I must have missed where he said he wanted a bolt in scenerio....

 

It's wheel hop that will break it. If no hop you will be fine with 30/33spline 10 bolt with good parts. I wouldn't run the 28spline axles. In all honest 3.42 gears should be stronger than 3.73's due to larger pinion. Like said above there are 80's yr trucks with the 9.5" 14 bolt as well.

 

If I decide to buy a 14 bolt, it will be a '88+ because that is the first year of the 6 lug models of the 9.5". So I'd be cutting/welding spring perches anyway.

I am not against going with a Dana 60, but finding one with the width I need might be interesting.

Before the Gov-Loc quit, I was laying down two solid black stripes without a hint of wheel hop.

 

A early 90s 454ss truck will have a 9.5 with 5x5 pattern. Then you'd just need a set of spring perches.

I am not sure who has been the quickest with a 10 bolt but Flaco went 9.50s.

 

1990-1993 SS454 axles arent just lying around easy to find. Its true it would be nice setup, but not likely to happen.

 

I've been running my stock 10 bolt for a few yrs with no probs. My truck weighs in at just under 6000lbs running mid 12s, but on 32.5" o.d. street tires, so I cant speak on what, if anything, would happen to the 10-bolt if I hooked up with slicks. I've been through 2 built trans, blown G80, and sheared 4 teeth off my ring gear, but no problems with the stock 10 bolt, and I beat on it a lot. Only thing aftermarket in the rearend are the 4.56 gears and true-trac.

 

not to sure but a guy at work claims he has a truck from a police auctuion that was supposedly seized as a daily driver, when he serviced the rear diff he was scooping metal shavings out with a spoon and the gear oil looked like the liquid metal terminator. 125k miles. no idea what could do that to a rear end.