Proverbial Chicken / egg query.. T5 vs stock axles

[skiwesser11]

For those that don’t want to read all this lol:
Will T5 or Axles break first??
Thanks!


Ok basically I know the answer is upgrade both and then some but....
I have an 88 gt.. it’s a H/C/I street car that is daily drivable.
Dyno’d 348 to tire NA.. I’d like to use no more than 125-150 shot of nitrous through a “TNW” throttle body plate or a single fogger mounted in intake or elbow before TB, plate was bought used and I’m currently trying to find info on whether I should trust the info in the pic of jet card I got from interweb as it differs a good bit from online calculator for jets for one fogger nozzle....sorry for rambling.. anyway..
Which will I break first with traction at strip, the stock spec 3.35’d 1st gear T5 or a stock axle... I really can’t afford to upgrade both (not the trans the way I’d like right now for sure)...
I’ve been told I’ll most probably break an axle first? I won’t be speedshifting but not granny shifting either... plan to launch at a yet undetermined RPM but not gonna side step at 5200.... I have a “world class” case, would a G Force gear set be a good idea at my power level? I like that I won’t need bell housing but I’ve heard case will “flex” Car won’t see more than 150 nitrous for sure... thanks guys, sorry to go on and on

 

[skiwesser11]

I have a thread showing pic of jet card and online calculator estimations

 

[Mustang5L5]

Street tires or slicks?


Slicks? Axle. Street tires...input shaft. I wouldn't be surprised if the input blew on both

 

[skiwesser11]

Sorry, MT et streets.. 26-10.5 16.... would you say I’m guaranteed to break one or the other if I don’t “baby” it which I don’t want to do.. but I don’t want to have to trailer it home either... street tires are useless.. especially the cheap ones I currently have

 

[General karthief]

You are guaranteed to break one or the other, my money is on the trans, they don't take to speed shifting. I've read the truck/explorer 8.8 has the 31 spline trac lock, get some axles, c clip eliminators and that end is done. Someone more experienced will verify this.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Honestly, launching on slicks...only a matter of time with either one in stock condition. My money is on trans

 

[RangerJoe]

I am have similar HP level, probably a touch more, and have been using a 100hp shot. I have a g force T5 and 31 spline axles. I worry about them every launch, although they have held up so far.

One bit of clarification, is the 348rwhp on motor or with the shot?

Joe

 

[skiwesser11]

I am have similar HP level, probably a touch more, and have been using a 100hp shot. I have a g force T5 and 31 spline axles. I worry about them every launch, although they have held up so far.

One bit of clarification, is the 348rwhp on motor or with the shot?

Joe

Sorry again.. that is motor only... have nitrous system plumbed but have rarely used and I believe I took out way too much timing being on safe side because it doesn’t “feel” like I’d think 100 should.. was also injecting through single fogger at time.. wet

Also 3.73 rear gears... left that out as well

 

[2000xp8]

If it wheel hops, the axles.
If not, the trans.
I had about the same rwhp and my t5 lasted like 2 weeks on the street with drag radials.

 

[Gear grabber]

You did not ask,but with a 150 shot you are at 500 h.p..
You could split a stock block as well.

 

[General karthief]

Come on guy's, it ain't fun if you don't break it!
if it's fun you want, stick some cheap rubber on the back and keep it sideways, if it's beating the car next to ya well, your gonna break sht. Thats the fun of it.
t5 is rated at what 325- 350 lb ft torque, a little more with the g force stuff.
It's a never ending battle this stuff.
Transmission, clutch, torque boxes, all in fun.

 

[skiwesser11]

You did not ask,but with a 150 shot you are at 500 h.p..
You could split a stock block as well.

Touché..especially with me at the controls!! Which is why I’m so conservative with timing... I have guys tell me to not pull any timing on 100 shot?!? I don’t know if my brain will let me do that.. especially with my confusion over jet sizes with the plate... maybe I’ll wait and have fun with cheap tires knowing I won’t break anything until someone I trust knows what they’re talking about comes along, eh maybe not lol...thanks again guys!!

 

[96pushrod]

FWIW I'm at 400+whp with stock axles using 315 555R street radials. I'm kind of surprised they have held up, the nittos actually hook pretty good if the pavement is a little warm so I'm sure the 28 splines don't like them....

Before I actually do some clutch dumps with slicks I'm going to replace the axles and carrier with 31 spline units.

If I'm in your shoes and could only replace one of the 2, I'd rather twist an input shaft at 100mph than snap an axle.

 

[skiwesser11]

What are your 60’ times ?
315’s? On what year? I don’t think I can stuff 315’s under mine.

FWIW I'm at 400+whp with stock axles using 315 555R street radials. I'm kind of surprised they have held up, the nittos actually hook pretty good if the pavement is a little warm so I'm sure the 28 splines don't like them....

Before I actually do some clutch dumps with slicks I'm going to replace the axles and carrier with 31 spline units.

If I'm in your shoes and could only replace one of the 2, I'd rather twist an input shaft at 100mph than snap an axle.[

 

[skiwesser11]

Does anyone have any info or experience with the TNW throttle body plate??
Is spraying even what “should” be an 80hp shot and pulling NO TIMING seem like a good idea to anyone lol? Although now I can pull 1 degree at a time.. still with my lack of experience I’m afraid.... but also in my experience with an alleged 100hp shot and 4 degrees retarded manually at distributor it certainly did NOT feel like an extra 100... could barely feel the difference if at all

 

[skiwesser11]

Come on guy's, it ain't fun if you don't break it!
if it's fun you want, stick some cheap rubber on the back and keep it sideways, if it's beating the car next to ya well, your gonna break sht. Thats the fun of it.
t5 is rated at what 325- 350 lb ft torque, a little more with the g force stuff.
It's a never ending battle this stuff.
Transmission, clutch, torque boxes, all in fun.

Agreed!! Which is why I currently have cheap tires that allow me to spin all the way through 3rd... it’s awesome!!

 

[96pushrod]

What are your 60’ times ?
315’s? On what year? I don’t think I can stuff 315’s under mine.

Does anyone have any info or experience with the TNW throttle body plate??
Is spraying even what “should” be an 80hp shot and pulling NO TIMING seem like a good idea to anyone lol? Although now I can pull 1 degree at a time.. still with my lack of experience I’m afraid.... but also in my experience with an alleged 100hp shot and 4 degrees retarded manually at distributor it certainly did NOT feel like an extra 100... could barely feel the difference if at all

My car is a 95, tons of room for wide tires if you remove the quad shocks. I could probably do even wider than a 315 if I wanted. Haven’t ran this setup at the track yet. All I can tell you is it hooks pretty good on the street. Good enough that I wouldn’t trust a stock t5 behind it. That’s what the a5 trans is for

4 degrees pulled for a 100 shot is too much. I’d try 2* and see how that feels. You didn’t say if you had stock heat range plugs or not but those should be good too.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I'm reading this thing and all the while thinking.......

You don't want to find out.

A C-clipped axle is the only thing holding the wheel/tire under the car. Snap that thing, and the tire generally trashes the quarter when the tire tries to leave the building. And that's if the break happens immediately at launch. You don't want it to fail anywhere after that.....lest you meet up with a guard rail or worse. I used to find it weirdly amusing when a 10 or 12 bolt Chevy rear would fail and some Chevy boy's Camaro would be dead on arrival because of it, but when the 8.8 came along...Mustang joined the club.

So my advice is axles. And C clip eliminators if you drag race on slicks. (Some NHRA tracks won't let you by without them) If the trans breaks, It breaks..no collateral damage 90% of the time. If an axle goes, it can be a really bad day.

 

[Gear grabber]

My car is a 95, tons of room for wide tires if you remove the quad shocks. I could probably do even wider than a 315 if I wanted. Haven’t ran this setup at the track yet. All I can tell you is it hooks pretty good on the street. Good enough that I wouldn’t trust a stock t5 behind it. That’s what the a5 trans is for

4 degrees pulled for a 100 shot is too much. I’d try 2* and see how that feels. You didn’t say if you had stock heat range plugs or not but those should be good too.

With no knowledge of the o.p.'s compression,total timing,AFR etc. Making a blanket timing statement is not a good idea.

 

[96pushrod]

With no knowledge of the o.p.'s compression,total timing,AFR etc. Making a blanket timing statement is not a good idea.

Well with not knowing much of his combo, that’s what I would recommend - assuming he’s running 93 octane with an acceptable afr (11.5+ ish) for nitrous use.

If he wants to post up some more data maybe some better advise can be given as far as the timing curve. Pulling 2 degrees is where I’d start.