73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Engine/Drivetrain => Rear Drivelines, Drive Axles and Gearing => Topic started by: melocochevy84 on September 24, 2012, 08:29:52 pm
-
so i am thinking about welding the spider gears in my rearend was just wondering the pros and cons to doing this and any tips from previous trail and errors would be greatly appreicated
-
Why? It makes driving in the rain dangerous as it is making it effectively a spool. If is fine for the woods, but not for the street in my opinion.
-
It also imposes unnecessary stress on the drivetrain and accelerates drive axle tire wear.
-
My friend had a malibu set up the same way, he tried making a turn on pavement one day and sheared off all of his wheel studs....could be dangerous on dry road too.
-
I use to weld up my stock car rear-end as you describe. Poor man's posi and not a good idea for the street.
-
I welded the rear diff on my 1984 Toyota pickup. It worked just fine, but it was an off-road unit only. Funny thing was that my stock, open front diff blew and I got rid of the rear and it never had an issue.
When I upgraded to a larger 3rd member for my Toyota, I welded the rear diff again. This time it didn't turn out as well, as there was some cracking after welding. I don't think I had it cleaned well enough.
I still used it, it worked and I haven't had any problems yet. Mind you it's low speed, low power, light weight and I don't drive it very often. I'm also just planning to put a spool in if my welded diff goes kaboom anyways.
In short, if you want to have a bit of fun and are planning on an upgrade anyways, then I would weld it up. But if it's a daily driver and you can't afford to have it sitting because a welded rear diff exploded, then I wouldn't bother.