7 1/4 rear strength

This subject has come up a few times in the past. So here again is my take on this... There is no doubt the 7.25 is the weakest of the rear ends in our beloved Mopars, but I am in the group that does NOT believe they are total junk. I had a 7.25 sure grip, 276 gears in my Dart (which started out /6)... kept it in when I upgraded to a 360... Drove it for 2 years that way... and i wasnt always kind to it.. lol.. There was plenty of spirited driving.. took it on a 300 mile trip to the Mopar Nats (twice!), and it was still doing its job when I finally pulled it in favor of an 8.75... While I may be the exception to the rule as far as how well they hold up (especially during spirited driving) I would have to say that as long as you dont have some monster high horse motor in your car and your just driving it as you would drive any other car (and not beating the snot out of it) the 7.25 should hold up... I got a great deal on an 8.75 and couldnt pass it up.. and I always planned to put more pony's under the hood.. so the upgrade was needed.. hope this helps some