Will a 7 1/4 rear end live with a 318 as long as I'm not beating on it all the time? I'll eventually switch to the bigger rear end but would at least like to use this one to cruise while I'm looking for one.
I have a 318 with Comp XE268 cam and 904 with a shift kit in front of a 7 1/4. It should hold up as long as you don't do any neutral drops, excessive burnouts, or launch extremely hard. You can get on it once and a while and it will hold up, but don't expect it to last a long time if you are ricky racing all of the time. I think this goes for any rear really, as anything can be broken. This all is true if the rear is in decent shape,of course, with no vibrations or noises at the moment. Over time, sometime in the future, you may want to shop around for a 3.23 or 3.55 geared 8 1/4 rear or a 8 3/4, although the 8 1/4 would suffice and be much cheaper in the end. Im on the lookout for a 8 3/4, as I will be at the track occasionally. As long as you are not thrashing on it and maintain it, it should hold up ok. Have fun.