The Most Devastating Engineering Miscue Found in Early A-Bodies

I don't know either, but Dr Diff says there ain't much difference between the three,,
Pinion Comparison - Quality Body Shop Drivetrain

and personally, I have seen axel shafts twisted at the spline end, gears stripped from a ring - pinion and once the bearing caps blown off, but I have never seen a pinion shaft break
I have, but, it was probably from a pinion bearing failure. Hard to tell once everything explodes as to which came first.