Rear End
Add me to the list of people who started with a 7 and 1/4 and blew it out the first weekend! It lasted about 3 burnouts (no hard launching) I thought the right rear tire would be the weak link..turns out I was the ring and pinion gear that smoked and tore up rather than the tire. I now have a Dana 60 with 3.54 gears (it cost me about $3500 plus about 200 in labor to have someone change the leaf spring u-bolts, and hook up the new drive shaft. Trust me....if you have the 7 1/4..you are about to knock over a stack of dominoes ($100 bills). IF your planning on making the engine stout, your gonna need something stout all the way back (solid trans, solid driveshaft, and solid rear end). Good luck! You said you are deployed, God bless you and your family and thank you for serving our country. Wish I could buy you lunch!