What has been done to my rear end?!!

[trbogn]

What is not stock in these photos? All this was on the car when I purchased it in 1998.
-Bigger rear sway bar. ATR? The mounting tabs look different than other ATR bars I have seen.
-Some sort of girdle sandwich plates. Almost like a mini ladder bar setup. What is this called? What does it do?
-Upgraded cover.
I wanted to get hrpartsnstuff uppers/lowers/sway bar kit, but since there already is a heavy bar back there I might just do the lower control arms (+1/4").
Thanks a ton, any help is appreciated.

 

[EVIL]

Looks like the plate is connected to a sway bar. GNX style. Pretty cool.

D

 

[trbogn]

Yea, there are 2 thick bars that bolt from the back plate to a smaller plate at the front of the housing.

Anyone know who made these? I haven't seen it on any other turbo buicks. Wonder if there is a reason they never caught on?

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

The plate under the diff cover and arms off of it is a torque arm setup. Can see another piece that goes forward to the transmission crossmember area. See first picture where it disappears once past the exhaust pipes. I have the plate that mounts under the cover, but IIRC, none of the rest of it.

The arm itself looks to be off a 3rd or 4th gen f-body. It may mount to the crossmember or there is a tunnel mount for it.

One thing to check is that the left side bearing lube hole is present in that plate. It isn't on the one have and found the left axle tube dry.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[novaderrik]

get a panhard bar or watts link in there and ditch the upper control arms and you will have the rear suspension that the F bodies had from 82-02...

 

[87-WE2]

This is a Hall of Fame thread subject.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trbogn]

Here are a few more photos. There is a long torque arm that mounts to the transmission crossmember.

I am installing my hrparts rear sway bar and lower control arms on thursday. Should I just remove this torque are setup? There has to be a reason why no one has this setup. My traction at the track is average at best (best 60" time is 1.73.......most the time its in the 1.8 range). I went to the track tonight and removed the huge aftermarket front sway bar (to try and get a better baseline before I install the sway bar and lowers), only took 3 runs but the 60" times were 1.8x and a 2.1 after I just went up in smoke on a 5 lb launch.

 

[trbogn]

Another question. There is a rubber snubber on each axle tube that looks like is hitting the frame during launch. Are these stock? Should I remove them? It seems like they are really holding back my weight transfer?

It almost looks like the previous owner fabricated that square metal extender onto the stock bracket to get less rear travel? He had a huge front sway bar on and 17" rims, so I think he was into cornering/handling than dragracing.

 

[DoubleD]

Great meeting you last night and seeing this setup in person! Car moves out!!

 

[trbogn]

Hey Dennis, great meeting you too, always nice to see a fellow turbo buick guy out there.

Did you ever get that video of our run? I think we both had our new best et on that run!

You can email it to aisadore@gmail.com if you have it.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

My $.02...
Ditch the snubbers, including the mt on the axle. the torque arm, & all that other junk. Add good shocks, HR arb, tune on the stock suspension.
I'd bet that the stock uppers are working in a different radius than the torque arm. That arm is a F body stocker.
The stock t/a is a "weak sister" to begin with.
Get it right, and cut .5 off the short time.

 

[trbogn]

Thanks Chuck. My plan is to remove the torque are setup and see what type of 60' I get. It was hooking pretty decent at 1.62 with it on, but would love to get into the mid to low 1.5 range. Already have the hrparts swaybar/lowers and QA1 shocks.

I removed those fabricated "snubber risers" and put the rubber snubbers back in the stock location on that bracket. You think I should just removed the rubber snubbers altogether?

 

[Chuck Leeper]

AIRC, there was a snubber on a stock rear assy. It was on the x member, above the ctr section.
I call it the "mother in law" support. Keeps the rear axle out of the trunk, when the 300# MIL is in the back seat. I take them off, use good shocks, etc, to control the suspension.

Looks like you have most all the necessary "stuff". Stock springs, GOOD shocks, good upper cont. arms, and you are in business. All that's left is, some good tires.

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

I removed those fabricated "snubber risers" and put the rubber snubbers back in the stock location on that bracket. You think I should just removed the rubber snubbers altogether?

Leave them in place on the axle tubes in the stock location. They are the last item to make contact if the suspension bottoms out.

RemoveBeforeFlight