Hey
I picked up my first Mustang about a month ago. Ive got a 347 Stroker,newer C4 Trannyand a recently rebuilt 8" rear end. I figure I am putting out somewhere between 330-380 hp. Anyone out there running a similar setup?

Everything on it has about 18k miles and is running really good and feels really solid.

I have had a lot of people tell me that the 8" is inadequate but I would like to hear some firsthand experience. I am not racing this thing and tend to drive relatively conservatively. Rarely ever stomping on the gas from a standstill but when I have, it takes it like a champ so far.

Is this thing going to break or can it handle this for awhile? If it does break, what exactly is going to happen? I am hoping to get some opinions based on experience. Thanks guys.

 

If (when) it does break, you're going to be towing your car home! I know this from personal experience. I was lining up to race a prowler out of a stoplight, and I started to do a burnout and my whole 8" blew apart on me. My buddytowedme about a mile to my shopin his Xterra.

 

Mine is in the building stages but I an going to be running the stock 8" rear with an Auburn posi and 4.11 gears. I expect the tires I will be running will give up long before the rear will. I am anticipating my 347 to run about 350 rwhp.

 

if you want first hand experience then here you go.

#1 rear end- stock 8", stock gears, stock one wheel wonder - blew as I turned a corner and gas it, spiinning the tire 30-40 ft and shift to second. cracked the housing so much I didn't notice it till I went to lunch at work and noticed my car was leaning down bigtime on the driverside as if I had A flat tire.

#2 rear end- 8" with an aurburn locker and 3.55 gears- blew the ring and pinion. taking off from a stop sign and then easing into it and hitting second.

#3 rear end- 8" 4.11's with auburn locker- blew the locker into 2 pieces with the ring and pinion still ok but the axles ate the crap out the the housing.

the 3 rearends were taken out from a 306 with 10.5:1 compression, Edelbrock RPM heads, custom cam, rpm intake and 600 holley carb that put down 313rwhp /331rwtq. spinning the tires isn't the part thats going to kill you, its when the tires stick is when it goes KABOOM!

#4 rear end- currie 9" 31 spline 3.50's trac loc still going strong with the new motor. 347 canfield heads 9:1 compression and the turbo that put down 402rwhp/503rwtq @4200rpms spinning the wheels on the dyno.

The rear end know is the last thing I'm worried about blowing and i'm always driving the car hard where ever I go.

 

i have a 347 stroker with a stock 8 inch rear end with 3.40 gears... and i have traction bars... so far i havent had problems but i havent floored it.. if i were uid look into replacing it with the solid 9 inch rear end...thats wat im a do...

 

I've heard that 8" rearends are good up till 400 horsepower range. You will have to take into account if the rearend is old & beat or if you beat the hell out of it, it's not going to last.