall, even a smallish one, can cut .3-.4 off w/o too much trouble at all. [with drag radials]
Its been posted here many times over the years that e.t. reduction in A4 cars are at the very best dropping .3 with the gear change above.
My best 60' with no stall and 2.73 gears was a 2.05 N/A.
with my 3000 stall that dropped to a 1.79 and with my current SS3600 I am now into the 1.61-1.66 range.
Don't go by the sotp feeling.
It is a tad unreliable.
The stall is a sure thing.
Don't fall for the hearsay B.S.

 

A good stall with drag radials cut 1 second of my time, gears are next to get a few more tenths out of it