Typical Reliable 60' Times With FC NA Rear?

[wes kiser]

My 2.3 ford turbo swap has been together for a few years now, with maybe 10k miles accumulated.  I have finally got around to getting the car ready to go down the strip.  In easy "pump gas" trim, it only makes 295 rwhp.  Transmission is a 3.97 t5.

I have replaced the front diff mount (was destroyed, which surprised me given I typically just roll into it 2nd gear and up), and installed a pinion snubber.  At the dragstrip I will run 26x10 ET Drags.

I tune for quite a few 2.3 guys(mostly fox mustangs) that are hardcore track guys, and am tired of them giving me crap about not racing mine.  I am not really trying to knock it out of the park, but am curious what sort of 60' times people have reliably put down with manual tranny FC's, with NA rear ends.   I have a spare diff and halfshafts, so I can break it once and still be ok. 

[Pez]

I broke 2 na rears with ET Streets in a car that made 342hp. I do not suggest combining sticky Mickeys with 300hp at the drag strip on a na rear.

[MoparX]

Mine broke a stub shaft at the 1-2 shift (auto trans) after a 1.79 60 ft.  I run Nitto 555r's, and there was no spin or wheel hop.  The only mod to the diff was I added a pinion snubber.

On the other hand, with a TII 54 diff, a few guys have gone down in the 1.20's with them.  I wouldn't say that's reliable, but there's a pretty big difference in strength between the n/a and tubo diffs.

[N2v8fcs]

I broke three stub shafts and a n/a posi unit in my old FC,on 235 60 15 MT DRs. It  had around 315 rwhp . I finally saw the "light" when T2, and never had a problem since .

[zbrown]

the good thing is the 2.3 is going to act like the turbo rotary more than the v8

and the slicks are going to help it live compared to the DRs too, going to act like a spring.  They will be very unlikely to wheel hop which is instant death

Now i am not going to say it is going to last, but it could for a good long while

when i had a turbo rotary with a plain regular NA reared i never had a problem, i had it worked out where i never really had wheel hop ever though

i pulled quite a few low 1.6, high 1.5 60fts at the track with small 7" wide slicks. 

wasn't side stepping the clutch, but close

it finally broke with a 6.0 and big converter when i hammered it on the street with the MT DRs and it hopped one time and it stripped all the teeth off the pinion

stuck another NA rear end in with welded spiders and it lasted till i put the 8.8 in

[wes kiser]

If I don't launch harder than this:


I don't ever have to worry about breaking anything.  Guessed WAY low on launch rpm with the aluminum flywheel (4200), and didn't stay on the limiter long enough (so left with less than 10psi).  I bogged down to 1500 rpm.  From inside the car it didn't feal that sad, but the video is embarrasing.  First pass ever on slicks, and first time on track in 10 years.

The 1-2 and 2-3 gearchanges I felt were decent, and then the turbo failed immediately following the 2-3 gearchange.  Got a replacement ready to go on.  I found the turbine wheel in the muffler.  I am relatively certain the big bangs from the cut pattern I selected helped it along, as it failed 2 days after I change launch/flatshift to a spark cut for the hard cut.  I actualy prefer to get it all with spark retard, but until I rewire for COP (happening now) I just can't pull it back far enough.

Either way, 2.04 60', 8.89 1/8th at only 71 mph.  I felt like one more pass would have got me maybe a 1.9, 8.40 @87.

[Sabre002]

Ha good old Mooresville drag way.   

I tore up a NA diff in a few hours wih a stock LS1.

[wes kiser]

I went back and tried with ET drags.  Left at 5300 rpm and 17psi.  Car did not move (broke driver side stub shaft).  Looking at T2 stuff, and it appears to have gotten more valuable the last couple of years.

[gnx7]

Anyone drag racing with an N/A FC 7" ring gear diff and a manual transmission on sticky tires should expect parts breakage. 
The '86-88 T2 LSD is a clutch pack style 8" ring gear setup.  Make sure you get the axles that go with them. 

Maybe you should simply upgrade to the Ronin 8.8" IRS setup now?  You get better gear ratio selection too.

[wes kiser]

Anyone drag racing with an N/A FC 7" ring gear diff and a manual transmission on sticky tires should expect parts breakage. 
The '86-88 T2 LSD is a clutch pack style 8" ring gear setup.  Make sure you get the axles that go with them. 

Maybe you should simply upgrade to the Ronin 8.8" IRS setup now?  You get better gear ratio selection too.

I am definately eyeing the Ronin setup.  The initial buy in is hard to justify for my goals (quite reasonably priced) , but I am left with a solid setup that is easy to service.   It can't get much more "universal" than a 31 spline track lock 8.8.

I am actually having a hard time finding turbo 2 stuff with axles.  There area few guys on the forum with diffs for sale, but they don't seam to be selling the axles.

I am actually kinda surprised my puny little 2.3 broke a stub on its first "angry" launch.

[383mazda]

No fun - I had my NA rear live for a few years with 300rwhp - I always had the stock wheels and tires on it though.   60 "footed" around 2.1 most of the time.  2.03 being the best.