I have everything in place to get this project together:

1984 Trans Am

Engine: 350 (est. 420rwhp) (Built and ready)

Tranny: Going to give these people a try unless I can find a better price.

(www.fearthemonster.com)

Any one think these guys are too risky to try? I am looking at their 350 TH.

My question is: Where can I find a rear end that can handle that much power without breaking my wallet into fragments? Any junkyard car I could go rip it off? I figure even from a junker any rear end has to be better than the one my car has.

If I can't find a rear for cheap, I might have to push the whole project back another 6 months. Or, I could just install the small block and the 350 TH onto the POS rear I have now and hope it holds long enough to buy the other rear.

So please help me out with this rear end issue so that I can finally hop to working on my suspension and paint

only bolt in options are 10 bolts, 9 bolts, and dana 44s from 3rd or 4th gens f bodys

ttt

a rebuilt 10 can take a beating. hell, it costs less then 1000 bucks (this is with gears, posi, axels, bearing kit, diff cover and labor) and is stronger then the cheapest mosar 12 bolt offered. i just swapped my 10 for a 9 bolt because of the disc and posi and also the gear ratio. the 9 bolts can take a hella beating also.

didn't like the answer?

my3rdgen... you read CHP? i think its the feb or march issue. read it. their stock 10 rebuilt was stronger then the cheapest 12 bolt mosar offered, and thats coming from a moser rep. its the same car they did the complete edlebrock suspension on... read it then see if you laugh.

I like reading CC & HR. But I still don't take what they print as gosple. Do a search on this site to see all the horror stories involving 10 bolts. You will see a lot of broken stuff.

The 10 bolt can withstand a lot of gentle abuse (that sounds funny ) if properly built, but I absolutely do not believe for one second that it would be stronger than a 12 bolt period. The 12 bolt has a 8.750? ring gear. and the 10 bolts on our cars are only 7.5's. The teeth will sheer right off the ring gear on a 7.5 long before they would on a 12 bolt. So even if the 12 bolt is stock with say a Powertrax, and you put it up against a totaly built 10 Bolt, I beleive that the 12 bolt will out last the 10 bolt because even if all the parts in the 10 bolt are stronger than the 12 bolt, the ring gear is not. (The chain is only as strong as its weakest link)

I emailed Moser and put them on the spot to see if they did state that for the article and if they do agree with it. If they say yes, then I will stand corrected. But, I'll bet that I still break mine before the year is out.

Sorry I didn't reply to the original postee.

I myself am running the 700R4 for the OD on the highway. It is not a daily driver but I will be taking it on long trips. The 350 would probably be a better choice if all you were going to do was race it. But if you plan on cruising it or driving it daily you will miss the OD. The 700R4 is a decent tranny IMO, but not as strong as it should have been. I rebuilt mine with Art Carr specialy hardend input shaft, stator support, and Beast reaction shell w/torington bearings, and I also upgraded to 5 gear plannets, corvette servo, shift kit, 2700 stall TC, and a TCI racing rebuid kit. Cost me about $1200.00 and I did the work. That should be sufficiant for a naturally asperated built 350. If it breaks, I will do it again.

As for the rear end, I wish I had put the $1000 plus I spent on the factory 10 bolt into a new 9 inch. If you don't have the cash for that, and your rear has a 3 series gear like a 3:23 or 3:42 throw in a Powertrax and start saving for the 9 inch or 12 bolt.

i forgot to grab the mag from my tool box today but when i go to the shop tomorrow i'll pick it up. i'll quote what they printed in it for you. they even said when they called mosar for a new rear, mosar said they are better off rebuilding what they had because it would be stronger and cheaper also. i'm just preaching what they said, man. maybe they got a looney salesman?

hmmm i don't know why this SN came up in my mailbox...this is my brothers name...

They never said it was stronger....they just said it was cheaper.

I read the article at work.

I assumed that CHP was Chevy High Performance mag. So I tried to find the article to read for myself but all I could find was a 7 step third gen guild-up on Chevy High Performance's web site called "My Generation Camero". It didn't really say much about the 10 bolt other than cheap junkyard parts.

i'll re-read the article when i get the mag back. i could have sworn it said it was stronger then the cheapest mosar out there. friend of mine read that and after reading, decided to get his 10 bolt in his 99 z28 rebuilt instead of spending the 2k on a mosar. seriosuly though, there's really no need for a mosar on a mild engine anyhow. unless your thrashing it on the strip day after day.

This is true.

I'm still going to break mine before the year is out.

Got to have a reason to buy the 9 inch.

If I had the money I would get one of those moser 12 bolts. Not because I need it but because I would feel better. And if I needed to I could run slicks without to much worry. But for now I think the 10 bolt im building will be plenty.

I hear ya, from what I've heard, read, seen, and experienced, the 10 bolt will handle mild thrashing on street tires with a mild V-8. I say that I am going to break mine only because I built the rear before learning what parts were out there, and I bought a Gov-Loc (Grenade-Loc), this is a very week carrier, and well,... I'm going to break it before the year is out!

I'm using a take-off zexel torsion for now. I think it will be ok for what I'm doing. I don't plan on ever running slicks anyways. But if I come into some cash I want a moser 12 bolt and a probuilt 700r4. After that the fun will begin.

i just dropped my 10 all togeather and stuffed a 9 bolt in there that i had laying in the gurage for a few years now. i went from a 2.73 open drum rear to a 3.27 posi PBR disc rear. i think it was worth it. not to mention the 9 bolt is pretty strong compaired to the 10.

ede said the dana 44 was a direct bolt in, what is the story on these, and what do they cost???
i ve heard of em but not seen any info

thanks
costill

In the early 90's(?) it was offered in the GM Performance catalog (I had a 96 issue that still listed them), and I have heard that it was used as a replacement for warrenty work in the early 90's (not positive on that one)

The dana44 was offered in the firehawks. I think GM sold the rear-ends also. A few guys on this board were lucky enough to pick them up before they discontinued them. To bad I couldn't even drive whenever they were offered lol.

Could you go to an off-road shop and get a Dana 44 made to fit? How does is compare to a 12 bolt? I've heard that the Dana 60 is definitely stronger than the 12 bolt, but is it too big physically?

Thanks,
Jason

The Danna 44 replacement axle for the f body was available as early as 1986. I have an old mag that a guy to his 84 z/28 and up graded it to the Danna 44. The Danna 44 is an 8.5 ring and pinnion.