My stocker finally is letting go, and I have a few months before returning to US, so I am trying to get as much info on the setup as possible. I intend on using the car for lots of Strip but need it to be street friendly, thats why I didnt list a spool! Anyway, looking for now at gear options also, currently running 3.23, but thinking about 3.50, 3.90, 4.10 or >??????


Thanks,

Charlie

 

I street a spool every day and no problems here. If you go to the track alot its the best option. I dont have to worry about my rear getting sideways like it did with the POSI. You can usually tell if someones never rode in a car with a spool because of the way they claim its "HORRABLE". I take lots of people around in my car and they 99% of them dont even know its there, even the girls (usually more sensitive). My advice, find someone with an actual spool and go for a ride, you may be supprized at how 'unstreetable' it really is.

The locker makes a clicking sound similar to a ratchet when making turns. The reason I did not get one is because they are heavier, not as strong a spool, and cost more. I also do not like how they lock and unlock, they seem unpredictable to me.

The posi just plain sucks for track in my opinion. You have already have had one break on you...why replace it with the same?

 

Mini-spool here...I will never go back. The price and durability out weighs ANYTHING.

Tell us why you think a spool isn't "street friendly".

 

I sell the stuff for a living and have instaled many spools, lockers and limited slips. Lockers aren't as street friendly as a locker or posi. A spool will get sideways much easier in a turn than either a locker or posi. A locker will function the exact same way in straight line driving as a spool, but will unlock for turns. They are very strong, but not as strong as a spool. All limited slips have their limitation. If you set it up right, and stage it right at the track, it should act just like a spool. If you dont have even tire pressure, dont get both wheels in the water, or dont stage them the same, you will have problems. A spool on the street will be harder on axles, tires, and even wheel studs. It makes both tires turn the exact same speed all of he time. When you make a tight turn the inside wheel needs to turn half the speed, OR LESS! But, it will still be getting the exact same amount of power as the outside wheel, and that is what is harder on the parts. I have installed a LOT of all these parts, and have driven many cars with spools, and I will not install one for street use. I know of some shops that make you sign a waiver when you have a spool installed just to cover their ***. As far a streetability goes it is posi, then locker, then spool last. It can be done, but I wouldnt do it or reccomend it. If you are going to have 33 spline or larger axles, you porbably wont break anything, but I still wouldn't recomend it.

 

Thats exactly why I went with 35 gundrilled. As far as the waiver...does the same shop make you sign a waiver for nitrous, cam or anything else? Whats the number to that shop. I would like to talk to them.

 

Harder on axles, tires and wheel studs? I've had the same axles, tires and stock 7.5 inch wheel studs in my street driven monte for almost 4 years now. I've had to replace nothing. I've even launched on a 200 shot of nitrous multiple times.

Air your tires down 3-5 psi and any car is fine on a spool.

Any car will get sideways with enough power. As far as rain, a spool takes a little more finesse...sure. However, no more finesse than what it took with the posi.

 

You are comparing apples and oranges. If you add a cam or spray, it is only there if you floor it or turn it on. You can not turn off a spool. You can turn off a e-locker or air locker though. That is another option, but expensive. The bad handling traits of a spool are there all the time, they dont go away. I have been in the trans and diff industry for over 10 years now, and have done many installs and sold many parts- wholesale and retail. Everybody has an opinion, but if you speak to drivetrain guys the vast majority would reccomend AGAINST a spool for the street. And the ones the wont, many of them are just looking at the sale. You have 35 spline axles, but many of the people who talk about doing it are using stock style axles, would you think it was safe for them? 28, 30 or 31 spline axles that cant even hold sticky tires and a posi?

 

To me a spool is 10x more safe then a locker cause its predictable 99% of the time. Imagine going around a curve on a wet road in a locker and the thing decides to lock up on you. However with my spool, I know what its going to do every time. I dont even realize my spool is there until I floor it, and then it just goes in a straight line. A locker may/it may not which can be very dangerous. The first time I floored my posi I was almost sideways in the street. Im sure you have sold them for XXX years, but does that make you an expert? Im the person that has personal first hand experience with the spool..every day. Does a computer salesman know more about computers then someone using them? What about a used car salesman does he know more about cars then the person buying?

Does that shop make you sign a waiver for a stall converter? You cant turn that off, it revs up every time. Whats the number to that shop, I would like to talk to them.

 

Well... lets see... I would say the experience I have makes me more of an "expert" than you seeing as how I have sold, installed, and driven more spools than you have ever even seen. I had a spool in 2 of my own vehicles, but they were not transporatation, they were hobby vehicles. Again, with the stall comment, they are not as harsh under part throttle as they are under full throttle. A converter doesnt shock the driveline under light throttle. A spoll is always locked, no matter what. You want a number for one of those shops, check your yellow pages, I would bet they would all reccomend against it and most would not do it for a daily driver. Just because a spool is okay for you, doesnt make it right for everybody, and deffinetly doent make it the best or even ideal setup. If spools were so streetable the OE's would install them, they install lockers and limited slips. They are also a lot cheaper to manufacture, so why dont they do it? Safety and durability, thats why.
I have made every point I feel neccesary to make, and I leave it up to the original starter of the thread to make up his own mind. You obviously made up yours, and there is no changing that.

 

Ok, guys....I get the debate, lets give room for others with and without experience to chime in please.

As for me, I have only rode in one sppoled vehicle, from the light, it was awesome. But the 1st turn we took i did hear the inside tire was chirping and hopping, what was the tire pressure and all that I dont know, it was quite a while ago. But the points stated are all the same ones I have heard hashed before.

Spools for street = "dangerous, wears the axles, tires & studs down quick. But then theres the cons = after you drive it a bit, you know exactly what its going to do all the time, which sounds kind of safe in a way. And I have always heard mixed opinions on the parts wearing topic.

So, anyone else running a locker, spool or Posi want to add some advice. And Posi, any particular brand, model to avoid?

TIA,

Charlie

 

Im sure you have sold more then me just like a used car sales man has sold more cars then me but does that mean he knows more about cars? I did call a few local shops and none of them said anything about a waiver for a spool. One shop told me they would type one up if I just wanted to sign one Im still waiting for that number to that shop so I can call them. Unfortunately there is no 'ideal' setup. The spool is lighter, cheaper and stronger and not near as bad as you make it out to be. The best advice was the advice I gave in my first post, find someone with a spool and another with a locker and go for a ride. Only you can make the decision on what you like.

 

I have had 2 spools. One was in a 92 mustang that was actually really streetable. My 98 z has a spool and i hate it. I believe the difference is in the torque arm or the length in the two cars. One persons idea of streetable is anothers idea of a race car. Spools do cause more wear on tires, axles, and studs there is no denying that.

 

Is there a mini spool for the 9" like for GMs or no, and whats the benefit if any other than weight reduction?
What about Aluminum center section? for the 9",suitable for street use or too much wear?

 

You can buy a 9" mini spool for under $20. The only real benefit is cost. The intended application for the mini spool for a 9" is circle track racing on dirt or clay, etc. You need an open case to put it in though, and they dont save much weight. There are light weight full spools for them in both steel and aluminum. The aluminum centers do save weight, but at the cost of increased deflection. For a street vehicle it wouldnt hurt it too much at all.

 

mzoomora, sorry no name?,
In your opinion, I know you dont agree with Spools being good on the street. Would it change any, if the I were going with a spool to understand the characteristics of full time lock, and premature wear of tires, possibly axles and studs, and adjust driving accordingly? Or do you still think its crazy? I ask because I emailed some buddies back home, and some agree with both you and 2much.... Some say wears parts, and can be "hairy" in tight corners (more so trying to do donuts I guess from their replies) and others, using lockers say the lockers need more finese and can be somewhat unpredictable.

Are there any lightweight, streetable, housings, like Billingsley Racings Fabricated one, (should say designed for street strip use, hell a nascar is streetable!)?

Thanks again.

Charlie

 

To me the main difference is what some people consider a driver. If you only drive it a few times a month almost anything is tollerable and wear isnt that big of an issue on a car that sees less than 5k miles a year. If it is a regular driver things become less tolerable. I have had 2 cars with spools, and both saw some street time, but they weren't drivers or what I consider real street cars. 3" exhaust with dumps, 3500 stall, no overdrive, and carbs without chokes... the spool wasn't the only problem for street driving. Plus, those cars probably didnt even see 3,000 miles a year. A locker isnt that bad, and even the O.E.'s use them. They can be a problem in rain and snow, but in dry weather they are okay (not like stock, but pretty close). The noise is the biggest deterent for most people. They are pretty predictable also. They unlock whenever wheel speed is different, and then lock back up when the speeds are the same. I guess some of it comes from living in Chicago also. We have some streets that are pretty narrow, so there are tight right turns all over the place, not to mention small parking spaces. If you do decide on a spool, I would highly reccomend some good axles. You see some guys on here wanting to put mini spools in 7.625 rears, that cant even stay together already. Anyway, it all comes down to how much you are going to drive the car and what you consider streetable. Lightweight spools dont really effect strength to much because the spline area stays the same. Also the lightweight 3rd members are okay for some street use also, how often do you stage and launch real hard on the street? Probably not enough to create a huge problem. If you go 9" 35 spline you get the 3.25" carrier bearings, plus you would probably upgrade to the Daytona pinion support, so you would have plenty of strength.

 

Cool. I currently use my car, well before deploying, as a daily driver, to and from work is 20 miles a day, then add in some cruise time. I avoid dark, narrow, lonely allies And I dont mind some reduced street tire wear. I just dont want to invest in a rear end, with Alum Center, mini spool, 35sline gundrilled, star flanged axles and what-the-hell-ever-else just to have it shredded from street driving.

Thanks everyone.

 

I would stay away from a mini spool mainly for strength reasons. My 9" shipped was 199lbs and my freinds 12 bolt was 190 shipped

You said that right

This is true but its not unstreetable and nothing that good studs and 35 splines wont handle.

 

I'm looking to pick up a 9-inch third member that already has a mini spool. Does that mean I can't put a full spool or a locker in it? Based on your post, I'm assuming it's a open case.

Also, my car weighs 3600 pounds and will put 450 rwhp n/a and another 300 hp of spray on top. Plus it's a six-speed. Will a mini spool be too weak?

 

When I say open case I am reffering to the case that holds the spider gears, not the 3rd member. You can buy it and switch to full spool if you want. With the kind of power you are looking at, a mini spool is a bad idea.