Anybody know where I can find one? I've searched all over, no luck. My Aurburn is starting to cry uncle on me every time i try to do a burnout. (after all, it only has 500 passes on it) I've had problems withnit staying locked since day 1 though.

bought mine from summit $99

with 28 spline axles

Matt, don't you street drive that thing, occasionally atleast? It'd be fine racing but your axles will do more than cry uncle street driven with a spool.
- that said, I love my tru-trac. No issues with 5k side-step 1.66 60ft's so far on 17's.....

you've got 12.9's @ 104 on a basically stock L98? chip and exhaust with gears? Is there more to that story???

I never drive it on the street, Its on slicks, which give a little more then a street tire around turns, and if I know it's in there, then there won't be any U-turns made any how. I'm just looking for something strong and reliable. Everyone I've talked to at the track are runing mini spools, but all of them are 12 bolts, 9 inches, etc. nobody new anything about the 7.5.

I'll look into the tru-track. I've heard stories about them but i'm not sure what is rumor, or that something just wasn't done right causing a failure.


Oh, and yes, its true, 12.90's with bolt ons (I guess you missed that month long argument in the TPI section) I'm actually going to an all bolt on shootout next tuesday between L98's, LT1's and LS1's for GMHTP. Pics in my sig are a little old, its got 15" prostars and slicks now.

http://www.photosportsusa.com/showphotos2.aspx?page=4#

bottom of page

mini spools are for dirt, and 26 spline axles

impressive stats then...

so your choices are to downgrade to a 26 spline rear, do yourself up a lincoln locker, or get yourself a real posi unit again. I think the real posi is your best long term bet...

Too bad the strongest one I could find only lasted 1 year. $500 for the unit, $80 for the 2 spider gears I broke and $20 something for the center pin. The clutches haven't stayed locked up since day 1. Not to mention the attitude I caught from Aurburn when I called them looking for parts. They acted like I was stupid calling them looking for spider gears for THEIR unit. The reason I called them was because the parts were on backorder from every other vendor in the country. Anyhow, I'm just looking for something I can stick in the car and not ever worry about.

probably a non-10 bolt rear unfortunately....

If you're not breaking gears and whatnot, the basic upgrades may not help you. If you're sticking with the 10 bolt though, and getting one of "super duty" posi units or whatever, i'd still recommend doing the girdle and solid pinion spacer and whatnot.

I had been following your arguement...er thread on running low 13's, then your thread on 12's. - I forgot you had gone on to slicks in your post on 12's.
anyhow, min-spools are reccomended for dirt use only. I've heard a couple horror stories about them at drag strips. No personal experience, just word of mouth. - I though I saw a strange full-spool for the 7.5 10-bolts....I'll have to check.....

just a FWIW...get a stock open diff out of the boneyard and install it, then weld the gears. spool effect, little cost

until you put down decent power and the pieces go flying through the cover and you get fined by the track for clean-up.....(NHRA/IHRA tracks can/will fine you, read the rule book)
Hell, my 4.3 broke a welded diff 3 times, even welded with steel plates wedged in - and before you say it, my dad's a certified welder, been welding before I was even a twinkle in anyone eyes'.

-Matt, I'll check over the week-end. I'm fairly sure one of the companies I deal with lists a full spool for the 7.5 10-bolt. I'll check for a mini-spool too.

drivetrain specialties has mini spool in both 26 & 28 spline, The rub is that you cannot put one in a "posi" carrier, had a very long conversation with them because i am humped also, Lo 12s S-10. the power trax kit is is hideous on slicks, first time i hit the return road i thought the chassis snapped in half!
i am nursing an auburn till the end of our ponts chase, then going 9 inch & a full spool.

mw66nova broke one of those power-tax type units with his 12 sec 305. - Yeah, mini-spools are built to fit into open carriers. -

There is nothing inherently weak with a mini spool. It just elminates the spider gears as the weak link. You'll break axles, gears, and the carrier housing next, probably in that order. I've found that the 26 spline axles are only slighty stronger than the stock posi spider gears. So once the mini spool is installed and your car stops one wheel peeling, you'll snap the axles pretty quick. The whole rear end is weak, and no matter what you do you can't make the 7.5" gears any stronger, so if I were you I would weld the stock diff and save up for a 9", 12bolt or whatever. Just keep in mind that breaking an axle in a c-clip rear end sucks......bad. The wheel will come off and mess some stuff up.

everyone and their uncle is running a spool.... not a minispool... there is a diff.

in anycase, i woudlnt run a spool with stock axles...atleast not without c-clip elims.....

id jsut start saving the 1200 for a budget 9"

I've wanted to run either a mini-spool or welded diff in my 10bolt for a while now but these horror stories of the axle breaking and coming out of the housing while at speed has kept me in check. My application is different from most but I think we all kinda have the same problems. I wouldn't be worried about it in a racing situation because it would be at the track with safety equipment and stuff. But the street is where I would be worried, just don't wanna chance it. So here's two alternatives I've been looking into recently:

One you can consider is finding a OEM 9bolt in the yards and having that diff welded. Only reason I bring this up is the 9bolt does not have C-clips, should be a little safer when it fails (not if, when). If I was gonna do a welded diff this is the way I would go. Only crappy thing is the lack of gearsets for the 9bolt.

Another one you can consider if the idea these guys gave me, looking for a locker for S10 10bolt that will work with our 10bolts that you can control with a switch. So on one setting its open (for when you're not racing), and in the other setting its locked. Not gonna solve the weaknesses of the 10bolt, but does lessen the chances of everything going to crap while driving around town not expecting it.

the later 28 spline axles aren't nearly as bad, especially aftermarket ones. Yes, the weak link with a minispool is the carrier, that's why they're only recommended for dirt use. - And yes, I've seen the results of a broken c-clip axles...it's not pretty....

I guess I will have to brake down and buy a 12 bolt for this thing and not worry about it anymore. the ten bolt held up decently for what it is, its just too light duty to take that much abuse.

there's a good idea. It's not like you're gonna stop modding that beast, you might as well do it once and forget it.

just to add a little comment i have a friend who was running a mini spool in his daily driven car with a built motor and he actually snapped the spool in half. the hub that the metal tabs sit in split right down the middle. the one he had was ordered through the local o'reilleys tho so im not sure if it was the same quality as the ones you get from summit ect.....