Eaton best? - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

JamieSweet · 10-31-2009, 11:54 AM

Apparently not.

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big gear head · 10-31-2009, 02:47 PM

Remove the cover from a rear end that has a worn out Auburn in it (it won't take long to wear it out if you do many burnouts) and run your finger across the bottom of the housing. See how much meatl is built up in the bottom. Then remove the axles and check the axle tubes and see how much metal sludge is in them. Then remove the differential and pinion and look at the bearings at how bad they look because of all of the metal that has run through them. Then toss the Auburn in the trash and buy something else because the Auburn can't be rebuilt.

Then get an Eaton and run it for about 30 years. Remove the cover and see how clean everything is. Remove the axles and see that there is nothing but oil in the bottom of the axle tubes. Then look at the bearings and see that they only have normal wear on them. Then if the Eaton has any wear on it you can either shim the clutches to tighten them up or put in a new set and be thankful that you don't have to buy another complete differential.

Yea, Eaton is best. That chart is just showing the break away torque required to make it slip. If you want the Eaton to lock up better then just change the springs or clutches. If you put the 22 disc steel clutches and 800 pound springs in the Eaton it will have a lot more break away torque than the Auburn Pro. That's another reason that Eaton is best. You can tune it to suit your needs.

JamieSweet · 10-31-2009, 04:25 PM

Okay, does Eaton sell theirs with the higher breakaway option? For the 7.625? I'm pretty sure installing tiny 800# springs isn't something we can do in our driveways.

Iroc-Z28Man · 10-31-2009, 10:21 PM

If you don't want to slip at all buy a Locker or a spool but good luck driving it on the street, they'll never break and the only thing you'll be replacing will be tires.

JamieSweet · 11-02-2009, 06:19 PM

bump for big gear head to answer my second question. Maybe he hasn't looked because he assumes I responded with an argument instead of a question?

big gear head · 11-02-2009, 06:45 PM

You can order the Eaton with the 800 pound springs and steel clutches. This adds to the price. Most of the time the 12 bolt is the one that people order with these springs and clutches because the 7.5 10 bolt isn't really strong enough to handle the power that requires this type of modification. The 12 bolt Eaton can also be ordered with 33 spline axles gears (30 is stock) for a stronger rear end. The 8.5 can be ordered with 28 or 30 spline axle gears. The 7.5 can be ordered with 26 or 28 spline axle gears. The carbon fiber clutches are not recommended for use with the 800 pound springs. I don't really know why. I have seen them used this way and I don't know of any problems that it caused. You do get more surface area with the 18 disc steel clutches over the 14 disc carbon fiber clutches. Then there are the 22 disc steel clutches, which give even more surface area. When you use the 22 disc clutches with 800 pound springs you almost lock it up to the point where it won't slip at all. This is what was used in the COPO 427 Camaros and Chevelles in '69, and is also sold by Moroso under the Bruit Strength name.

I don't know if I answered your question or not. I will say that the Auburn is cheaper when you first buy it, but in my opinion the Eaton is the better deal in the long run. I have replaced many Auburn units because they were worn out, but I have only replaced a few Eaton units. The only reason that I had to replace them is because somebody did something stupid like leave out the thrust washers or try to install a mini spool in the case. In these cases the case was damaged and had to be replaced. I haven't had to replace an Eaton becasue it was worn out. I just put in a new set of clutches (after more than 35 years of use) and put it back in.

JamieSweet · 11-03-2009, 11:05 AM

I thank you for the information, your first response convinced me I hadn't yet found all the relevant facts. That's why I asked instead of argued. I had searched on the issue, but the Auburn killing the bearings hadn't come up before, and I figured that if it was news to me, it would be news to others. That's why I asked instead of arguing. Again, thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.

Twin_Turbo · 11-03-2009, 11:10 AM

The carbon clutch discs on the eatons are junk. The carriers are fine though. If you want to upgrade them, posi tune them with 18 teeth spiders to replace the 17s and throw away the preload springs. Use steel clutches and not the petal style either.

big gear head · 11-03-2009, 01:05 PM

I forgot the part about installing the 800 pound springs in the driveway. The 800 pound spring set is pretty hard to get in. The 200 pound springs are easy and the 400 pound springs are not that bad, but 800 pounds is a lot of pressure and takes some work to get in.