Can I change the front mount type on my torque arm? (Poly bushing, rod ended, del-sphere)
Yes, all of torque arm front mount types thread in to the front of the torque arm and can be easily replaced and exchanged. If you ordered a rod end and want to switch to a poly bushed end, etc. it is easily accomplished.
Can I get a roll bar or roll cage that is powder coated?
No. All roll bars and roll cages are weld in kits. The weld heat would melt the powder coating right off. You need to weld the cage in and then paint it. Also, the NHRA no longer allows powder coating of roll cages so they can properly inspect the welding.
How to set and adjust pinion angle?
First, had you measured your stock drive shaft angle and pinion angle you would have calculated a 0 degrees TRUE pinion angle. This is how all cars come from the factory.
Using an angle finder place it on the underside of the driveshaft and record the angle indicated from the driver's side of the vehicle.
Next, place the angle finder under the flat surface of the pinion yoke (this surface is parallel with the pinion shaft) and record the angle indicated. Record both angles from the driver’s side of the vehicle. On the driveshaft anything to the left of 0 is positive, on the rear end anything to the right of 0 is negative.
Subtract the pinion angle from the driveshaft angle. The result is "TRUE Pinion Angle". In order to apply preload you need negative TRUE pinion angle. Adjust so that the front of the pinion goes down; continue to check each angle until the pinion angle is more degrees down than the driveshaft angle.
1 degrees on a mildly modified daily driven car. For high horsepower applications have gotten the best results with –2 degrees. There is no reason to run more negative angle than that, it will actually hurt your performance because it will induce driveline bind.
Here's a tip. When adjusting for your TRUE pinion angle, count the number of flats (or the 1/6 of a turn) as you turn the adjuster, to know how many turns it takes to adjust 1 degree of negative TRUE pinion angle and in what direction (clockwise, or counter-clockwise). Once you know that, then adjusting the arm at the track or before a race will take almost no time, and no angle finder will be needed.
How do I know if I need an adjustable panhard bar?
Normally, if you will be running the stock rear end and will not be lowering your ride height then you do not "need" an adjustable panhard bar. If you plan to lower your ride height and/or install an aftermarket rear end then Spohn Performance suggest getting an adjustable panhard bar to allow you to properly center your rear end laterally in the car.
How do I know what size sway bars I have? I want to order bushings but don't know my bar diameter.
1993-2002 GM F-Body Camaro and Firebird cars came from the factory with 30 mm front and 19 mm rear sway bars.
For the 1982-1992 GM F-Body and most other vehicles the diameter of the sway bars varies depending on the vehicle's model, options and package.
The best thing to do is measure the diameter of your sway bar using a caliper. To get an accurate measurement be sure to measure on a straight portion of the sway bar away from any bends where the bar deforms from bending.
If you do not have a caliper, another crude but fairly accurate way to get a measurement is to tighten an adjustable wrench around the sway bar and then measure between the wrench flats with a tape measure.
I have set my pinion angle and I am getting a driveline vibration
Normally, if you get a driveline vibration it is one of four things:
You have an Energy Suspension polyurethane transmission mount. This transmission mount is well known for causing driveline vibrations due to its taller than stock height. To fix this you should remove the "shim plate" that they send along and tell you to put between their mount and the transmission tailshaft. You may also consider going back to a stock or rubber transmission mount, or running the Prothane polyurethane transmission mount that is the proper height.
Your pinion angle is not set correctly.
You have a vibration from another part of your driveline such as from the rear end, clutch, flywheel, torque converter, etc. and it is now much more noticeable because of the chassis mounted torque arm transmitting it in to the chassis.
Your driveshaft is out of balance.
I have X rear brakes, can I install these on a Moser or Strange Engineering rear end?
1982-1992 GM F-Body: If you have a 1982-1992 F-Body Camaro or Firebird, the stock 10 bolt rear disc brakes can be mounted with some modifications to the stock brake backing plates. This shows what is required to install 1982-1992 F-Body Camaro and Firebird 10 bolt rear disc brakes on a Moser (only) rear end. Factory rear drum brakes and 9 bolt rear disc brakes will not work on any aftermarket rear end. Spohn Performance do offer an aftermarket 11" rear drum brake kit that will work on our aftermarket rear ends. These drum brake kits are supplied with the correct stud pattern to match your vehicle. Spohn Performance also offer various aftermarket rear disc brake kits that can be mounted as well.
1959-1964 GM B-Body, 1955-1957 Chevy, 1978-1987 GM G-Body, 1971-1976 GM B-Body and 1982-1992 GM S-10 (2WD): Your factory rear brakes will not work on any aftermarket rear end. Spohn Performance do offer aftermarket 9.5" and 11" rear drum brake kits that will work on our aftermarket rear ends. These drum brake kits are supplied with the correct stud pattern to match your vehicle. Use the 9.5" kit if you have 14" rims and the 11" kit for 15" or larger rims.
I have your 742 or 743 Front Upper A-Arms and they won't line up with the mounts on my 1993-2002 F-Body Camaro & Firebird?
A common question Spohn Performance get from people when installing the front upper a-arms on their 1993-2002 F-Body Camaro and Firebird is about the a-arms not quite lining up with the vehicle mount. This is caused by tightening the ball joint on to the a-arm before installing it on to the car. Keep the ball joint mounting bolts loose until you have the a-arm mounted on the car and then tighten the ball joint bolts.
I just installed a coil over kit and my ride height doesn't seem to go as low as I thought it would, is this normal?
After installing your coil over kit it is not uncommon to see that your car doesn't sit as low as you thought it would. The new coil over springs will settle in over some time and miles and you will most likely need to adjust your ride height back up some after this break in period.
I want to get a new rear end, how do I know if I have 3 channel or 4 channel ABS?
1993-2002 GM F-Body Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Generally all 1993-1995 GM F-Body cars were 3 channel ABS, 1996-2002 F-Body cars can be 3 or 4 channel ABS. Normally if your car has traction control (TCS) it is 4 channel ABS. The sure fire way to check is to look at your stock rear end and if you have a sensor sticking out of the top of your pumpkin with wires connected to it, then you have 3 channel ABS. If you have the wires coming out of the ends of your axle tubes, then you have 4 channel ABS.
I'm getting contact between the torque arm rear mounting bracket and the floor pan
It is not uncommon to have contact upon suspension compression of your aftermarket torque arm's rear mounting bracket and the floor pan on lowered vehicles and/or vehicles with an aftermarket rear end. The torque arm mounting pad on aftermarket rear ends is normally at least 1" more towards the driver's side of the vehicle than the stock rear end. This is necessary due to the larger center section sizing on aftermarket 9", 12 bolt and Dana 60 rear ends. The only solution is to dent the floor pan at this area for additional clearance or cut the pan out in this area and weld in a recess.
If you have a Ford 9" rear make sure you are using the set of mounting holes that are towards the driver's side of the car.
I'm ordering a Ford 9" rear end, do I need the fill and drain bungs installed? What are they?
Ford 9" rear ends have an option for a fill and/or drain bung to be installed on the housing. The Ford 9" center section has a bung on the driver's side of the center section that can be used to fill the rear end with oil. On certain applications like the 1982-2002 F-Body Camaro and Firebird this can be very difficult to access due to the torque arm mount. For any application there is no easy way to drain the fluid. Having the fill and drain bungs welded on to the housing makes for hassle free filling and draining of fluids and Spohn Performance highly recommend going with this option.
I'm swapping an LSx in to my 1993-1997 GM F-Body car that was an LT1. Will LSx tubular k-member for the 1998-2002 GM F-Body work and fit?
Yes, LSx tubular k-member will work in any 1993-2002 GM F-Body car. The k-member itself is the same for all 1993-2002 Camaro and Firebird cars, the only difference is the motor mounts on the k-member.
If I do the tall spindle swap on my G-Body or S10 will it widen the track width?
Yes, when doing the B-Body or F-Body tall spindle swap on your 1978-1987 G-Body car or 1982-2003 S-10 (2WD) truck it will widen the track approximately 3/8" per side (3/4" overall).
If I get Thirdgen F-Body k-member with Pinto manual rack mounts can I keep my stock steering and run a rack later?
The 1982-1992 GM F-Body tubular k-member with rack mounts comes equipped with Pinto manual rack mounts welded in place. It must be used with a Pinto manual rack as the rack mounts will interfere with stock style steering linkage. Also note that the front brace mounts are not an option on this k-member because they interfere with the rack's steering shaft.
What is a full floater rear end?
A full floater axle is a double splined non-flanged axle shaft with splines on both ends. The rear housing end has hubs on the end where the bearings are installed and a drive flange where the studs are installed, not on the axles like a standard rear end. With this set up it takes pressure off of the axle bearing journal surface and the axle flange, giving you a much stronger axle.
What size wheels and rims fit over the 11" rear drum brake kit for aftermarket rear ends?
The 11" rear drum brake kit for aftermarket rear ends will fit 14" or larger rims.
What is the difference between standard and gun drilled axles?
Standard axles are solid. Gun drilled axles have a bore drilled through the length of the center of the axle (like a gun barrel) to reduce weight. Gun drilling is only available on 33, 35 and 40 spline axles.