Can a D36 hold roughly 450whp/450lb-ft tq?

Would it be better to swap to a D44 early on in the build?

 

Yes.....and no....

of course every response you get on here will be "switch to a D44"

If you are running a D36 with less than 100K miles on it ( Try to run some ~20 year old worn out POS and get good results) it should be ok

But alas, after years of service and abuse, ONE fails and now they are labeled too weak.

So your question needs a qualifier. Is your D36 in good operating condition or is a ~20 year old 100k mile POS that is already on it's last leg....and then you put 450 ft lbs torque into it and expect miracles.

 

yep,depending on how you drive it and how stick your tires are

 

She has exactly 61k miles on her

 

Are you staying with the stock ratio? If not, then a good quality ring and pinion set and careful attention on the part of the person doing the work should allow the D36 to do fine.

I would also check all 6 of the u-joints and maybe replace them with HD units.

 

With an automatic if you stick with street tires, you should be ok. Hit the track with stickies and it won't last too long.

 

I'm planning on replacing my stock 3.07 with 3.54's

I'll always be running street tires, but I'm worried about upgrading to 315's

 

Depends on how much shock loading you're going to subject the differential to. I've been running a D36 behind a turbo 355 6 spd, but I do all my track time on a road course, rather than a drag strip. I've got a decent amount of power going through the drivetrain, but I don't have the shock loading from a hi-rpm clutch dump.

Just depends on how much abuse the differential has to deal with.

 

I am running mid to high 12's ON STREET TIRES on a rebuilt Dana 36 with aftermarket gears (Precision 3.73 ring and pinion) on a 6 speed manual ZF tranny.......been through clutches but the rear end handles everything well so far (including drag strip time) for the last five years... running 275 Dunlops.......never have run drag radials though.....I think that is the key........tire spin absorbs the shock.......

 

If I did in fact blow the d36, would it be better to buy a d36 again or go with the d44?

 

well, if you have a choice in the matter, definately go with the superior rear end (the Dana 44); budgets aside.......but if you do, you will need a different drive shaft, c-beam, etc. to accomodate the modifcation (the Dana 44 is a little longer). But like I said, budgets aside......you might get sticker shock when pricing used Dana 44's.......people are proud of them......almost better off parting out a 6 speed C4 than selling it outright for the drive train alone....exageration of course, but just making a point

 

If you're going to go this route I'd suggest just getting the D44 instead and be done with it.

 

Not withstanding aftermarket gear sets for D36's are almost twice the price of ones for a D44 ; rebuild parts , bearings / clutches are similar price

 

Well, D36s are around $250......

D44s are around $1250.....

Let your budget decide how much overkill you would like to partake in.

Also, since they are close in price for rebuilding, No one ever states that a D44 won't grenade on you in forever....They can blow as well.

J&S Gear in Huntington Beach Cal...

John over there was a Top 25 in the country GM technician, He used to teach other techs on D36s/D44s for GM.

A few years ago he decided to go it alone and bought J&S Gear.

This guy is differential "GOLD".......He knew more about D36s and D44s than anyone perusing this and any other forum. This guy had in stock all the bits and pieces for D36s/D44s......while most shops had trouble identifying what kind of Differential I had just walked in with......

When I posed this same question to him....He scoffed and told me that whoever said the D36 was weak, didn't know what they were talking about.

I am sorry, but I'm sitting there looking at all his credentials hanging on the wall that go back over 30 years.......and the fact that he KNEW more little things about D36s (did you know there were two versions? and yes it is important to know, but only if you are rebuilding them) Then he makes statements that go against any of the conventional wisdom found here or anywhere......I have to go with what I saw and heard.

Now....let me finish by saying that......When I was trying to rebuild my D36......There were very very few that could tell me anything about what was inside one of these things.......I pleaded for days unsuccessfully for anyone to explain how to get the stub shaft out so I could replace a bearing........

No one had a clue........

When I found G&S, John had the stub axles out and the pinion on the bench in 73 seconds.......Then he knocked out the bearing.....so what took me three days to fail using this forum, he took care of in roughly 2 minutes. He rebuilt the D36 in a few hours and I was picking up my rebuilt unit first thing that next morning....

Just stating the facts....you draw your own conclusions

 

for wha tit costs to get gears in a D38, or rebuild them.... If you are going to race, and you want to make power you have to have a D44. In the long run you will be more money ahead getting a used D44 set up, then building a D36 and destroying it.

 

^^He already has a D36.....

 

Thanks for all of the input guys. I'll probably put the car on the strip maybe once a year tops, and it won't have drag radials/slicks equipped. With that being said, the D36 appears as though it should suffice. What is this bit about installing stuff on the 36 is way more expensive than the 44? I want to get a 3.54 R&P set to replace my 3.07's, but I've heard many say that the install is close to 1k. Is this because it's a 36?

 

As noted above
Install costs are the same ( $500ish ), service parts ( bearings / seals / clutches ) similar cost

D36 gearset are twice the price of D44 ones
http://www.corvetterecycling.com/pro...36-354-usg.htm
http://www.corvetterecycling.com/pro...4hd-354-ng.htm

 

I have stacks of track slips with a D36 with 3.73's. I have used drag radials and now cheater slicks(high 11's). I have stripped (1) internal gear and replaced it with a used one over a year or 2 ago. I doubt you will have any problems with street tires, they'll just spin. I have a D44 in the garage waiting for the need.

 

Why such the high price for the R&P? Vette tax?
How much power are you making?