I'm sure this has been beat to death, but what brand rear end gears would be the best for the stock ten bolt. I'm not looking for ratios, but for the manufacturer you all are using.

 

It has but last time I checked it is still important. There is a lot to finding good gears. When I was buying, Summit Racing was good but there were two plants that made them - Italy and Korea. The Italian ones were considered top quality while the Korean ones were considered to be less so. It had something to do with the quality of the metal, the cutting, etc.

I ended up with the Korean ones and took them to a top shop. They did their best but they howled a little at certain speeds for the first year. The shop checked everything and said it was all spec, but give it a little time. Now they are quiet.

 

Assuming you're looking for "stock replacement" sort of products:

Motive, AAM, Dana/Spicer, US Gear, Precision, Yukon, Strange.

NOT the Richmond drag race ones. Their "stock replacement" ones are quite good though.

Tootie mentioned one of the more important properties: country of origin. Avoid India, Malaysia, China, etc. Not because those people don't know how to make gears or whatever; rather, because the bottom-feeders locate their plants in such places, where labor is cheeeeep. Fits well with the whole "cheeeeeeeeeep" business strategy, which is to be avoided. US, Europe, Japan, Korea, are where the better plants are.

 

Actually it will be in a drag car. But will be low horsepower. I know the 10 bolts aren't the greatest, but that's what I have to work with for right now

 

I've had 2 sets of Motive gears, professionally set up, and they howeled like crazy. I'd say stay away from Motive...

 

Factory GM gears are the quietest and the US Gear are one of the better ones. Keeping the 10 bolt alive, make sure you use a steel cap and the good bolts on the ring gear side only. Use the re-enforcement cover and add extra magnets where possible. Run the backlash at a minimum. Lubrication engineers oil, and use the GM posi lube. These rear ends can go into the elevens and live. They do not each much horsepower at all.

 

If you are building a PURE drag race car, that NEVER EVER sees the street, then the Richmond drag race gears are great. That's what they're built for. They are made of metal that isn't hardened near as much as "stock replacement" ones, but rather is more "tough", such that it absorbs the shock of hard launches that will shatter stock type ones about like glass. But if the car EVER runs on the street, EVER, even just ONCE, they're not a good idea; their lower hardness means greatly increased wear as the miles accumulate. It's not about "quality", it's about suitability for a particular purpose.

 

I searched Richmond race gears, and nothing popped up for the 7.5. Only for the 12 bolt and the 9"