Re: [Amc-list] 71 Gremlin 232 (AMC 15 axle vs AMC 20)

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

Don't sell the 15 short! It will stand up to around 300 hp easy enough. I ran one in my 4.6L stroker for a while with no problems at all. It would roast one tire in first for as long as I cared to hold the accelerator down -- I always ran out of parking lot with safe stopping distance. The speedo would reach 65-70, but I was never actually moving more than 35 or so. That was with 205/70R15 street radials. Now if you plan on running tires over 8" wide or narrow slicks you might break something. Other than that the 15 is good for 300 hp or so. My 4.6L develops around 260-270 hp (net, which would be 330-345 gross), and it was in a heavier car than a Spirit (63 Classic wagon). I have no doubts the AMC 15 would have lasted 50K+ miles -- it already had 104K on it when I got the car! Never so much as replaced a bearing or heard the least bit of complaint from it the two years I had it. I ran a D35 from a Commanche for another two years, but it just did fit with 3-3/4" backset wheels
 . Had to replace bearings on that one, but it was a high mileage (and probably abused) junkyard pull. Got the D44 (Jaguar) in it now, which is supposedly good for 500-600 hp. But it's just there because I found a rebuildable core cheap, and decided the IRS would be neat in a Rambler wagon. Won't go that route again (ended up costing me $1800)!! 

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Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:55:20 -0800
From: Jim Blair <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>

On my own car:
I'm in the market for a Model 20 for my '82 Spirit (near Seattle) for the same reason. I just had to get a shop (Randy's Ring and Pinion) to fix the rear wheelbearing on my Model 15 (they called it a Model 35) but since I'm pumping up my motor (4.0L head with EFI and 2wd AW4 auto) I figure I need to get started on strengthening things now before my right foot gets too heavy!
I thought about using the 2wd 727 I have (from a postal Jeep) but they are too power absorptive for my liking.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)


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