I'm considering one - how much would one cost typically, (used) and the cost for installation?

 

You will not find one used. The cost for a new one installed about $3000 +. Now do you really want one??

 

yea i would love to have one but they are too damn expensive..... so i went with a ls1 rear end... (i know its not stronger) but its a budget upgrade because of the MUCH better ls1 brakes and it being newer and lesser miles than my factory unit also the fact that it has a torsen rear end which is perfect for road racing and autocross and the torsen itself doesnt wear out like the clutch type.... for a daily driver car i would say those 3000 dollar rear ends are abit overkill... now for people who drag race and dump the clutches from insane rpms then i would invest in one... get yourself a ls1 rear.... many ls1 guys are taking them out in favor for those expensive units.... i got mine for 250 complete with brakes... cant beat that...

 

The cost really depends on how you order it. Fancy brakes, high end posi etc can increase the cost.

It's hard to go cheap with the 12 bolt but you can easily get a 9" installed for much less. You buy the housing package which includes the bolt in housing and axles. Get it with 31 spline axles. The housing package is normally designed to use you factory brakes or newer fourth gen brakes.

You then pick up a center section from the junk yard that used 31 spline axles and pop it in. You may not get a posi and you probably won't get the gear choice that you want but you can always upgrade later as funds permit. I pulled a 31 spline center section out of an old Bronco with 4.10 gears and a posi for $100. The housing package with axles is around $1000 so there's no reason you can't do a good 9" swap for less than $1500. Gears, posi and brakes can always be upgraded later but at least it puts a better diff under the car.

The 7.5" 10 bolt has it's limitations but so does a 9". The factory center section starts to fail around the mid 9 second range. Depends on the weight of the vehicle and how much torque you're making.

 

hey alkyiroc.... should i be fine with my 02 ls1 rear... i should have around 330whp and 400wtq behind it.... would my 10 bolt do fine so long as i dont do burnouts or try to hammer on the gas like these guys do when they dump the clutch... i have an auto so it should be easier on it..... this is my daily driver and i would think the rear should be fine with the occasional aggresive driving....

 

A fourth gen diff is no stronger than a 90-92 third gen. The 82-89 10 bolts use 26 spline axles. In 1990, GM switched to 28 spline. Around 1986, the 7-1/2" ring gear was increased to 7-5/8" but it's basically the same. No matter how much money you spend trying to beef up the 10 bolt, it will still have the tiny ring and pinion and those small teeth will usually fail first. For the amount of money you can invest to make it stronger, you can go with the inexpensive 9" swap for roughly the same price.

The advantage of the 02 diff is that it already has 28 spline axles but factory axles are not as strong as any aftermarket axle. The 02 diff will also have better brakes but you can always upgrade to better brakes on any differential.

If you're not going to beat on the differential then why bother upgrading to something better? The 10 bolt has survived dragstrip action and has also been broken during street use. You roll the dice on if it will survive or not. If you do manage to break it, then you can decide if an upgrade is worth it or not.