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How long will stock axles live?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DAKDOG99
  • Start date Start date Jun 12, 2009

DAKDOG99

New Member
May 29, 2006
37
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COLUMBIA, S.C.
Jun 12, 2009
#1
  • Jun 12, 2009
  • #1
Going to the track tonight to try out the nitrous. It's set up for a 100 shot. I am a little worried about the stock axles. Anyone know how much power the stockers can take. I did put a girdle on the rearend and 3.73 motorsports gears. But axles and diff. are stock.
 

squeak93

15 Year Member
Jun 2, 2005
2,267
366
164
Joplin, Missouri
Jun 12, 2009
#2
  • Jun 12, 2009
  • #2
You will be ok with them. The auto won't put too much shock to the rear, not like a 5 speed will anyway.

I have seen auto guys go dep into the 12's with stock axles, in foxes at that.
 

four six

Member
Jan 19, 2006
506
2
18
Hobart, IN
Jun 12, 2009
#3
  • Jun 12, 2009
  • #3
All depends on how much you grip. I've seen guys run 400-500 rwhp on stock axles, I've also seen my buddy break his with about 280 rwhp.

What type of tires you running?
 

DAKDOG99

New Member
May 29, 2006
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COLUMBIA, S.C.
Jun 12, 2009
#4
  • Jun 12, 2009
  • #4
Tires

The new style et streets.
 

squeak93

15 Year Member
Jun 2, 2005
2,267
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Joplin, Missouri
Jun 12, 2009
#5
  • Jun 12, 2009
  • #5
You'll be just fine with just n2o with an auto to boot.
 

Mustang92

SN's #1 1%er
Jun 6, 2001
6,467
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79
South Florida
Jun 12, 2009
#6
  • Jun 12, 2009
  • #6
You should be fine but like it's been said I've seen bone stock Mustangs on Nittos break axles and people like me making 150 or so passes on slicks (making 250RWHP) before breaking the differential.

Bill
 

DAKDOG99

New Member
May 29, 2006
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COLUMBIA, S.C.
Jun 12, 2009
#7
  • Jun 12, 2009
  • #7
Well they lived, but mostly because I could not get the car to hook. I am thinking it's time to get a better Diff. Can't get the tires hot doing the one wheel peel. HAHA
 

Stan Weiss

Member
Dec 8, 2006
347
2
16
Philadelphia, PA
Jun 12, 2009
#8
  • Jun 12, 2009
  • #8
Will you be leaving the line with the N20 on?
 

Tim2002GT

Founding Member
Apr 10, 2002
635
4
29
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jun 13, 2009
#9
  • Jun 13, 2009
  • #9
I made probably 50 passes last year on a 125 shot on my Nitto dr's and no problem. This year I put some ET street radials on and it snapped the drivers side axle on my 10th or so pass. I have a 5 speed car with 4.10 gears also. With the auto, like stated above, you should be okay but theres always a chance running the stock axles.
 

DAKDOG99

New Member
May 29, 2006
37
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0
COLUMBIA, S.C.
Jun 13, 2009
#10
  • Jun 13, 2009
  • #10
Stan Weiss said:
Will you be leaving the line with the N20 on?
Click to expand...

Yea, I shot it from home. First pass was real bad because it just spun. Second pass on the gas was much better. But I had to smoke the crap out of the tires in the burn out box.
 

DAKDOG99

New Member
May 29, 2006
37
0
0
COLUMBIA, S.C.
Jun 13, 2009
#11
  • Jun 13, 2009
  • #11
Tim2002GT said:
I made probably 50 passes last year on a 125 shot on my Nitto dr's and no problem. This year I put some ET street radials on and it snapped the drivers side axle on my 10th or so pass. I have a 5 speed car with 4.10 gears also. With the auto, like stated above, you should be okay but theres always a chance running the stock axles.
Click to expand...


I think I am going to upgrade to a 31 spline cobra diff. and some usa alloy axles. No reason to take any chances.
 

Stan Weiss

Member
Dec 8, 2006
347
2
16
Philadelphia, PA
Jun 13, 2009
#12
  • Jun 13, 2009
  • #12
I think that is probably a good idea. If you can get it to hook when leaving with N2O the axles will see a lot of stress. It is really the amount of torque not HP that is the problem. Here is a computer simulation of a stock engine with a 100 HP shot of N2O.
Stan

 

DAKDOG99

New Member
May 29, 2006
37
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0
COLUMBIA, S.C.
Jun 13, 2009
#13
  • Jun 13, 2009
  • #13
wow. that hits hard. Maybe it's a good thing I did not get it to hook up. I would have been pushing it home.
 

Tim2002GT

Founding Member
Apr 10, 2002
635
4
29
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jun 14, 2009
#14
  • Jun 14, 2009
  • #14
Yeah, a wet kit will hit the tires real hard when engaged. Mine spikes up just over 500 ft/lbs when it hits!
 

SVT32VDOHC

waiting for the next hack atta
Founding Member
Nov 22, 2001
3,501
28
119
Motor City
Jun 15, 2009
#15
  • Jun 15, 2009
  • #15
You'll be fine. It's when you start hooking hard and dumping at 5K that you have to worry. Your posi will burn out before your axles go.

My buddy just called me and told me he pulled his left front wheel off the ground last night. He launched his auto car at 3K with VHT and 315 Nitto's and got it to lift. He is still on stock 28 splines. We'll see how long that lasts.
 

1low03gt

20+ Year Stangneter
May 24, 2004
708
11
38
Cold Hell,Ontario,Canada!!
Jun 15, 2009
#16
  • Jun 15, 2009
  • #16
I think it all depends,a buddy of mine bought a brand new '03 Mach 1.After two weeks he snapped an axle drag racing with a set of Nitto Drag radials on at the drags.Then you got some that are still running there stock axles to this day with no issues.LOL!
 

Flghtmstr1

Member
Mar 31, 2005
572
4
19
Springfield, PA
Jun 15, 2009
#17
  • Jun 15, 2009
  • #17
I'm running low, low 12s (should be 11s when I can get to a better track) on my stock axles, and they're fine so far. Then again, I'm just using 275 wide Sumitomo street tires, so they're not being stressed as much.
 

bhuff30

Founding Member
Dec 11, 2001
6,037
35
129
Olathe KS
Jun 16, 2009
#18
  • Jun 16, 2009
  • #18
It's funny how an NA stick car with gears and less than 300hp can break an axle, but others running deep 12s with power adders are just fine. It all comes down to shock loads. An NA car will need lots of revs to launch hard out of the hole and that causes a pretty significant shock load. So bye bye axles. The power adder cars can use their low end torque to get moving from the hole, which interestingly isn't as hard on axles as the high rpm launch Of course, automatics are much softer than a stick and a true slick deforms to reduce shock loads, while a drag radial causes more shock loads (given similar 60' times). So there is no set rule to know when you need 31 spline axles. If you are launching at high rpms or running better than a 1.7 60' time, you should probably be shopping though.

As a funny example, my stock 97GT on street tires ate a pinion bearing of an 8.8, but my 2.3 with 20psi and nitrous has gone 12.2 on a stock 7.5" rear end. Well, the 97 is a manual and saw high rpm launches. The 2.3 has an auto and lots of torque to get the car moving without rpms. Not much shock in the driveline when I launch, so that poor 7.5 with more than 140k miles is still alive.
 
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