Car is in the sig.... coming off the line, I'm getting some serious wheelhop.

I'm wondering what would be the best (traction-wise) bang for the buck mod I could do... SLP $99 Posi with 28spline axles (I have the axles already), Spohn LCA's ($145 for the adjustables) and would a Poly torque arm bushing help at all?

Thanks!

 

some LCA relocation brackets, and LCA's, then an adjustable torque arm

 

I was looking at the adjustable lcas, as I'll be dropping the car later - with the adjustables, I can fix the pinion angle, and I'll get an adjustable panhard bar then as well. I don't want to drop over $150 or so into this right now, so a new torque arm is out of the question!

1) SLP Posi
2) Spohn Adjustable LCAs
3) Poly Torque arm Mount

Which will give me the biggest increase in traction... 3.42 open rear, btw.

 

You need LCA lowering brackets, and some aftermarket LCAs. Adjustable ones aren't necessary.

The single biggest bang-for-the-buck mod I've ever done to my suspension, was the brackets. They were almost a revolutionary improvement. I already had Lakewood LCAs and a Spohn adjustable torque arm; neither of those things did anything much to the wheel hop, although they tightened up the overall feel of the car immensely. Then when I put on the brackets (also Spohn), they completely cured it.

I'm quite sure that the stock LCAs (which are so weak I could bend them with my hands) would have preserved some of the hop even with the lowering brackets. One of the stock ones was visibly "ballooned" out, probably from bending so much.

The pinion angle is rarely "broken" on these cars. It probably doesn't need "fixing". Don't spend money with that motivation. That's a seriously misplaced priority.

 

How about the Spohn standard poly LCAs + Brackets, then?

And do you guys really think the LCAs will improve my traction more than having both wheels putting power to the pavement?

 

I just did an entire suspension upgrade. I installed lowering springs, new shocks and struts all around from KYB, an adjustable panhard bar from Lakewood, a wonderbar from a z28 ,BMR LCA relocation brackets and Lakewood LCAs. I had horrible wheel hop before all this and now there is none at all. I don't have a posi rearend and I wouldn't recommend getting a posi untill you get the rest of the suspension up to date if you don't the wheel hop will be even worse, only this time it will be both wheels hopping like crazy. Get the rest of it under control before you make it worse.

 

I think that would be an excellent choice: you'd be getting the 2 things that are the most inadequate, and that also cost the least. Hard to beat that on the bang-for-the-buck scale.

Yes, I would do the brackets before a posi; if for no other reason besides cost and ease.

 

Ok then... I'll do the LCA's + brackets. I'll need the brackets after I lower the car anyway, won't I?

 

Yes you will.

 

Are the brackets really that much of an improvement? I have an auburn posi, and 3.73 gears and I have lots of spin. The car isn't lowered and it has all stock rear suspension. Should this be my first mod? I don't have any wheel hop, just spin. I am trying to hit at least mid 13s, I hit 14.0 last summer with 2.73s. I dont want to be sorry I did the gear swap due to the tires frying.

 

Relocation brackets are definatly the best.

I just built a 350 into my '87 IROC. I hook up well if I'm going faster than about 30mph. Anything off the line is wasted tire. So I'm getting the brackets and boxing my LCA... don't see the need to spend the money for aftermarket ones when I can make them stronger with steel and put some poly bushings in there.

If you think about how the brackets work, you'll understand how it helps SO MUCH.

The control arms now are even with the ground roughly. When you start to turn your wheels, the bar changes angle as the rear of your car "squats"... now instead of even with the ground having the rear push directly at the body.... the rear is pushing the body down and lifting the rear up in essence.

With the brackets, the lca moves in an upward angle from the rear to the body. Now when you turn the wheels, the rear pushing against the body... the angle of the LCA pushes the body up... and the force of the body going up, actually pushes down on the tires.

This is the best thing you can do to get traction, not to mention drop your PSI of the tires to about 15-20psi.

You don't need the posi yet. The posi helps you launch "so they say", but in my experiance going from open to posi just means with posi I fish tail more, and can do cookies. Not to mention there is alot of MIC-ing and precision involved in changing anything from your rear. If you can put those brackets on and get the LCA's you'll have all the power to BOTH wheels... provided you don't spin the tires. Because if you don't spin the tires, all the power is going to them.

 

Pardon the crudeness of my drawing, but this explains it more with visuals!

Keep in mind which way the tires move.... that's how the body gets pushed down.

 

anyone running BMR brackets with spohn LCA's? this is the combo i'm going with. i'm guessing these arms should have no problems fitting the BMR's.

 

shouldnt be a problem since the bmr's work with the stock lca's, the spohn's are the same size, so they should work together.

 

I just ordered a set of the BMR brackets. gonna try 'em out with the stock arms first and see if there's any improvement in traction.

 

how about quit dumping the clutch. learn to launch first. but yes LCAs and relocation brackets will help.