Suspension and Chassis Questions about your suspension? Need chassis advice?

Will stock-type suspension work?

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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 09:07 PM
  #1  
85camaro350's Avatar
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
Will stock-type suspension work?

I am building a drag car out of my 85 Z. I dont wanna back half it at all. My question is, if i get a 600hp 350 with a th-400 and a 9inch rear end, could i still use the stock type suspension like ladder bars, drag springs and shocks, torque arms and lca's and panhard rod...all aftermarket. will i get enough traction?? it should be like a low 11sec car.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 09:35 PM
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Being that my ride is a low 10 sec. car with stock type suspension. I would say Yes.

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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 09:48 PM
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
what all suspension stuff do you have...brands etc. thanks, just trying to get some ideas
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 09:59 PM
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From: Port Huron Mi
Car: 87 Formula
Engine: 350 tpi
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Stock 9 bolt
Originally posted by 10.90streetcar
Being that my ride is a low 10 sec. car with stock type suspension. I would say Yes.


YES THANK YOU JESUS!

thats one badass 3rdgen wuts helpin grip to the track under there?
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:01 PM
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The front end is all stock with 6 cylinder springs from the junk yard. Out back is a 9 in rear with 4.72 gears. Jegster LCA with Sphon LCA Relocation Brackets in the top hole.Stock springs with Hal QA 1 shocks. Wolfe Race craft anti roll bar and the stock Torque Arm. Nothing fancy but it works very well.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:03 PM
  #6  
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
why arnt you using an aftermarket torque arm or springs...or a panhard rod. Would putting these on your car make it leave quicker??
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:09 PM
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why arnt you using an aftermarket torque arm or springs...or a panhard rod. Would putting these on your car make it leave quicker??
Because I dont like to spend money where its not needed. No those items will not make the car leave quicker. It is already dead hooking.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:13 PM
  #8  
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
thats awesome...what kinda motor and tranny are you using...i looked at your website, very cool. what size are your slicks?
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:17 PM
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Slicks are 29.5 x 10.5 x 15. The motor is a 434 Small block and the tranny is a 350. At a sea level track she should run in the 9s and thats all motor.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:21 PM
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
what size wheels do you have, 15x10's?? what kinda backspacing and did those slicks fit easily?? how much power you think your pushing?
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:27 PM
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Yes wheels are 15 x 10s with 4 7/8 back spacing. Had to do alittle hammering on the inner wheel wells but not much. Gotta be pushing close to 700 HP at the crank.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:30 PM
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
what kind of roll cage setup do you have and do you have sfc's? sorry bout all the questions, just have all these ideas floating in my head and wanna get em down on paper.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:38 PM
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Roll Bar is a 6 point that I got from a local chassis shop in Orlando. Sub Frame Connecters are Competition Engineering. No problem glad to help. Just dont get caught up in what all you read in those magazines. I believe in the KISS ( keep it simple stupid) method.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:44 PM
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
yea that sounds like a good theory, i read about your post in a past subject about the torque arm, and now see why you dont need it. Maybe its just something that the aftermarket wants you to buy to make more money. Anyways, i am buying this 350 with 615hp, for my 85. What all had to be done to get the 9incher in there, or did you just buy the one made for our cars and had no problems...thx
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:47 PM
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Bought the Moser housing and axels for the 3rd gen. Bolts right in.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:49 PM
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
allright last questions...lol what spline axels are u using and do you have a spool in it....do you drive it on the street any? thanks for all the help
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:53 PM
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From: Orange, Calif
Car: '87 Cam RS V6
Engine: Top Secret
Transmission: DYT700R4 custom inerts and conv.
But what you are not telling everyone is that you are not using the stock front rubber mount on the tailshaft of the trans with that so called stock toquearm. Its had to be welded differently otherwise you would grenade it through the floorboard.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:54 PM
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31 spline axels with a spool. Use to drive it to the track and change over to the slicks when I got there, But that gets old pretty quick so I had to break down and buy a trailer. Good luck with your set up.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 10:55 PM
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But what you are not telling everyone is that you are not using the stock front rubber mount on the tailshaft of the trans with that so called stock toquearm. Its had to be welded differently otherwise you would grenade it through the floorboard
THINK AGAIN
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 11:07 PM
  #20  
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From: Orange, Calif
Car: '87 Cam RS V6
Engine: Top Secret
Transmission: DYT700R4 custom inerts and conv.
Well allI can say is I have busted a half dozen trans mounts and torquearm mounts over about a 10year period with non-lauching everyday street driving on street tires with a little 135HP V6. This I post as a fact.

You have 600HP and slicks?
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 11:14 PM
  #21  
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Well maybe Im just lucky. I will say this though. Before installing a Poly Trans mount I did have problems breaking the rubber Tranny mount. But never broke a Torque Arm or the Torque Arm Mount.
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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 11:22 PM
  #22  
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From: Orange, Calif
Car: '87 Cam RS V6
Engine: Top Secret
Transmission: DYT700R4 custom inerts and conv.
Only thing I can think is I have always had very good stopping power on this car and do drive it hard diving into corners. Maybe the combined upward AND downward force I gave the stock TQarm mount is what kept splitting them and thunking. I have even broken a urethane trans mount on this car but it took about 5 years on that one.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 12:04 PM
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85camaro350's Avatar
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From: Houston,Tx
Car: 1985 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 carb
Transmission: TH-700-R4
hey 10sec...do you have any brake upgrades??
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 06:12 PM
  #24  
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No brake up grades. All stock. Power Brakes and all.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 06:15 PM
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Rick Head has gone 7.66 @ 180+ on a panhard rod, torque arm, and rear LCAs from BMR.

www.bmrfabrication.com
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 06:17 PM
  #26  
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From: Waterloo, Iowa
Car: 86 firebird with 98 firebird interi
Engine: pump gas 427sbc Dart Lil M 13.5:1
Transmission: Oldani TH400 w/ BTE 9" convertor
Axle/Gears: 31 spline Moser/full spool/4.11Rich
I ran my 10 second passes on stock suspension, but I was having issues running consistent 60's though. Our suspensions work great from the factory, but I had issues with mine so i had to upgrade some components to cure my inconsistencies outta the box-bad deal on a bracket car.

I'm going back to 28" slicks next yr to see if it'll stick them as well as it does the 29.5 I first went to instead of buying suspension peices.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 06:45 PM
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QUOTE]Rick Head has gone 7.66 @ 180+ on a panhard rod, torque arm, and rear LCAs from BMR[/QUOTE]

Yea that car is a PSCA Heads Up racer that runs in Wild Street. That means he runs on a Drag Radial Tire. That also means he has to ease it out of the hole. Hence the slow 1.37 60 ft.
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Old Nov 30, 2004 | 08:37 PM
  #28  
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Car: '92 RS
Originally posted by 10.90streetcar
Hence the slow 1.37 60 ft.

oh damn thats just so freaking slow dang, wish I could cut a 60 like that...
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Old Nov 30, 2004 | 09:31 PM
  #29  
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From: Port Huron Mi
Car: 87 Formula
Engine: 350 tpi
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Stock 9 bolt
what sfcs are u guys runnin?
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 05:06 AM
  #30  
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From: garland,tx
Car: 1988 gta
Engine: 5.7
Transmission: turbo 350
i know five(5) daily driven street cars with stock suspension(style and design) that run 1.32-1.39 60 foots. they are all 4th gens but its the same rearend design.
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