waterplay

How much power can stock or modified rebuilt rear take? This would include the drive shaft, half shaft, u-joints and the rear itself. What is the weakest link that needs to be addressed first? I have just under 550hp and just over 500lb-ft in a small block. I will also have nitrous put on after the engine breaks in. can my 68 take that much or do I need to limit the throttle? Nothing looks as bad as trying to look good going down the road only to spray parts all over the asphalt.

jpatrick636

If you stay with street tires, you may get some good servive out of what you have, but it will break eventually. The outer drive axles would be tops on my list.

waterplay

Outer drive axles? Is that what I am calling Half shafts? Or are you talking about the Hub area by the tire and brakes? I would have thought the U joints would have gone first.

Outer drive axles? Is that what I am calling Half shafts? Or are you talking about the Hub area by the tire and brakes? I would have thought the U joints would have gone first.
Sorry for all the questions I know just enough to make me dangerous.

I have also been reading about T-arm replacement something I will also need to do. Sounds like fun lots of beer involved.

JoeRags

It can take a whole lot with just street tires. Before anything breaks, the tires are going to break loose. Now, if you throw a set of slicks on there, your in the range where your asking for trouble. You may snap a halfshaft, or a U-Joing before the rear goes.

Joe

waterplay

Do they make stronger shafts and Ujoints? I may run DOT slick like tires one day at the track.

waterplay

Ttt

jofm3

My first day at the track with the new engine (445hp/450ftlb 355ci) I twisted the rear spring and broke the cast differential cover. Hope this helps,
Jerry

jbroughton

Or sometimes the half shafts hold up, but other things break...

http://www.countrycorvetteclub.com/viewEvent.cfm?id=46

At one time, this was a '68 too. Of course it was an L88, and they make some fairly healthy torque too

I was actually amazed that it lasted this long!

Seriously, I would think that the u-joints on the half shafts and the drive shaft would be your weakest points. I think the big block cars came with a heavier duty strap to secure the u-joints? Might want to look into that.

Jeff

waterplay

That hurts!

Glensgages

FWIW.....

April of '03, I'm at my local strip, and a guy shows-up with a mid-'70s Corvette, with a bone-stock ZZ502 (502 HP/567 TQ), THM400, 3.90s, and 28" x 11" slicks:
he 'walked' it off the line on his first run, carding a 12.03/112 time-slip, so on his next run, he leaned on the converter pretty hard, and busted his rear-end just a few feet of the line (I helped him get in onto his roll-back truck, but I'm not sure what he did that day).

I heard last year 'thru-the-grapevine' that he up-graded whatever had broken, only to break the NEXT weakest-link in each of his next few visits to the strip, and, not wanting to butcher the car up, he now drives it around his hometown on BFG street tires.

25th silverbullet

Yikes!!

These are good things to know as I am contempating supercharging my stroker, I'll have to take the compression down some...But the numbers are amazing...plus no bottles and purging.

Z-man

Here's an article about a Vette rear-end that can handle 1,200 - 1,400 HP.

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/113_0502_irs/

waterplay

Thanks for the info.
I looked up Tom's Differentials but I am not sure they are still in business. The on line catalog is from 2003.

norvalwilhelm

I ran nitrous is a big block with 4.11 gears and big slicks and finally twisted the axles but didn't hurt the rearend. It was automatic with a high stall converter.
I also blew 3 700 R 4's in one summer and still the rearend and 1/2 shafts gave me no trouble.
Try it and if you have an automatic it might live a long time.

Gordonm

What kind of SB are you running that you have 550 HP with 500 ft/lbs. That is a healthy SB. Slicks are the enemy of the Vette rears.

BigBlockk

You may want to go here for more reading. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1091704

BigBlockk

Later.....

waterplay

383cid, ported Dart heads, Comp Cams 294hr cam. Still trying to get the carb under control. These are the major players. The builder used this combo in the past and thought it would work for my projest also.

MotorHead

I haven't broke anything yet spinning the 295's at 50 mph I am over 400HP/400Tq at the rear wheels, slicks will break everything

Gordonm

That is a pretty close setup to what I want when I eventually build a 383or 396 SB. I was hoping for around 500 HP and 500 torque. I will run a solid roller whe nthe time comes. House renovations are eating up my motor plans. Keep us posted on this.

VETDRMS

Here is what I did to keep my rear end alive (so far).

1) Guldstrand solid mounts for cross member and snubber
2) Spicer HD U-joints
3) Royal Purple Max Gear 85-140W
4) Dragvette Half Shaft Loops
5) Driveshaft loop
6) Dragvette suspension kit

I have 76 passes on the car so far with both street tires and slicks, 1.8-1.7s 60' on street tires and 1.6-1.7s 60' on Hoosier slicks.

This is with an auto and a loose converter. If you plan to SHOCK the system with a clutch or transbrake, your going to break stuff in a hurry.