85Firebird350

iTrader: (3)

I was wondering how hard it is to setup ladderbars in my 84 T/A? What kind of work is involved?

AlkyIROC

There are still pictures on my web site when I used ladder bars. Hardest part is the typical generic ladder bars don't easily fit. The third gen axle sits high up in the body or has a low floor depending how you look at it. The front ladder bar mount needs to be inside the car. I fabricated some channels through the floor and made some boxes to fit over the front mounts.

A third gen specific style ladder bar will have the bars fabricated so they'll fit under the floor. Not too sure how many adjustment points you'll get if you can raise it higher than the floor.

Last winter I yanked out the ladder bars and did a complete back half and 4-link.

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

pointless, the stock type suspension works MORE than adequate.

AlkyIROC

I put ladder bars in my car when I installed a junkyard 9" diff. It was easier than trying to adapt a way to mount the torque arm to use the "stock style" suspension.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

i agree with xpndble3 on this one...if your doing it to cut costs on a new rearend, i would just save my pennies for a little longer and get a moser unit. the torque arm/lca's work too good.

have you done anything to the stock suspension yet? i would look at a set of lca relocation brackets before doing anything major...set the lca's to the bottom hole and HOLD ON!

85Firebird350

iTrader: (3)

So LCA's and relocation brackets? I dont mind saving for the moser unit I was just curious to these. What else would you suggest for a serious street/strip car. Engine is being built into the low 11's.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

well...the stock style suspension has been known to go 7.5x's at 190+mph, so you're not quite as serious as you think. don't get me wrong, low 11's is quick, especially if it's n/a and a street driven car.

here's my setup, and i know it'll handle more power than i'm putting to it:
-jegster torque arm
-jegster bolt in sfc's, that i welded in and added extra bracing
-v6 springs all the way around with 1 coil cut off front, 1.5 off rear
-worn stock struts with 220K on them
-monroe replacement rear shocks
-lakewood lca's
-BMR Fabrication lca relocation brackets
-spohn non-adjustable panhard rod
-275/60/16 M/T ET Street RADIALS.

best 60' with my 305 was a 1.665

85Firebird350

iTrader: (3)

I think I'll follow that suspension. It seems like a good setup esp. with those 60' times. I was just curious as to how hard they would have been. Now it's just picking uot the SFC's.

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

jegs bolt-in subframes here and welded in as well My 60' times are really good as well, my combo is a little more pricey than matt's though. But it's a good budget orientated combo.

85Firebird350

iTrader: (3)

My goal is to hit 10's with the car N/A but I doubt it's going to happen on my 406. I dont want to use spray and the compression is way too high for boost and I dont want to build another bottom end. I'll be following some of these ideas. I know I'm also putting in a tubular K-member.

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

10s N/A isn't hard, several people have done it. AFR heads, big solid roller, 950 HP holley carb, big stall, transbrake, good traction with your 406

85Firebird350

iTrader: (3)

My 406 is worked over with World sportsman II's with lots of port work, .630/.630 lift cam in the 250 duration range, 13:1 compression, Vic jr. intake soon, and a 750 DP carb. Not sure on the stall yet and most likely a th350 tranny with a 12 bolt, spool, and some steep gears, 4.10's?

car_fixer

hmm, i run mid 10's n/a on stock suspension, with a 383, ask mw66nova he wil tell you, its just a wimpey factory roller lol. oh yeah its got a 750 d/p style carb might flow a little more but not alot, but it is definitly holding it back n/a.
and uh even with stock suspension, my 60's are decent, low 1.3 to high 1.2's......on the rear wheels. moral of the blabering, dont bother with the ladder bars.

1bad406

iTrader: (1)

10's isnt hard for a n/a 406, and you don't have to have a kill motor.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

hehe, wimpy is relative brother!

85Firebird350

iTrader: (3)

Well people keep telling me my motor is going to have to be a monster motor with no streetablility and crap to get into the 10's N/A. So I just figured it wasnt too possible with what I'm doing to the motor.

88IROC350TPI

I'm another guy with stock suspension that has been in the 11's... I've done 1.5x 60ft's on countless occasions with 100% stock suspension and a set of 27x10.5" Hoosier DOT slicks. Literally, I have absolutely no suspension upgrades, no sub-frame connectors, and no roll bar. Only thing I altered from the factory suspension is both sway bars have been removed.

Obviously, upgrading your suspension definitely will not hurt but completely altering it is downright goofy for a 10-11 second car.

car_fixer

put the rear bar back in it will help with the body roll, other than that, nice lookin car!

mod313

The stock suspension is actually an excellent drag racing set up. With a few simple bolt ons it will take whatever you throw at it. On mine I run the South Side Machine lower arms, stock torque that I boxed to strengthen it, QA-1 shocks, Pete-Z bars, stock rear sway bar and 6 cyl springs with air bags. Best 60' so far with the 305 is a 1.46 and has gone 11.2's with the 400 bracket/street motor and 11.3's with the 305 stocker motor.

JesasaurusRex

iTrader: (3)

kinda like W tires compared to a tt5

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

what the hell is a tt5?

JesasaurusRex

iTrader: (3)

very funny steve

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

no, not steve, i'm matt.

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

haha don't mind jesse and his california west coast slang for drag racing.

tt5 is a true ten five tire or 10.5 slick He's picking on me because I'll be running a 10.5W next year after I get it all dialed in.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

i got it now, thanks, lol! some times ya gotta spell out the acronymns, lol!

JesasaurusRex

iTrader: (3)

ya i thought ol stevo told you to say that

car_fixer

hmm no idea bout how them w's got under there, wasnt me i didnt do it.....
I like the way the w tire looks, that extra tire filling the wheel well up looks good, just minor massageing lol