Re: 500 Horsepower With Stock Rear End?
Dang, you guys are lucky. I've gone through two 7.625" rears in my time; finally said to hell with that and upgraded to the Ford 8.8. My old Sonoma, NA 4.3L went through the first 7.625" when I tried to pass a guy on the freeway going 65, I hit the gas and the rear tires stopped dead in their tracks sending me sideways. Time number next was a 125hp shot on the stock motor and driveline, only modification was a Zexel limited slip. Snapped an axle shaft with BFG street 255/50R15's at the track on my first pass.
Will the 7.625" hold? It's the luck of a draw if it will. There's been guys who go through years at the track with great success in the low 10's, or there's unlucky fellas like me who are stupid enough to replace the stock rear with a new one...well almost new.
Something I like to live by which has kept many builds of mine out of the repair status..."Overkill never left you stranded." Take that with a grain of salt though, a 14bolt rear will never leave you stranded, but on the other hand it'll rob quite a bit of horsepower and kill gas mileage. Anything between 8.5" and 8.875" should be plenty strong for just about any S-truck or Sy/Ty.
