I am in the middle of rebuilding my suspension with some better parts then what came from the factory. I already have the TDS wonder bar, Spohn SFC's, and Boxed LCA's from Spohn as well. I have been seriously taking a good long look at the Spohn adjustable torque arm for my car. My question is, it it worth getting this item in conjuction with the rest of the previous items listed? I have yet to install any of these and was going to make a day out of it. Keep in mind my car is a daily driver, and isn't really auto crossed or raced that much. The only thing that turned me onto it was the fact I have heard and read they increase tracion. But then I am worried about blowing out my wimpy ten bolt. So am I crazy for wanting something like this on a daily driver???

 

I think better tires should come first....look at something softer like goodyear f1's or something else...there's plenty out there...if you still have problems hooking, then maybe go for one

 

YES, it's worth it. If you'd seen the three factory arms I've seen bent........tires are great(personally I don't reccomend the F1's to anyone) but even cheapy street tires can be made to hook pretty good with a properly built and tuned suspension. PLUS, you can quit hearing that annoying "BANG" from the trans mount breaking and the tq arm slapping it into the floor.(assuming you're looking at one with a re-located mounting point)
- anything in the system that gives is forward momentum you're giving up.

 

Usually in these cars, the single biggest bang for the buck as far as traction, is LCA relocation brackets. They correct the defective geometry from the factory, which just gets aggravated by lowering or even just normal wear of the springs.

Shagwell is right, ANY suspension or chassis part that bends or compresses or otherwise stores energy, consume energy that SHOULD be getting used to make the car go forward. No stock suspension is free of that, and these cars are worse than some, with that flexible sheet-metal thing in there. When I first put a Spohn torque arm in my car, it felt like somebody had removed a GIANT rubber band from somewhere in the drive train. Evidently the stock torque arm was flexing enough to signifcantly allow the rear to move around.

 

Unless your new torque arm is shorter than stock all your doing is eliminating flex. You're not going to get enough flex out of the torque arm to effect the pinion angle so really the flex in the torque arm is helping to soften the hit to your tires. If you look at dirt track cars they actually use a pull bar or 5th shock on their torque arm to help gain traction on rough tracks by allowing the torque arm to move a bit against a rubber snubber or spring. Of course if you are getting wheel hop, then flexing suspension links could be adding to the problem and a stiffer torque arm might help. Your torque arm should be the last part in your rear suspension to be adding to wheel hop. The soft lower control arm bushings and the control arms themselfs are a much bigger source of flex.

So yes a torque arm can in theory add to traction by being stiffer and avoiding wheel hop. Although a shorter torque arm or relocation brackets are a much better solution for increasing traction because they increase anti-squat. I wouldn't bother replacing your stock torque arm unless 1.) you're breaking stock ones (which you're not going to do with 300 HP) or 2.) You're getting a shorter than stock torque arm.

 

If your running a T5 I think it's worth it just to get the torque arm mount on the crossmember and off of the T5's tail housing.

 

my old auto hit harder than my no clutch, no lift, T5 straight shifts do(did). It pulled the mount about twice a week.... - For one, giving up ANY pinion angle is a loss, because factory angle isn't enough for a hard launch anyhow. Shorter tq arms aren't always the way to go either, that all depends on your set-up. The hp, tq, weight, ride height,gearing, trans, etc all change the ideal mounting point for the tq arm. My current arm is about 2-3" shorter. I run 6 degrees down pinion. 1.6X 60ft's on 17's with a stick......

- just because one car hooks best a certain way doesn't mean the same set-up will work for your car.

 

I was only talking about prolonging the T5's life. T5's have a problem with case flex, taking the torque arm off of the transmission tail housing and putting it on the crossmember will help.

 

i have the stock torque arm in my car with a poly bushing and poly tranny mount. then stock lca's which i boxed and lca relocation brackets. been 1.65 to the 60' so far.

 

I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place. My exhaust will not permit me to use the Spohn arm. Im still using the stock arm, with a poly bushing. My best 60', is a 1.54, and I really cant see it getting better, with the stock arm. I can always go with the Jegs arm, but I'm making a bit more power than that arm would be suited to. From some of the threads I've read, the shorter arm is better suited to milder modded cars. Id like to go long, and still have it off the trans tail, and mounted, so there is no flex.
Just like shagwell said, I cant afford to give up forward momentum. I might have on custom built, from chromoly tubing.

 

BMR!!!! BMR Fabrication Inc. has a really nice piece that is mounted to a crossmember that is welded to underchassis of the car. let's see if i can find a good picture...

OK, it's called the BMR Trak Pak and it's $379.95

 

Hey, thanks...Beautiful pics, BTW. I have Hooker 2210s, along with a Mufflex "Y", and 4" system. The "Y" pipe is the whole problem. Even my D/S loop was a real pain to fit. Spent hours modding the loop. I think I will have to have a custom one fabbed.

 

just fyi, those are not pics of my car, i'm still running the stock stuff. they are right off of bmr's site. i plan on building one myself similar though, except without the little hump in the middle, cause i'm running duals.

 

I'll post some pics of Dans87GTA's new BMR arm. We installed his Sat. Looks great, the x-member even has a curve spot made to clear the exhaust. VERY nice piece. Haven't gotten to test it yet as he ate his trans on the trip down to my place. - I already eye-balled it for my Headman LT's and a custom 2-1/2" to 3" y-pipe. Should go in pretty easy.
agreed. I hadn't thought about it that way. I've broken enough T5's I should know better.....

 

Hell ya it ate it i need to get some pics of the rear planetaries all four of the gears are barely and i mean barely being held in by the pins i cant wait to get it back on the road so i can see what that new BMR set up is going to do the funny thing is that shagwell will get to find out first then i know he will call me bragging about it Lucky SOB!!!! but after all the **** he has done for me it really doesnt bother me thanks good luck with your set up Daniel