G80/rear axles limit?

2004LB7

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2010
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Norcal
The G80 tends to fail when different wheel speeds come up quickly and then it locks up. Easy on the throttle when you have a slipping tire will allow it to last a long time.

Playing in the mud, doing burn outs, etc with lots of spirited acceleration will shorten it life
 

Hambone

Always learning
Jan 24, 2016
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Florida
What's a good next step after you have reached the limitations of the g80?
Would you just say replace the diff maybe go bigger axles?
 

Blackmax123

Member
Aug 2, 2014
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central Pennsylvania
Broke my g80 and both axles at the same time. Making around 675hp sled pulling. Replaced mine with grizzly locker and 38 spline dhd gun drilled axles.

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D1rty-max

Spare some change?
Jul 16, 2015
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Longview, TX
well that's what I was afraid to hear guess I'll have to replace the locker and axles do you guys recommend anything else when the motor gets back I should be at the 1k mark
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
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Phoenix Az
It all comes down to what the truck is used for.

daily driving, towing and off roading i have never hurt an axle or ring and pinion. my old G80 was starting to wear out but that was it. wasnt broke. thats 600hp daily driven and towed on. i now have 4.56's and a fresh g80 in there with no issues either.

sled pulling is HARD on the rear axle. you have a shit ton of weight loaded down on it, decent traction but the tires are spinning and loading/unloading of the axle if there is any kind of hop as you go down the track. its an axles worse nightmare. shock load is what will take diff parts as well as axles but there is a breaking limit for everything even if no shock load.

a drag truck rear end will never see the abuse a sled truck sees.
 

ikeG

Oughta Know Better
Apr 19, 2011
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Another point to consider is that the numerically lower ratios are a lot stronger than the higher ones. The tooth count and amount of contact is much greater on 3.42 than 4.88 for instance. So much so that in sled pulling applications that typically break all the ring gear teeth off, like 4.88s, regearing to 3.42s will shear the pinion completely off and leave the gear teeth perfect. Problem is faster r&p ratios load the trans and transfer case much harder.

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D1rty-max

Spare some change?
Jul 16, 2015
132
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Longview, TX
Ive seen a few trucks break mid tens with stock rears. But I guess pullers are SOL and need to upgrade at 600hp?

Op what are you using the truck for?

I'll be using the truck for mainly DD, and occasionally at the track. I'm hoping the stock axles will support the 1k hp mark, I think I'm going to go with the grizzly locker to replace the g80 though.