Hey everyone, I am new to this forum and want to first introduce myself. My car is an 84 Firebird, strickly racing. Up to last season, car had a 383 stroker, 4500 stall with 400 trans (with brake), ford 9" 4:10 gears, small tire and running the quarter in mid 11's. I am having a 421 Dart built this winter with expectations of 700HP and hoping for low 10 ET. With the 383, launching at 3500, car twists with a hard right turn, left front wheel up about 10 inches, right front barely leaves the ground, and will for sure be much worse with the increased HP and torque. My current suspension is pretty much stock with the exception of adjustable rear drag shocks. I have, but not yet installed, adjustable rear lower control arms and an antiroll bar from TRZ. Will also get a torque arm too, cuz this stock one is on borrowed time. Looking for someone with a 10 sec third gen to give some advise on how to keep car straight and the front tires low to the ground on launch. Not looking to scrape rear bumper. Thanks in advance

 

Your current setup probably had another full half second left in it, locked away in the chassis/suspension.

You do have sub frame connectors? What about a roll bar/cage?

You need both of those.

What's your avg. time slip? Give full details on all of your times, this can help to pin point probs.

I have not ran my new combo at the track yet, but have tested on back roads with a Gtech meter and it's showing 10.70's, 10.80's

My suspension is pretty basic aftermarket parts
S&W 10 point cage
Spohn weld in SFC
Spohn adj. LCAs
Spohn LCA relocation brackets
Spohn adj. panhard rod
Jegster adj. saddle/tunnel mounted torque arm
Moog Iroc spec rear springs
Air lift drag bags in rear springs
Factory 1988 RS rear sway bar
KYB AGX adj. shocks
V6 front springs.

Launches hard and straight. With my old engine combo at the track it went 11.40's @ 118, 1.60's 60', pulling both front tires about 3-4"

 

Spohn makes a beefy torque arm that would probably help too...
The Sub Frame Connectors help with body twisting, I have both Spohn and Alston's on my T Top car...

 

Six point cage, but no sub frame connectors

60ft 1.5
330ft 4.7
1/8th mile 7.3
1/8th mile mph 92
shift at 6700
115mph @ 11.6

 

get a set of SFC weld in along the rockers.. you will knock off some time and the body will love you for it...

 

A drag race rear sway bar will work wonders in keeping the car level on launch.


Check out the Wolfe Racecraft one. It allows virtually zero body roll
& keeps the front end level on launch.


Obviously the cage & frame connectors keep the chassis stiff, but the sway bar is a great item for controlling the torque reaction.