How much HP can a stock 260Z differential handle?

[Alri]

I have a 260z with a 350 in it and a stock rear end. I want to add more power to the engine without damaging the rear end. So I want to know how much HP will the stock 260z rear end handle before it breaks.

[240zV8]

150 bucks or less at a junkyard and u could just put a r200 in and not worry. From everything i've seen, it's not much work.. check these sites about the swap

 

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/6212/diffswap/diffswap.htm

http://www.geocities.com/madmanadam/Z-car/r200swap.html

[240zV8]

the search button comes up with alot of people sayin the 180 rearend barely holds the torque of a stock 350, most break..

[Jackhammer]

Since you didn't state how you intend to drive this 350 with more horsepower thats not easy to answer. If you plan to launch and shift it hard ...chances are good you will break at some point... it is just a matter of when. If you drive it smooth and easy on the petals perhaps... never.

 

IMO there is no sense in adding extra HP if you can't have some fun with it and to me that means "gettin' on it" once in a while. So why spoil some of the fun with a r180 diff.? Get a r200 diff. and upgrade the half-shafts and not have to worry about breaking things.

 

Jack

[Alri]

Since you didn't state how you intend to drive this 350 with more horsepower thats not easy to answer. If you plan to launch and shift it hard ...chances are good you will break at some point... it is just a matter of when. If you drive it smooth and easy on the petals perhaps... never.

 

IMO there is no sense in adding extra HP if you can't have some fun with it and to me that means "gettin' on it" once in a while. So why spoil some of the fun with a r180 diff.? Get a r200 diff. and upgrade the half-shafts and not have to worry about breaking things.

 

Jack

 

I drive this car only 2-3 times a month, everytime I drive it I get on it hard. I've never had a problem with the half-shafts or differential, only problem I had was when the U-bolt on the driveshaft broke. The r200 seems like a good thing to get, I never even though about it. Will the r200 give me a higher top speed? currently my top speed is 100MPH with the 3 speed auto tranny.

[pparaska]

This has been asked here before. Try the search engine.

 

I know somebody that used an R180 in his 350 powered 240Z for many years, with a WC T-5. He never broke it. Just a data point.

[jnjdragracing]

I will let you know after SEZ#7, but we are using a R200 rear end with 3.54 gear ratio, so far our top speed has been 154 mph in the 1/4 at 9.21 seconds.

 

John

[Michael]

Recently I had occasion to take my Z to the local dyno/hot-rod shop. One of the first questions asked by EVERY technician is “what kind of rear end do you have in it?” Evidently rear-end failure is a common problem with muscle-car-based performance cars. Maybe it is the suspension setup, maybe it is something endemic in solid axles, or maybe it’s the weight of most of these cars. My point is that many people seem to be really concerned with whether the rear end will survive - whereas the preponderance of experience on this site is that the R200 differential is far, far down the chain of likely failure items. Many other things will likely fail first.

[Alri]

I went to a local shop yesterday to pick up some parts and I saw a differential on the floor, so i asked the guy what kind of differential was it, he tells me it's from a datsun. I asked what kind? he says R200, so I ended up buying it for a good price. And now I'm glad that I have one less thing to worry about with my car.