adjustable Torque Arm?
#1
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Car: 89 Formula 350
Engine: Forged 385 H/C/I
Transmission: 700R4-4300 Stall-lockup
Axle/Gears: BW 9 Bolt 3:70
adjustable Torque Arm?
I'm having a lot of traction issues from launch. car is putting just under 400 HP to the wheels and has a 3000 stall that is really flashing to 4400. I have MT DRs , LCARBs, LCAs, and PHB, still blaze the tire at WOT launch. I was wondering if an adj. Tq. arm would help???
Last edited by TPI-Formula350-; 09-22-2012 at 11:04 PM.
#2
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Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
Do you have a stock TA at the moment? The x-member mounted one is alot better than the tranny mount one for racing (it's more harsh though). Also, adding weight to the rear might help a bit too. You could relocate the battery to the rear? Also what are your spring rates front and rear (hotchkiss IIRC are pretty stiff, perhaps too stiff for the rear with that much power?). Also are your shocks and struts adjustable? You could play with that as well to get more weight to the rear. Also what hole is your LCARB set at ? IF you are JUST doing drag with the car set it to the lowest hole and you should get better traction (doing this is not that great for handling performance though). Also you could run less pressure in the rear tires and more in the front tires and this might improve it slightly.
#3
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Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
It definatley wouldn't hurt to get an aftermarket TA!
Did you take off your front sway bar?
What's the condition of your front struts? Rear shocks? Rear springs?
How is your torque arm mount? Is it old? It may have too much slop
Are you LCA adjustable?
What tire pressure?
What has been your best 60ft up to now?
Maybe your track isn't prepped enough?
I have stock LCA, stock TA, 275 MT dr(18psi), stock PHB, (but I have the ability to adjust my TA b/c I have a ford 9" diff). I have LCARBS(lowest hole). I took the front sway bar off, I relocated my battery to the back. My best 60ft is a 1.46.
Did you take off your front sway bar?
What's the condition of your front struts? Rear shocks? Rear springs?
How is your torque arm mount? Is it old? It may have too much slop
Are you LCA adjustable?
What tire pressure?
What has been your best 60ft up to now?
Maybe your track isn't prepped enough?
I have stock LCA, stock TA, 275 MT dr(18psi), stock PHB, (but I have the ability to adjust my TA b/c I have a ford 9" diff). I have LCARBS(lowest hole). I took the front sway bar off, I relocated my battery to the back. My best 60ft is a 1.46.
#4
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Car: 89 Formula 350
Engine: Forged 385 H/C/I
Transmission: 700R4-4300 Stall-lockup
Axle/Gears: BW 9 Bolt 3:70
Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
It definatley wouldn't hurt to get an aftermarket TA!
Did you take off your front sway bar?
What's the condition of your front struts? Rear shocks? Rear springs?
How is your torque arm mount? Is it old? It may have too much slop
Are you LCA adjustable?
What tire pressure?
What has been your best 60ft up to now?
Maybe your track isn't prepped enough?
I have stock LCA, stock TA, 275 MT dr(18psi), stock PHB, (but I have the ability to adjust my TA b/c I have a ford 9" diff). I have LCARBS(lowest hole). I took the front sway bar off, I relocated my battery to the back. My best 60ft is a 1.46.
Did you take off your front sway bar?
What's the condition of your front struts? Rear shocks? Rear springs?
How is your torque arm mount? Is it old? It may have too much slop
Are you LCA adjustable?
What tire pressure?
What has been your best 60ft up to now?
Maybe your track isn't prepped enough?
I have stock LCA, stock TA, 275 MT dr(18psi), stock PHB, (but I have the ability to adjust my TA b/c I have a ford 9" diff). I have LCARBS(lowest hole). I took the front sway bar off, I relocated my battery to the back. My best 60ft is a 1.46.
I was running 22psi. In a 255/50/16 MT DR. That was on the street, don't have a local track.
My lcas are mounted in the lowest hole of my UMI lcarbs. My front sway bar is still installed.
I am running hotchkis 1 inch lower springs which are pretty stiff. Also running a pretty stiff kyb strut/shock. I want to switch to adjustable QA1s. Moving my battery to the rear of the car is a good idea.
#5
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Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
I would definitely get a tubular adjustable TQ arm mounted to the x-member, seeing your mods and power. You can also potentially snap the tranny tailshaft with that much power if the TQ arm is hooked onto the tail shaft.
For LCA's I would not go all POLY, I would get one spherical rod end although this is more for handling but I guess could help with straight line traction too.. Poly has no flex but POLY binds. The best middle ground is a rod end of some sort like Spohn's Delsphere joint or UMI's roto joint (in no particular order).
Also, your shocks should be adjustable so you can tune weight transfer better, especially with that much power. Here is a good article explaining some tips: http://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories...r-top-10-tips/
For LCA's I would not go all POLY, I would get one spherical rod end although this is more for handling but I guess could help with straight line traction too.. Poly has no flex but POLY binds. The best middle ground is a rod end of some sort like Spohn's Delsphere joint or UMI's roto joint (in no particular order).
Also, your shocks should be adjustable so you can tune weight transfer better, especially with that much power. Here is a good article explaining some tips: http://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories...r-top-10-tips/
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Car: Turbo Buick
Engine: 3.8 V6
Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
I'm still using the stock tq arm mounted to the transmission tail. Lcas are non adjustable founders tubular/poly.
I was running 22psi. In a 255/50/16 MT DR. That was on the street, don't have a local track.
My lcas are mounted in the lowest hole of my UMI lcarbs. My front sway bar is still installed.
I am running hotchkis 1 inch lower springs which are pretty stiff. Also running a pretty stiff kyb strut/shock. I want to switch to adjustable QA1s. Moving my battery to the rear of the car is a good idea.
I was running 22psi. In a 255/50/16 MT DR. That was on the street, don't have a local track.
My lcas are mounted in the lowest hole of my UMI lcarbs. My front sway bar is still installed.
I am running hotchkis 1 inch lower springs which are pretty stiff. Also running a pretty stiff kyb strut/shock. I want to switch to adjustable QA1s. Moving my battery to the rear of the car is a good idea.
You are going to have a hard time hooking with that stall and those tires on the street. A torque arm is not going to do much for you, and whether or not is adjustable does not affect traction. Adjustability is only for setting proper pinion angle. The street does not offer anything approaching the traction of a prepped launch pad and hitting the tires as hard as you are at 4400 rpm is not helping.
FWIW I've cut a 1.5 60' in my drag car at the track, that's launching on the footbrake with nitrous. There is no way in hell that would ever hook on the street, even on my 28x10.5 et drags. I have the 275 mt drs for street driving and there is no comparison in traction, part of it is because it's a shorter tire. You might want to look into a taller tire.
How well is your posi working?
You can't improve unless you get some baseline 60' numbers to see how bad your problem really is. Dropping the sway bar and moving the battery will help. Be careful lowering the LCAs too much as this can be too aggressive of an initial hit which will then cause the tires to unload after rebounding upward.
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Car: 84 camaro
Engine: HRE 355
Transmission: th350
Axle/Gears: 4.56
Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
Good info here...adding weight to rear will help..guys have been 1.20s in 60' with stock torque arm...but street is different...
The more weight on the rear the better the arm works...but you need to go to a track.
Also...its not a 3000 converter if it flashes to 4400. Lol
The more weight on the rear the better the arm works...but you need to go to a track.
Also...its not a 3000 converter if it flashes to 4400. Lol
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#9
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Car: Turbo Buick
Engine: 3.8 V6
Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
BTW to the O.P. are you using a trans brake or foot braking it to 4400? BTW if that is on a 700r4 then it's obvious why you have no traction. With that first gear, 3.70 rear gear, 4400 rpm, and short drag radials it must feel like you are driving on ice.
Last edited by Pablo; 10-02-2012 at 04:04 PM.
#10
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Car: 89 Formula 350
Engine: Forged 385 H/C/I
Transmission: 700R4-4300 Stall-lockup
Axle/Gears: BW 9 Bolt 3:70
Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
I need an adjustable tq. arm to correct pinion angle after lower the car an inch. I'll also working on some adjustable shocks/struts and moving battery/weight back this winter. The rear is a Brog Warner 9 bolt 370s totally rebuilt 600 miles ago.
I've had the car at drag strips years ago with old combos. I know hooking on the street is nothing like a nice prepped track. Thing is I only get to mess around on the street around me. No, track on Long Island NY, I have to drive through NYC into NJ to get to the closest track now.
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Car: 1985 Pontiac Trans-Am
Engine: AFR 235,Dart 400 Procharger F2. EFI
Transmission: Coan 400 + Gearvendors
Axle/Gears: racecraft 9"
Re: adjustable Torque Arm?
What everyone said. Add this and you will be amazed if you use it correctly. Get an msd power grid to take power away on the launch and then ramp it back in over time. I make over 1k RWHP and go consistant 1.30-1.33 60 ft on drag radials in a 3700# car. Power grid made all the difference for me. I look forward to next season to keep pecking at it. Good luck.
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