HELP - How safe am I?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Windsor, ON, Canada
HELP - How safe am I? Well, after going through pages and pages of posts about "Broke my 10 Bolt" or "Killed my stock rear" im starting to get a little worried cuz i plan on heading to the track this weekend. My question is, does the fact my car is basically stock and an A4 save me? My car: 2002 SS A4, 15,000 Miles, Lid and loudmouth on 275 BFG KDW's. Will my stock rear be ok and for how long?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 393
Likes: 0
You'll be fine. My first 10-bolt broke due to **** poor quality control by GM. After a good rebuild done by myself it took some abuse at the track and no problems with just cruising around. M6 or auto with a proper setup you are ok. 
If you have sticky tires and high rpm launches it could let go. Have you looked at it? (7.625") It should be behind a Toyota or something not a 3000+lb full body. Stuff like the 10-bolt rear is one of the many reasons GM is going under.
If you have sticky tires and high rpm launches it could let go. Have you looked at it? (7.625") It should be behind a Toyota or something not a 3000+lb full body. Stuff like the 10-bolt rear is one of the many reasons GM is going under.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Windsor, ON, Canada
Whats the difference between the chances of breaking the rear end in a M6 or A4.? I guess what I am trying to ask is "Why would an A4 hold up beter than an M6? (Im just trying to be very cautious because the track i am going to is 200 Miles away and dont want to break that far away from home)
TECH Regular
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 451
Likes: 0
From: Spring Hill, TN
I can't give you odds in terms of percentages. All I can say is that a stock-engine A4 almost never breaks and a stock-engine M6 will often break.
The reason is that the torque converter will never shock a drivetrain. Also you don't lose torque to the drivetrain during an A4 shift, but in an M6 you lose torque and reapply torque very abruptly every time you shift.
If you learn to shift gently, and preload the pinion with the clutch ever so slightly before you actually dump the clutch you will help a lot to help the rear end survive.
In your situation with your A4, I think the odds of you breaking your rear end at the track are very slim. But anything can happen, so you need a fallback plan.
The reason is that the torque converter will never shock a drivetrain. Also you don't lose torque to the drivetrain during an A4 shift, but in an M6 you lose torque and reapply torque very abruptly every time you shift.
If you learn to shift gently, and preload the pinion with the clutch ever so slightly before you actually dump the clutch you will help a lot to help the rear end survive.
In your situation with your A4, I think the odds of you breaking your rear end at the track are very slim. But anything can happen, so you need a fallback plan.
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I ran my car with all the mods you list, same year, except I had a TransGo shift kit and HPTuners with all the torque management deleted. It hooked up good and ran consistant 13.2's.
Recently at 35,000 miles I pulled the rear apart to do a ring and pinion swap and found a carrier bearing on it's way to self destruction. It was pitted in one area on the outer race.
Recently at 35,000 miles I pulled the rear apart to do a ring and pinion swap and found a carrier bearing on it's way to self destruction. It was pitted in one area on the outer race.
