8 1/4 rear end pros and cons
If I'm not mistaken the 8-1/4 has a larger input shaft diameter than the 741 does. Not that the input shaft is the weak point, it's just nice to know. There's a lot of guys out there running 8.25s with enough grunt to pull the wheels off the ground. I really don't think you'll ever damage one with street tires. Especially in a light A-Body.