I snapped my gears in my stock rear, or maybe worse, but it still will move.. Anyway I was thinking about building up a rear to easily handle 3k rpm launches and my heads with my F13, but definately something that'll handle about 500RWTQ.
edit: Its a non traction control car.

Can/should I rebuild my stocker?
or
Should I buy a strange 12 kit?

My budget is about $1300 right now, and I have no idea what I should do.

 

no stocker...12 bolt...buy a complete one, after you pay to get the gear set up a posi ect, id just buy a complete one...

 

There's an interesting article in the October and November 2006 issues of High Performance Pontiac magazine, entitled "Maximum-Effort Fourth-Gen 10-Bolt". They outline a buildup that eventually runs to $1,281 in parts, plus a bit more for welding the axle tubes ($85-100), and another $350 for labor. That's $1,720 for the rebuild.

After spending all the money, the comment is:
12-bolt time.

 

Hmm.. Well I won't ever shock the drivetrain with anything higher than 3.5k rpm launches, and I only very rarely race it like that, its usually just floring it from a roll.

What is hte best way to build up a 12 bolt? should I buy a full kit and package or do it myself? Where can I get the best deal?

 

I read that article, it was a very interesting read, but I can only help to wonder why they would even bother in the first place when the final cost comes close to a fully setup, shipped to your door 12 bolt.

 

where can I buy a complete 12 bolt ready for installation for cheaper than 2300?

 

http://thunderracing.com/catalog/?ac...id=208&pcid=66

Thunder sells them for a great price.

 

wow... thats expensive.. is that really one of the best prices? Could I get a 12 bolt used and do my own work for alot cheaper?

 

A couple of the supporting vendors offer them on special sometimes for a pretty good price, but they will probably still come in around a total of 2200-2300. It all comes down to what you want to spend and doing the job right the first time. I had a friend with a heads/cam LS1 who went through 6 factory rearends before the lightbulb finally went off in his head to get something stronger in which he finally purchased a Moser 9". If he would have done that in the firstplace, he would have saved a ton of money in the long run.

 

The Strange (Dana) 60 is a bit less expensive than the 12-bolt, a bit stronger, a bit heavier and a bit more efficient. The only negative (other than the 25# weight penalty) seems to be several complaints about excessive noise.

 

how do they rank in efficiency...
10 bolt lightest
12 bolt
9 inch heaviest?

 

In regards to mechanical losses, the numbers I've seen published in a tech article in National Dragster are:

Dana 60- 5%
GM 12-bolt- 7%
Ford 9-inch- 10%

Since much of the loss is determined by the geometry of the pinion centerline relative to the ring gear centerline, I would expect the 10-bolt and the 12-bolt to have similar losses, with a slight savings on the 10-bolt because of less rotating mass.

 

Well maybe I should Go with a Dana 60? If I could save a few extra hundred dollars and have less parasitic loss, with a little noise, I'd think it would be worth it..

How much noise are we talking about here? enough to make me possibly regret it? My stance on noise is that I just hate loud things, I even use the SLP dual/dual to keep exhaust tone quiet. would a dana 60 be that overpowering? I'd think that maybe a diferent gear manufacturer or oil could change that.

 

Try a "search"..... there's a couple threads about the Strange/Dana 60. In one of them, there's a link to a thread on LS1tech. I believe a bunch of people there bought the S60 on a group purchase, and several of them had major problems with "noise"..... I don't know anything beyond that.

Strange advertises the S60 for maybe $200-250 less than the 12-bolt. Get in on a group purchase and you might be under $2,000. They don't have it on their website, at least last time I looked. But they advertise it in most of the magazines, like Chevy High Performance, GM High-Tech, etc.