[el.3milio]

So, I have a 1991 1st generation s10, Put in a 5.3 LS and a 4L60E transmission in it. I am planning on eventually pushing 450-550 whp. I have a good bit of experience working on motors, but I don't know a whole lot about rear ends. So, my question is, What Rear end should I run to be able to have fun in the truck and not worry about blowing it?

Thank You!

 

[bnokle]

8.8 explorer I think.

 

[Gen210]

8.8 in my toy
8.5 in my daily
I would definitely recommend the 8.8 it's an easier bolt in and is stronger.

 

[bk2life]

pushing 450-550 whp.

8.8 is the cheapest option to intsall a LSD and disc brake rear under it.
Next, 550WHP is pretty impressive, I would build a 9" for it, and the reason why is i would be running a detroit locker, and proibbly 35 spline axles.
with a good slick, 4500 stall, 200 or 300 shot of No2, yourre going to be puytting out quite a bit of power, and, you would never have to worry about it.
An 8.8 is strong, but at that power level, id cut the ends off, install 9" ends, and slide in 9" non c clip axles. At that point, might as well build a 9" so you can fine tune your gear ratio easier

 

[oldeerslayer]

X2 for a 9 inch if those are realistic HP numbers. Be honest with yourself about that. Quite a bit for a 5.3 that hasn't been extensively modified. A 4L60E won't like that kind of power w/o some expensive upgrades, also. Hardened input and output shaft alone are costly.