Sooooo. I've gone through 3 rear ends in the past 3 months. I'm only running a street ported 13b maybe putting 150 to the wheels... I don't know what the damn issue might be but I'm looking for other options. Does anyone run anything other than stock or Mustang rear ends.

 

I have a 13B-PP not sure the rwhp but it must be close to 200, I also have drag radials and drag race every friday night and I have no issues right now. I have heard that the rear ends should be good till 300rwhp.

 

What is breaking on the rearend?

 

Which rear ends are you using? GSL or SE? If it's a GSL are you using the Small axle rear or the big axle rear? What exactly is blowing out in them? Driving habbits? I'm not an expert in rear ends so I probably won't be of any help but I think this information would be useful for anyone else who might actually be able to help LOL

 

Yes running the gs or even the gsl rear end is smaller but even those rear end can take a *** beating from hell and back...The gsl-se rear ends can take a hella of *** beating and in many cases the tranny's go out before the rear end...

In my opinion you have just not had any good luck in pulling good rear ends which is resulting in blown rear ends...

 

The model of the rear end has nothing to do with axle size. 79-83 were all small axle and all 84-85 cars were big axle. One was a 84 S one was a 83 GSL and the most recent is a 85GSL. Brandnew bearings, fully rebuilt lsd and everything. I have no clue what is breaking but they've all amke the same knocking aound after about a month of use. they cluck at cruise and inbetween power transfers. when I apply throttle, let off the throttle or am just cruising it makes a loud clicking noise that can be felt in the drivers seat.

 

Sounds like the backlash is off....and its possible that it chipped some teeth.

 

300rwhp?

I heard the stocks were good for only 200rwhp?

 

On the SE rearend that has been on my car for the past 3 years has only twisted an axle once with ~400whp and I daily drive it most the time.

 

the last rear end i couldn't find out what was wrong because no matter how hard I tried i couldn't get the right axle out of the housing. the left one literally fell out once it was unbolted, but the right one...

 

83 was the transition year. Early 83's were small axle, while late 83's were big axle. The LSD units are different between the GSL and the SE's, which Steve has pointed out to us in his SE rear end tear down. It does sound really weird if they've all been rebuilt prior to use. What type of fluid are you using?

 

First one was Royal purple 75x90 the last two had redline 75w-90NS with redline LSD additive added. I'm starting to think something else might be broken. maybe a watts link bushing... it's just this horrible clacking sound. you would think that the sound would've been there the day I swapped in the new rear and not now a month later.

 

Did you thoroughly soak the LSD discs before you ran the car? If not, it is possible that you are putting too much stress elsewhere.

Mike

 

Check your 4-link, I pulled one of the top ones apart one day messing around on the freeway and it kind of has the same sympotms. Hopefully its not your 3rdmember again.

Goodluck,
Kevin

 

So I put my girlfriend in the car and it got louder. I got under the car and saw some ware on the watts link I think one of the bushings is shot and it's hitting the exhaust,. just my luck. At least I know for sure the first one was bad and now I've got a spare if I need it. I'm going to pull off the exhaust tomorrow and see if that fixes it.

 

wow..man...bad luck...

 

Can it be the u-joint?

 

Don't think it's a u joint cause i've used different shafts every time and when i took 'em out I tested them.

 

It would be alot better to be a bad watts bushing than another bad rear end

 

Yea I hope it's just a watts bushing.

 

Maybe the pre-load is bad? That's what deters me from messing with rearend internals.

 

That would be funny if you put three rearends in and it was just a watts link.
No but seriously, check all the links first and make sure all your bushings and bolts are tight and not worn out. You shouldn't be going through rearends like you are.

 

The first rear was a drum rear so it had to go anyways. The second was a small axle GSL rear. Now I have a big axle LSD rear so i'm happy even if I was wrong I finally have the rear end I origionaly set out to get.