Spohn torque arm overkill???

[Red20170]

Hey All

I was looking to buy the Sphon torque arm. but was deciding if it was a little over kill or not. The one im talking about is the one that sits on the cross brace instead of the trans. What do you all think?

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I've looked closely at it too. If it had a bushing at the cross member mount instead of an eyelet, I probably would have bought it by now. That design is going to transmit vibration up through the chassis.

Unfortunately the BMR has issues too. I like that it has a bushing at the mount but it has a tube that has to be welded in.

Unless I can talk Steve Spohn into making a street version of his with a bushing instead of the eyelet, I may end up with the BMR or Spohn that mounts where the stock one mounts. I'd prefer to take it off where the stock one mounts in order to relieve the strain off of the trans mount that it puts on it.


Fred can you talk Steve into making a street version?

[MN6WS6]

I have a Global West Traclink, and it mounts solid to the tranny cross brace and also to the underseat area of the drivers side rear passengers seat. Takes the stress off the tranny itself.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I have a Global West Traclink, and it mounts solid to the tranny cross brace and also to the underseat area of the drivers side rear passengers seat. Takes the stress off the tranny itself.

The picture here isn't very good. Do you have a better one? It's kind of pricey too.
http://www.globalwest.net/camaro93.htm

[MN6WS6]

Oh yeah, they are super high dollar, but supposedly one of the best you can buy. I lucked up and got mine on ebay for a lot less than that price. You see them pop-up every once in a while, usually from somebody trading in their car or wrecking it. I'll try to find a better picture of one. I may have it on my hard drive somewhere.

[MN6WS6]

Pulled this off of thunderracing, who by the way, has them on sale for $400.

http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...s155_large.jpg

Basically, it mounts to the factory tranny crossmember up front, and then to the floor under the drivers rear passenger seat. The second half mounts to the factory torque arm mount on the rearend and slides into a greased rubber mount (similar to a shock) in approximately the same location as the spohn torque arm does. But since all of the vibration is split between the tranny crossmember and the drivers rear seat metal, it's quieter (not to mention stronger). It also comes with a driveshaft loop. It's double adjustable at the rearend, so you can adjust wheelbase and angle (wheelbase is adjustable only if you have adjustable LCA's as well, obviously).

[Injuneer]

I've looked closely at it too. If it had a bushing at the cross member mount instead of an eyelet, I probably would have bought it by now. That design is going to transmit vibration up through the chassis.
[Unless I can talk Steve Spohn into making a street version of his with a bushing instead of the eyelet, I may end up with the BMR or Spohn that mounts where the stock one mounts. I'd prefer to take it off where the stock one mounts in order to relieve the strain off of the trans mount that it puts on it.
Fred can you talk Steve into making a street version?

I don't have to "talk him into it"..... he already makes it. The price shown on the torque arm page is for the arm with a poly front bushing. There is a pull-down for the front mount style, and you have to pay $15 extra for the spherical rod end. I actually had a setup with a bushing when I was test fitting the design of the arm for him. Only when he made me a custom front mount, without the DS loop, and relocated the loop to the side of the TA did I go to the spherical rod end. Its harsh, but then I have also gone to full rod ends on the rear LCA's as well, and spherical rod ends on the sway bar end links. The only poly I have left is the panhard rod.

Or did I misunderstand your question?

http://www.spohn.net/product.cfm?productid=1529

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I don't have to "talk him into it"..... he already makes it. The price shown on the torque arm page is for the arm with a poly front bushing. There is a pull-down for the front mount style, and you have to pay $15 extra for the spherical rod end. I actually had a setup with a bushing when I was test fitting the design of the arm for him. Only when he made me a custom front mount, without the DS loop, and relocated the loop to the side of the TA did I go to the spherical rod end. Its harsh, but then I have also gone to full rod ends on the rear LCA's as well, and spherical rod ends on the sway bar end links. The only poly I have left is the panhard rod.

Or did I misunderstand your question?

http://www.spohn.net/product.cfm?productid=1529

No you understood it. Or at least mine. I was going by the picture not the specs. I didn't see it in the specs. I kind of thought they were talking about the bushing on the cross member mount only and the end of the torque arm still had the spherical bearing. I guess what it says means it has 2 poly bearings. This may be the only place I would like to get it with rubber bushings or at least one side of it.

His question was whether it is overkill or not. I believe Fred said one time that he new someone running 8's or 9's with the stock torque arm. So is it necessary? Is any mod necessary. I guess that depends on what you want. I would say that the Spohn just moved up my list.

[Red20170]

Yeah,
I was asking if it was overkill or not. I don't plan on have an 11 second car. Just something not too harsh on the highway. Minimal vibration cause the wife still want to ride in it. So far I've been lucky. The panhard bar, LCA's all have poly bushings and the car has very little vibration, but excellent traction. When I had a poly trans mount, I thought the car was going to fall apart. So I switch back to rubber. Like I've said in previous post. My goal is for a well handling car not a quarter mile warrior. I wasn't sure if the Sphon TA was oriented more for A fast quarter mile car or for what I was looking for. Thanks all....

[Injuneer]

I haven't seen anyone run 8's or 9's on a stock TA, but I have seen people claim to run 10's with the stocker. On the other hand, I've seen people run 1.2x and 1.3x 60-fts with the Spohn TA and others. I've also seen people damage the stock TA on 12-second cars. Sort of like the stock 10-bolt.... some people have good luck, others have bad luck.

I thought I felt an improvement just going to a poly TA bushing and a poly tranny mount. The front of the car seemed to lift better.

I like the fact that the arm takes the load off the tranny. The reaction to heavy torque is that the stock arm (or many of the replacements) tries to lift the tranny tailshaft, and stresses the tranny mount, not to mention screwing up the u-joint angles. Might be the reason some people break tranny mounts. But there is a penalty paid in extra weight, and noise. Even with the poly end on the TA, it seemed like you could almost measure the backlash in the gears by the noise under the passenger seat. It never bothered me.... I like to know what's happening to the suspension, and a bit of harshness and noise goes with the territory. But if you want a quiet car, the direct mount TA's can be a problem.

[Red20170]

thank you.......

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Yeah,
I was asking if it was overkill or not. I don't plan on have an 11 second car. Just something not too harsh on the highway. Minimal vibration cause the wife still want to ride in it. So far I've been lucky. The panhard bar, LCA's all have poly bushings and the car has very little vibration, but excellent traction. When I had a poly trans mount, I thought the car was going to fall apart. So I switch back to rubber. Like I've said in previous post. My goal is for a well handling car not a quarter mile warrior. I wasn't sure if the Sphon TA was oriented more for A fast quarter mile car or for what I was looking for. Thanks all....

According to Spohn's web site, the torque arm does the following all of which will help performance in "spirited driving".
1. Attaches to the rear axle and controls rear end torque during acceleration, transferring this energy into the tires, increasing straight line traction
2. Reduces nose-dive during braking
3. Eliminates wheel hop
4. Increases side bite during corner exit acceleration

[Red20170]

Jeff, Thats funny just looked at your sig. Looks like my wish list of parts How does your car handle? Pros and Cons??

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Jeff, Thats funny just looked at your sig. Looks like my wish list of parts How does your car handle? Pros and Cons??

It handles pretty darn good. Best car I have ever driven. I was messing around with a C5 Vette last Friday going from one highway to another. We were doing ~80 through the turn. He hung right with me. I was pushing it hard too. The KDWs were complaining to me. I would like to know how hard he was pushing his. I wasn't going to get on it after the turn and be embarrassed. My car is pretty neutral too. not much over or under steer. It's a blast.

[ws6drbob]

Well as far as the stock torque arm goes i doubt it can handle some serious power because I snapped my original one at the spot where it meets the rearend on a launch with no mods to the car whatsoever.