Was wondering what I could do to make the 10 Bolt in my 2000 WS6 Trans Am Stronger or would it be cheaper to get a Moser 12 Bolt.

 

Torque arm, a good drag race swaybar wich will help to avoid wheel whoop s wich is what I heard breaks 10 bolts. But get good ones so when you get 12bolt itll work for it too, Thatll just give you time, remember 10bolts are a time bomb, lol (I still have 10 bolt man but Im trying to do all this before It pops on the street)

 

Don't waste your time with the 10 Bolt. I just finished spending $1700.00 rebuilding my 10 bolt with everything you can imagine and my brand new 3.73 Ring & Pinion did not last two weeks. The 10 bolt Ring & Pinion cannot handle any wheel hop what so ever. Mine broke with street tires. I am now going to spend $3,000.00 on a Moser 12 bolt, Needless to say, i am not happy with the 10 bolt at all. Mine looiks very nice and the welded axle housings to the differiential, with an Aluminum cover makes the set up more than the gears can handle. Take it from someone who just dropped a ton of money on a 10 bolt. Go for the 12 bolt.

 

replace it with a 12-bolt lol

 

If I had 1700 I wouldnt have spent it on a 10 bolt. With 1500 you could get even a 9" in the classifieds. But when we dont have money we need options that are going to help or at least give time and like i said before try to get things that are going to be usable again when you get a 12bolt.

 

i still have my 10 bolt with a t/a girdel but i have moser's number in my cell because as soon as i get the money that 10bolt is gone im going with a 12 bolt and 3:91's

 

ive been looking into these 10 bolts and i dont see how a 1" difference (12 bolt) in ring gear size matters. i mean its only 1 inch.

im looking into tearing down a junkyard rear and bracing everything at my house from flex, and all the "torment" a rear goes through.

wanna make it live longer? get a tq arm and lca's and make sure your rear shocks are in good condition.

 

This will be the 5th time I'm posting this, but if it helps someone, all the better. Check out the Oct./Nov. issues of High Performance Pontiac. They have a 2 part article on building your 10bolt to handle I think 425rwhp, for under $600. It also depends on what kind of driving you do. Purely street driving with street tires, a built 10bolt should last you just fine, if you don't beat the hell out of it regularly. Road course/autocross, a built 10bolt is also fine. If you're at the strip with slicks or DRs, then I'd go to the 12bolt, ford 9, or dana 60. And if that's what you're looking to get into, then I'd really not do anything with the 10bolt, save your money, and buy a new rear later. Cheaper to lay off the strip and save money now, then it would be to band-aid fix it, then wind up buying a new rear later on anyway.

 

strip with street tires will kill it too.

 

Well the reason I am asking is I just want to break in too the 12's. If I can hit 12.99 than I will be happy and I will not do any thing else to it. I just want 12's. So to save life on the rearend should I just get 100 shot of NOS and hit 12's that way.

 

I can only speak from experience, but don't believe everything you read. I am not one who beats on my car every time I get in it. I spent $1024 in parts alone to build up my 10 bolt and according to all the numbers the set up should have handled close to 550 rwhp. Unfortunately, wheel hop (which is a common problem) caused my brand new Ring & Pinion to break clean. The size of the ring & pinion is just not right for the street or stip if you are not an experienced driver. (And the only way to get experience is to break parts). Or, the fact that I have a 6 speed and do not have the give within the torque converter of an automatic, plus old springs & stock shocks may have all been factors. Who knows at this point? What I do know is I am not happy with spending considerable money on a 10 bolt that did not hold up to Kumho 285 Street tires on concrete and it was only the 3rd time to drive the car. I'll bet I did not even take 1/32nd's off my tires before the 10 bolt broke. What really gets my goat is the guy who built my rear end ran the rwhp numbers based on the 28 spline axles and everything we did and the 10 bolt did not last two weeks. I guess I am feeling a little bit "ripped off" at this point. Please pardon any sarcasm or anything that could possibly be taken in a wrong way in this post.

 

Thats cool I spent alot of money on my 1978 Trans Am when I had it. I think I will just spary a 100 shot to get in to the 12's and leave it at that untell I can get a 12 Bolt.

 

Oh for crying out loud, stop trying to build a 10 bolt. And thanks for reminding me to email HPP for printing such an assinine article.

You ride it out as long as possible, meanwhile start putting a few $$ away each week. When you finally grenade the 10 bolt, break out your little piggy bank and start hunting for a 12 bolt or 9 inch. If anything, do a set of gears to have fun with in the meantime. But understand 100% that the 10 bolt is weak.

Some last longer than others. y2khawk's lasted 2 weeks. I installed 4.10s in my m6 and ran 200 passes before my torsen let loose. I installed 3.73s in a 550rwhp M6 formula and they have yet to give out. But that does not mean everyone is so lucky.

Don't be one of those guys who 'can't afford a 12 bolt' but instead rebuilds the 10 bolt three times, and could have just gotten a 12 bolt for that much money. No matter what you do you are always going to be limited in size. Something has to give.

Here is a sticky that will benefit you.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/gears-axles/510589-when-will-my-10-bolt-break.html

 

I hit a 12.6 with HPE Tune, Mezier Electric water pump, ory y-pipe, flowmaster "yes i know", Vig 4200 Stall, TB bypass...... kumho tires.
I'm runnin mid to low 11's all day with 10 bolt. My set up now is
HPE S-Cam / HPE Tune / Mezier Electric Waterpump / Kooks Headers / Kooks Y-pipe / Magnaflow Catback / th-350 trans on a 3600rpm stall

 

just like the guy in the condom aisle wishing he can buy the magnums but has to settle with the basics.

 

Torque arm, Trailing arms, and panhard rod is a good start.

 

I used to think the same thing, but 12's just aren't fast.

Once your there your satisfaction will quickly dry up and you will want more, get out while you still can, or be prepared to spend tons of money.

Have fun.

 

Well you maybe right or maybe wrong. But I got another Trans Am project I am doing for a Drag Project. I just want my Daily Driver to be in the 12's.

 

Just dont launch until you can afford a 12 bolt or 9 inch thats all you need to know

 

I think almost everyone will tell you to get rid of the 10 bolt. You are probably like me and low on the funds. I just bought 3.73's (should be here in a week or so). I think that my rear will last me longer than most. Most people that tend to break them either have 400+ hp/tq, drag race, or smoke the tires which causes wheel hop. I dont fall under any of those.

I owned a turbo eclipse before getting this Z, and they were said to have weak trannys as well. I built that car to 330 hp/tq and did not have a problem with it until I started doing burnouts a 50 mph.

If you dont beat the hell out of it, it should last a while. If you do, well get AAA and the funds for a new tranny.