7 1/4 rear strength

I've obliterated 3 of them ( all open rears ) 2 in slant cars, one in a 318. IMHO it's when and how bad it will fail. The spider gears went in all of them.

Now that being said, I've daily driven a 7 1/4 rear for 6 years, 3 of those years with a manual, and 2 years with a turbo installed on the slant and it held up. Have I learned how to drive better as to not kill the rear end? Have I "settled down" and drive like a grandma to save the rear? NOPE, I drive like a wild moron :D Well not exactly but you get the point. Some last, some don't.
Do you have a good lasting 7 1/4 in your car? Beat on it and find out :lol: Just make sure you have a backup or that you can stand it being down for a while...I don't think they are all that bad per se, after all they are 35-40 years old at this point...

Seriously, bigger rears are getting pricey, but keep your eyes open and be ready to jump on a good deal when you find one, they're out there. If you're not a purist look at the phord 8.8 rear swap...I just did one, it's pretty easy, you get disc brakes and a limited slip rear in the process if you buy the right one. I think I paid $200 for the whole conversion, I couldn't resist the benefits vs cost calculation for the 8 3/4 vs the 8.8 but then again, my car is no show car.
ok, my rambling is over ;)