jaytone

I've heard from friends that the rears in the 94 (and other years) are very weak. I am considering upgrading my gear ratio and have two options open to me and need SOME imput from you guys.
First off, my 94 TA is stock with a A4 and 3.23 gears. I will in time be upgrading for performance things such as, headers, CAI, cat back, roller rockers, etc and will NOT be racing at the track. Now here are the two options.

1. Keep the existing rear and change to 3.73 gears and hope the rear will stand up.

2. I have a friend who has an entire BOrg Warner setup, including axles, housing, heavy duty ring and pinion, posi unit that from what I heard is extremely strong. But the gear ratio is 3.53 which is not much of an upgrade in gears but is a much stronger setup.

The difference in price of 1 and 2 is not that much. So, which, if either would you do ? and comment please on the reliablity of a stock F body rear holding up too.'
Thanks

FacelessZ

Save your money and go with option 1. If you're like me, you don't run at the track very often, if at all. I purchased a complete 10 bolt rear end off of a buddy of mine and it had a T/A girdle and stud kit already installed and I replaced the 3.42's with 3 series 3.73's. For the street, that's all you really need.

Camaro_Maniac63

The 4th Gen F-body rear end is NOT so weak that it will break during street driving, especially with an automatic transmission. Get the 3.73 gears put in, and don't worry about anything else. You will be fine. Good luck.

slowpoke96z28

if you can stick with the no racing, i'd go with option 1.
if you end up racing and using spray, i'd get a TWELVE bolt.

Montezuma

Stick with a 10 for an automatic. Its still a weak rear but most of the hype about how bad it really is, more then anything because of the M6

Mid-life Toy

You will probably be happier keping your stock rear, I installed a Moser 12 Bolt and had to cut my driveshaft and take my car to two shops to re-set the gears because they were too loud. I too do not race but am pushing 375hp and intend to install LTR heads and the LT4 intake which will take me slightly over 400hp.

Bottomline: I can launch at the strip or the street and not have to worry about my rear but my car is not a daily driver. Go to your local dragstrip and talk to the folks who race A4s and ask them about the rears. You will find out that most still have their stock rears.

brokenz

For the mods you listed I don't see you needing to upgrade your rear.

Heatmaker

12 bolts are like 2 Grand! What a **** off part to buy.

<-------will be needing one


If you don't plan on building anything radical just go with the gear swap. Trust me...I've done hella crazy things with the car and the rearcan hold up pretty well. You shouldn't need the 12bolt till your in that low 12-high 11 zone.

RacinLT1

for what you listed,stock rear is fine. i have an automatic car and blew my stock rear but that was starnge circumstances.

I now have a moser 9" and NO worries.

1982z28with18s

Stay away from the drag radials/et streets and you'll be fine. I did take out my original posi with stock stall, only mod was CAI, and 315 nittos. It's the stickies that get ya. You should be happy with your stock 10 bolt. Although, if I were you I'd get a torque converter instead of gears. Way more fun.

funina91ss

I recomend keeping the 10 bolt with the 3.23 gear if you want to make it stronger put in a solid pion spacer and a girdle. I have teh same setup and pull 1.54 60ft times.here is a 1.60 with et streets.

maroon94z

I race my daily driver every weekend at the local dragstrip(s) on ET Streets. Stock rearend with 3.73's and 130k miles. I've had several Camaros over the years, and never had any rear-end problems. I think it has to do with the A4 v. M6 issue more than HP.

FWIW

Bill Arning

Mike383LT1

put it simple the 10 bolt that is in the f-body is a hold over from the vega you do the math i do agree an automatic with a decent stall converter will not be as hard on the rear as a manual tranny i put in a moser 12 bolt with a 1le drive shaft all i had to do was swap out the rea u joint other than that all bolt in

BigJustinZ28

I just blew my 10 bolt on friday. I have 2 friends with f-bodys , ones a red firehawk that dynos 340 at the rear , hes had it rebuilt once already , its started whining again after a couple trips to the track. My other friend has an M6 transam with 4.10s and hes blown it once two and its making noise now again after a couple trips to the track also. Mine blew about a month after I went to the track. Made 8 passes that day. Next month I'm gonna install 3.73 richmonds and rebuild the whole thing . Gonna put nitto DR's on it and wait for springtime so I can take it to the track so I can break it again. Neeed to lower numbers !!!!! If your not gonna go to the track or run real sticky tires I'd say you are ok with the 10-bolt . But if there are any weaknesses in your rear your gonna find them at the track.

SlowAssTA

not to scare ya but im on my 11th 10 bolt... and my car had basic boltons and it kept shearing teeth off the pinion.. which some were instalation error, and there has been 3 stock rearends from stock f bodys (never been touched) that all do the same thing, Shear teeth right off the pinion, btw its a 6spd... they all like to break during the 1-2 shift.. and all have broke on street tires like kumhos, and bfg kdw's, i had dr's on for awhile and that broke the last one i had... although i have not spent that much in rearends to equal a 12 bolt, but i should have bought one a long time ago...