Hello. I just picked up the Camaro performers magazine (nov 2006), and it has an article in here to Beef up your 10 bolt to give it more strength and last longer. It says putting a rear end cover/girdle and bearing cap stud kit will not only add strength, it also has a drain plug and refill plug for easy fluid changes to keep the gear oil in top condition and add longevity to your cars rearend. Has anyone ever done this? If so, does it really help?
Thanks

 

A rear end girdle is nothing new. You can do it if you find one used for a good price, but don't install it with the assumption that it is going to save your *** at all if you are racing/abusing the car. "Beef up" and "10 bolt" are not two terms that coexist, because it just doesn't happen.

 

Ok.. just a question bud =O Was just curious to see if anyone used em with the stud kit.. and seeing if it helped. They said its good for cars under 450hp. Thanks for the info!
-Chris

 

Kel might sound a little harsh but she's a part of the 'been there, did that and the dam 10 bort still broke' crowd. I'd be a bitter towards that bad advise too.

 

Sure they do. Don't try to Beef up your 10 bolt.

In reality, it's pretty futile to try to preserve your 10 bolt. It just wasn't made to handle the kind of punishment all of us want to dish out. There is a million and one analogies about why not to put money into a 10 bolt. With that being said, you can't polish a turd, as they say.

 

It does help keep the rearend alive longer. It also depends on what transmission you have. An auto will live longer with the 10 bolt. I pushed mine to 10.6's on a 200 shot of nitrous. I did not have the time or patience to buy a 12 bolt and have it shipped to Germany. I raced all summer on the 10 bolt and it is still alive. Barely though. It looks like the carrier is now going out.

 

you are running 10's on your stock 10 bolt? that makes me feel better. i just dropped 5 for my engine and i am dredding the rear end purchase. did you put a cover on yours NXZ28?

 

Beefy 10 bolt is an oxymoron Mine chunked bone stock. Same 7.5 inch rear as an s10. But on an auto you might get away with it for a while. Juste don'e dump 7 or 8 hundred bucks into rebuilding it when it goes. You will be disappointed.

 

Where is the cheapest place to buy a girdle?(dont wanna spend much)The cheapest so far I have seen is a MAC for $130 i think Im about to swap to 3:73s.

 

Hang around in the for sale section of this website, they go used for less than $100.

 

If your 10 bolt is not yet broken, dont fix it. If I would have listened to everyone, I would have already spent 2k I didnt need to. While I do realize they are by no means strong, mine has taken 1.6x's 60' times for a while on ET Streets. My car lives on mt et drag radials the rest of the time. After it goes, THEN upgrade because you might be surprised what they will endure. BTW, it helps ALOT to NOT slide around corners or get wheel hop of any kind.

 

When you are sitting at a drag strip with a broken 10 bolt you may wish you had listened. That thought went through my mind while I waited for my friend to come with a trailer......I broke one with an auto.

One thing I reccomend if you are going to continue to race on a 10 bolt.....make sure you have a spare rear or a seccond vehicle.

 

I put the rearend support cover on it and the cap studs from Thunder Racing. I also put Superior Strength axles and Motive 3.73 gears in it. I know this may seem like a waste of money to some but I did not want to dish out the additional $500 to ship a 12 bolt or 9" to Germany.

 

If you use the right parts and know what your doing you the 10 bolt can be a good rear end also. You have to completly rebuild it but it will be worth it in the end.

Just because one person had a problem with their 10 bolt doesn't mean everyone will. It is all in how it was built or whether it was treated right.

 

I built mine up and pulled several 1.6X 60' runs with M6 and 4.10s. The only problem I had was a leaky seal do to the crush collor doing just that. Now my clutch was stock at the time. I since sold it to an auto car and he pulls 1.5s all season long without problems. I would say for the M6 car just leave it alone and save for a rear and for an auto car put a cover on it (pretty cheap insurance) and you will be fine with a gear in the 3.XX ratios.

 

This has got to be the stupidest thing ever posted about a 10-bolt.

There are a couple basic thing people NEED to listen to & understand.

A) Your 10-bolt WILL break if you race on it enough
B) A 6-speed will break one very quickly on a sticky tire
C) You can get a little time out of it by spending money on it, but its like pissin in the wind.
D) A auto will let the 10-bolt live a little longer
E) There is NO possible way to make a 10-bolt as strong as a 12-bolt or 9" rear no matter what parts you put in it or brand you use.

For you believers in the 10-bolt, you will realize what those of us who have broke a 10-bolt with minimal HP levels are tryin to get through your head. Some always think there is a way around spending the money on a good rear. The only way to do this is to drive it like a regular car. No burnouts, no racing, just cruising around town/highway.

How much you think it cost on average everytime you have to rebuild the 10-bolt if you take into consideration all factors.

1) cost of new or used posi in good condition(if its worn or broke)
2) new ring & pinion gear set
3) cost to have a shop professionally set it up

I would bet $500 on the low end, thats what it cost me & I got a used posi & used gear set.

Then take into consideration the cost of this if you beef it up:
4) aftermarket axles
5) stud kit
6) stronger bearing caps
7) rear girdle

By the time you rebuild it a couple times or add all the performance CRAP sold for it, your almost to the cost of a 12-bolt or 9". Not very bright to keep investing in something that WILL break, when you could take it easy for a while, save your money & buy a rear that will hold up to abuse.

I did this on street tires & bone stock, before my mods listed in my sig.




Point is, you can always polish a turd, but in the end its just a shiny turd. Don't **** away your money on crap that will break just b/c some magazine did a article on it. Listen to people who actually have experience with OUR cars & know what they are talkin about. It will save you lots of money & frusteration in the end.

 

your reply has to be the dumbest thing I have heard since you stated exactly what we just did. The M6 will break it in time beacuse of the hard launches from dumping the clutch and if you read the article asshat you will see that it says the beef up does NOT work on an M6 model due to that fact. It is not our fault that you did not take care of your rear end because for the diff. to break like that it had to have been low on fluid and had to have been launched hard. I also call BS on ther street tires and bone stock comment because before I bought my 94 I test drove an M6 201 WS6 with drag radials and launched at 3500rpms and it di nothing but broke the tires loose.

I said it once and will again.

JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THEIRS DOESN'T MEAN EVERYONE WILL. IT IS IN MAINTENANCE AND HOW ITS BUILT.

 

i hope you are correct, cuse im gonna put 4:10's in mine soon.

 

You keep on believing that. When you are broke down and stranded at the strip you will be like the rest of us......trying to warn others.


You can spend $500 on gears and getting them setup. Another $500 for upgraded posi. $300 for axels. Now you have spent $1,300 on a damn 10 bolt. Another $200-$500 you would have had a 12 bolt or 9inch. I could care less if you want to waste your own money. Trying to convince others to spend 12bolt money on a 10bolt.......that's stupid.

 

well thanks guys, Im taking all into consideration. Maybe Ill just wait till i finish my bolt ons to consider my rear, cuz like i said, i have never been to a track yet so im not really launching hard... Keep info coming if ya got more!
-Chris