I have a 87 T/A body and want to make it a straight line
car, with my 454. What kind of HP can it handle.
I would hate to do this, then bust it. Its a stock rear.

LOL.

The stock axle behind a big block are merely delusions of grandure.

The stock rear or trans for that matter won't hold up to the torque of a 454 for very long, especially with sticky tires & hard launches.

So i take it no!! do you know the most it will handle.
what would have to change? carrier, axels, both.

the stock axle cannot withstand a 152rwhp L03 if it has slicks on it... nevermind a big block.. lol.

its the design of the small 10bolt..

the only real solution is to swap to a diffrent rear.

you can buy 12 bolts and 9" housings that bolt in as factory replacements.... its a lil pricy, but worth it....

I have a 400 trans. What about just street use, still
hard on the rear, you think.

I know my 91 GTA stock 350 has like 220 hp
and with the TPI it gives lots of torqe right.(more than the hp)
I would even think the rear is the same as my 87,
or no. I rip off the line hard, and never had a problem
with the rear. But then again its not a big block.

And still keep my disk rear brakes?

yes. you can keep your factory discs.

you can also put on the later brakes.. the best being the 98+ "LS1" ones

If you baby it all the time it would last, but something tells me that won't happen.

hmm, if he baby'd it all the time, why would you throw in a big block in the first place?

Im contimplating the same idea, but im gona try a 9"