https://www.spohn.net/support en-us https://www.spohn.net/support ActiveKB NX tech@spohn.net Tue, 28 Apr 2026 04:42:50 EDT 20 https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/220/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/220/ Capacity: Aftermarket rear ends will take between 3-4 quarts of gear oil. So when purchasing gear oil for your rear end you will need to purchase four quarts.Moser Engineering & Strange Engineering Rear Ends: The limited slip differential design has been extensively tested with high quality non-synthetic 80W90 hypoid oils (regular mineral based oil) treated with GM or Ford friction additives (3 oz. of additive will treat 1 quart of oil). To avoid differential clutch chatter (noise) and for optimum performance, use the oil and additive described above. Use of other additive and oil types may cause differential clutch chatter. Ford Friction Additive: Part# C8A219B546A GM Friction Additive: Part# 1052358 Strange Engineering Rear Ends: Strange Engineering rear ends are supplied with their recommended limited slip additive. You do not need to purchase limited slip additive when ordering a Strange Engineering rear end, it will come with the rear. Spohn Performance Fri, 27 Jul 2018 13:41:33 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/277/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/277/ This article is a master list of links that will answer any question you may have about ordering a new aftermarket rear end. If you still have questions after reviewing these articles feel free to shoot us an email or give our tech line a call at 1-888-365-6064. Ordering A Rear End - The Master List of Frequently Asked Questions I'm ordering a rear end, what is the difference between the different center section differential types? (article link) How to measure and order a custom length rear end (article link) What is the difference between Pro and Street gears? (article link) Can I order a rear end with a spool and keep my ABS on my 1993-2002 F-Body Camaro & Firebird? (article link) How do I know if I have 3 channel or 4 channel ABS on my 1993-2002 F-Body Camaro & Firebird? (article link) Can I use 4th Gen rims with no spacers on Moser or Strange rear ends on my 1982-1992 F-Body Camaro & Firebird? (article link) What rear brakes can be installed on the new rear end? (article link) What gear oil should I use in my new rear end? (article link) I'm ordering a Strange rear end for a 1998-2002 F-Body. Where should I send my stock brake backing plates? (article link) Do you carry rear ends for applications other than what you have on your website? (article link) How do I know what spline axles and center section I will need? (article link) What is the difference between the 12 Bolt, Ford 9" and Dana 60 rear ends? Which should I get? (article link) What rear end gear ratio should I run for my application? Gear ratio calculator (article link) Which wheel studs do I need for my car when ordering a rear end? (article link) What's the difference between chrome & aluminum rear end covers on 12 Bolt & Dana 60 rear ends? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end for a 1982-2002 F-Body Camaro Firebird, do I need the sway bar installation kit? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, do I need the conversion u-joint? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, do I need the control arm relocation brackets? What are they? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, what is the difference between a bare and powder coated housing? (article link) What is the difference between standard and gun drilled axles? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, what is the difference between axle flanges? Standard, Star & Lightening Holes? (article link) I'm ordering a Ford 9" rear end, what is the difference between a nodular iron and an aluminum center section? (article link) I'm ordering a Ford 9" rear end, do I need the fill and drain bungs installed? What are they? (article link) I'm ordering a Strange rear end, do I need the standard or chrome moly pinion yoke? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, does it come with the housing bushings for the rear upper control arms installed? (article link) What is the difference between the M9 and a standard Ford 9" rear end housing? (article link) How can I get a shipping price quote on a rear end? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, how long does it take to ship out? How does it ship? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, is there any warranty on them? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, do I need to specify no c-clips or use a c-clip eliminator? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, will I need to get a new driveshaft? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, will the bolt pattern match my vehicle type? (article link) What size wheels and rims fit over the 11" rear drum brake kit for aftermarket rear ends? (article link) Can I get an aluminum rear cover on a Strange Engineering Dana 60 rear end for a 1982-2002 GM F-Body Camaro & Firebird? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, what are the brake line, emergency brake cable and brake line clamp options? (article link) I'm ordering a rear end, what is the back brace option? (article link) What is a full floater rear end? (article link) I have aftermarket disc brakes for my factory rear end, will they fit on an aftermarket Moser or Strange rear end? (article link) Spohn Performance Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:43:18 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/446/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/446/ If you have aftermarket disc brakes that were made to mount to the factory rear end they usually will NOT work on an aftermarket rear end.If the caliper mounting bracket mounts to the outside face of the housing end then they should work. If they mount to the back side of the housing end (normally the case) then they will not work.If you can tell us the manufacturer and part number of your brake kit we can find out if it will work or not. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:39:02 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/351/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/351/ The SKU# D94-02-TB-DS and D94-02-TBL-DS adjustable front track bars for the 1994-2002 Dodge Ram 4x4 will not clear a snow plow frame. Spohn Performance Thu, 23 Oct 2014 17:58:56 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/416/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/416/ Yes, you can install and weld in subframe connectors on a car that is stripped down, on a rotisserie, doesn't have an engine or drivetrain installed, etc.The most important thing to keep in mind is that however the car is tweaked before welding in your subframe connectors is how it will remain tweaked forever. Check all of your door gaps and door opening and closing functions, etc. very closely. If your door doesn't close properly and you weld in your SFCs it will remain like that after they are installed.Use jacks, measurements, levels, etc. to get your chassis as square as you can and all doors, body panel gaps, etc. as functional and visual as you want them to be and then weld in your subframe connectors to lock it all permanently in place. Spohn Performance Fri, 15 Aug 2014 19:29:36 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/268/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/268/ If you are ordering a Moser Engineering rear end there is no need for you to purchase the housing bushings for the rear upper control arm(s).When ordering a Moser Engineering rear end for a vehicle with rear upper control arms that have the bushings pressed in to the housing (ie. 1964-1972 GM A-Body, 1978-1987 GM G-Body, 1979-2004 Ford Mustang, etc.) your new rear end will come with bushings already installed in the housing. All Moser housings for the 2005-2014 Ford Mustang come with a spherical bushing installed in the upper control arm mount. If you are ordering a Strange Engineering rear end the housing bushings are NOT included. Spohn Performance Wed, 21 May 2014 19:20:54 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/407/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/407/ Our transmission crossmembers for the 1982-1992 GM F-Body Camaro and Firebird have three (3) slotted mounting holes per side. The car itself will have three (3) mounting holes per side, but only two (2) of them are threaded.You only need to use two mounting bolts per side. The reason there are three mounting holes is because the 1982-1983 cars used the front four set of holes and the 1984-1992 cars used the rear four set of holes.You can tap the two holes that are not threaded from the factory and run three (3) mounting bolts per side, but it is not required. Spohn Performance Sat, 15 Mar 2014 12:05:48 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/406/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/406/ Our SKU# D94-02-RTB-QCSB Extreme Duty Rear Traction Bars for the 1994-2002 Dodge Ram 4x4 1500, 2500 and 3500 Quad Cab Short Bed will fit all other 1994-2002 Dodge Ram 4x4 trucks but they will NOT be a 100% bolt in installation. On trucks other than the quad cab short bed the front mounts will not line up with existing holes in the frame and therefore you will have to either drill holes in the frame and then fish nuts inside the frame or you will have to weld them on. Otherwise, there are no fitment issues. Our SKU# D94-02-RTB-QCSB Extreme Duty Rear Traction Bars for the 1994-2002 Dodge Ram 4x4 1500, 2500 and 3500 Quad Cab Short Bed will fit all other 1994-2002 Dodge Ram 4x4 trucks but they will NOT be a 100% bolt in installation. On trucks other than the quad cab short bed the front mounts will not line up with existing holes in the frame and therefore you will have to either drill holes in the frame and then fish nuts inside the frame or you will have to weld them on. Otherwise, there are no fitment issues. Spohn Performance Thu, 13 Feb 2014 11:46:47 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/364/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/364/ If you have a back brace installed on your aftermarket rear end and want to install our aftermarket rear sway bar installation kit or one of our pro-series rear anti-roll sway bars or one of our pro-touring rear sway bars that utilize the u-bolt clamp on rear sway bar mounting saddles, the saddles will have to be welded in place. So yes, these can be installed with a back brace, but you are unable to utilize the u-bolts and will have to weld the saddles to the axle tubes. Spohn Performance Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:33:38 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/271/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/271/ If you are ordering a Moser Engineering rear end it will ship two (2) business days after your order is placed and/or your payment clears (4 business days if being powder coated). Strange Engineering rear ends generally take 3-4 weeks to ship. Ford 9" rear ends ship via regular UPS Ground. All other rear ends must ship via Truck Freight. You will be emailed the UPS or Truck Freight shipment tracking number upon shipment so you can track your rear end in for delivery. Be advised that for residential truck freight shipments the trucking company will call you a day or so ahead of time to arrange a delivery date and time. Spohn Performance Tue, 08 May 2012 15:39:44 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/274/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/274/ You do not need to shorten your driveshaft or get a new driveshaft for 12 bolt or Ford 9" rear ends with a standard pinion yoke. If keeping your stock driveshaft, you will need to use a conversion u-joint. Click here for more information. Exceptions: If you get a Strange Engineering 12 bolt rear end and select the chrome moly pinion yoke (SKU# STR-OPRG17) then you will need a driveshaft that is 1/2" shorter as the chrome moly pinion yokes are 1/2" longer. You can get a new chrome moly driveshaft from us that is the proper length. If you are getting a Dana 60 rear end with a standard pinion yoke then the drivehaft must be shortened 1.625" or you can get a new chrome moly driveshaft from us that is the proper length. If you get a Strange Engineering Dana 60 rear end and select the chrome moly pinion yoke (SKU# STR-OPRG12) then you will need a driveshaft that is 2.125" shorter as the chrome moly pinion yokes are 1/2" longer. You can get a new chrome moly driveshaft from us that is the proper length. Spohn Performance Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:49:29 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/350/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/350/ If you're looking for some tips and pointers on how and where to adjust your adjustable shocks or struts there's a great tech article over at Dragzine.com that will tell you everything you need to know. You can check it out by clicking here. Spohn Performance Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:32:52 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/238/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/238/ A common question we get from customers after they install one of our Extreme Duty or Top Gun driveshafts is whether the driveshaft is too short. This is an optical illusion when comparing to the factory driveshaft if you are looking at how much of the transmission slip yoke is sticking out of the transmission.All of our driveshafts are built with 1350 series transmission slip yokes which are bigger, stronger and 3/4" longer than the factory driveshaft's slip yoke. The same amount of slip yoke is inside of the transmission but due to the 3/4" longer length of the snout on a 1350 series slip yoke there is of course 3/4" more sticking out of the transmission.If you are still in doubt there is a simple method to check for proper length and slip yoke engagement. With the car at ride height - suspension loaded, put a mark on the slip yoke at the edge of the transmission tailshaft seal. Then disconnect the driveshaft at the rear from the pinion yoke. Push the driveshaft front until the slip yoke bottoms out inside of the transmission and put another mark on the slip yoke at the edge of the transmission tailshaft seal. Now measure the distance between the two lines and you will find it is approximately 1". Approximately 1" of slip yoke travel is what you want to have for a high performance application.If you measure our driveshaft from the center of the rear u-joint to the front edge of the transmission slip yoke and compare it to your factory driveshaft you will note that our driveshaft will generally be around 1/2" shorter. This is CORRECT, as we explained above the factory provides for about 1/2" of slip yoke travel inside the transmission, for higher horsepower performance applications you need 1" of transmission slip yoke travel. Spohn Performance Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:51:07 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/348/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/348/ Yes. All of our adjustable suspension pieces such as panhard bars, control arms, torque arms, a-arms, etc. are jig set at factory length. If you don't want to mess with any adjusting just install the parts as we shipped them to you and you'll be good to go. Spohn Performance Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:44:25 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/270/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/270/ Ford 9" Rear Ends: Ford 9" rear ends ship via UPS Ground. We are unable to calculate the shipping charge on the website. You can place your order for the rear end and we will contact you for your approval of the UPS Ground shipping charge before processing your order. You can email your complete shipping address along with a complete list of items you will be ordering to our sales department for a shipping quote ahead of time. 12 Bolt, Dana 60 and Other Rear Ends: 12 Bolt, Dana 60 and all other rear ends must ship via truck freight, they will normally ship via UPS Freight. We are unable to calculate the truck freight shipment charge on the website. You can place your order for the rear end and we will contact you for your approval of the truck freight shipment charge before processing your order. If at all possible have your rear end shipped to a business address as it is MUCH cheaper than shipping to a residential address for truck freight shipments.For residential deliveries the freight company requires delivery via a truck equipped with a liftgate. For commercial address deliveries you can choose to get delivery with a liftgate or without a liftgate if there is a loading dock or forklift available at the location, this is the lowest cost truck freight delivery option.You can email your complete shipping address along with a complete list of items you will be ordering to our sales department for a shipping quote ahead of time. Be sure to also note if it is a residential or commercial ship to address and whether you will need a lift gate or not. Spohn Performance Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:48:48 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/345/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/345/ Download the file attached below to view all of the instructions that Moser Engineering sends along with their 12 Bolt and Ford 9" rear ends for the 1982-2002 GM F-Body Camaro and Firebird. Spohn Performance Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:30:14 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/344/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/344/ On products that have an option choice for poly bushing grease you only need to get one of these. This is a 14 ounce grease gun cartridge of our synthetic polyurethane bushing grease (Part# 902).If you are purchasing multiple items at one time that ask if you want poly bushing grease you only need to say yes on ONE of those items. Spohn Performance Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:46:14 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/342/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/342/ If you are ordering tubular front a-arms or a front end rebuild kit for the 1978-1987 GM G-Body or the 1982-2003 GM S-10 (2WD) you will have a choice between Standard or SuperTravel front upper ball joints.The Standard front upper ball joints are factory replacement ball joints. The SuperTravel front upper ball joints are for vehicles that plan to lower their ride height by more than 2" (ie. air bags). The ball joint housing is angled and the internals are completely revised for additional travel. Spohn Performance Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:54:50 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/51/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/51/ Normally, if you get a driveline vibration it is one of four things: 1. 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 (click here) transmission mount that is the proper height. 2. Your pinion angle is not set correctly. See our setting pinion angle article for instructions on setting your pinion angle properly.3. 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.4. Your driveshaft is out of balance. Spohn Performance Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:12:06 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/276/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/276/ Rear End Center Section Differential Choices Explained Spool: Spools are used in drag race only vehicles. A spool permanently locks both axle shafts together so that both rear tires will always turn at the same speed. They are not designed or intended for street driven vehicles. A spool is much lighter than a standard posi unit and they improve ring and pinion gear life by providing a more rigid gear mounting. A spool is a very strong center section that will hold up to very high horsepower. They are recommended for a pure drag race only race vehicle. Spools are an option on Ford 9", 12 Bolt and Dana 60 rear ends. Eaton Limited-Slip Posi: Superior rebuildable design, race-bred carbon friction discs and automatic LSD. The Eaton Posi LSD is the perfect way to control traction in all types of tarmac running cars. The Eaton Posi LSD prevents wheel slip before it can get started. To do that, carbon disc clutch packs, preloaded by a central spring assembly, are located behind each differential side gear. When torque input increases the clamping load on the clutch packs increases. That causes the chatter-free clutch packs to grab and transfer power to the other wheel. Muscle cars should look to Eaton's limited-slip differential for their traction answers. And the fact is, Eaton's Posi units are virtually bullet proof. A great choice for an all around street driven vehicle. Eaton posi units are an option on 12 bolt rear ends. Detroit TruTrac Torque Proportioning Differential: Smooth operation, performs open until needed and fully automatic limited slip. The Detroit Truetrac was the first helical gear differential ever introduced into the automotive aftermarket as an Eaton brand. It remains the leading helical gear-type limited slip differential in the industry. Detroit Truetrac's proven helical gear design eliminates the need for wearable parts, resulting in maintenance free traction recognized not only for its toughness, but its smooth and quiet operation as well. Proven design and effective performance make the Detroit Truetrac the ideal choice for a wide variety of applications. No maintenance - Just Traction. A great choice for a high horsepower street/track vehicle. The TruTrac is an option on Ford 9", 12 bolt and Dana 60 rear ends. Wavetrac®: One of the known shortcomings of a typical torque biasing differential is its loss of drive (behaving much like an open diff) under zero or near-zero torque conditions (for example, when there is 'no-load' applied through the drivetrain, either at vehicle stationary and/or transition from engine driving vehicle to engine braking and back). The Wavetrac® differential uses a patent pending design to improve grip in low traction conditions. Precisely engineered, converging / diverging wave profiles are placed on one side gear and its mating preload hub. As the two side gears rotate relative to each other, each wave surface climbs the other, causing them to move apart. This imparts an increased normal force through the side gears, increasing the bias ratio as a function of load. This increase occurs automatically only when conditions find it necessary, and it 'reverts' back to its nominal bias ratio quickly and seamlessly, maintaining optimal drivability and performance at all times. It's like having two differentials in one: you get the benefit of a higher bias ratio when needed without detriment to the car's handling. The Wavetrac® differential is an option on Ford 9" and 12 bolt rear ends. Read a detailed description of the Wavetrac® differential at this link. Trac-Loc Limited-Slip Posi: The Trac-Loc Limited Slip Differential is designed as a direct replacement for the hard to find expensive OEM unit, or for those enthusiasts desiring to convert to a limited slip. Available for Ford 9" rear ends, this nodular steel casting is totally rebuildable, includes nickel steel side gears and pinion gears, and multiple plate 360-degree steel clutches. This extremely tough and durable differential houses 400-ft/lb static springs, and is capable of 150 lb. braking torque. Auburn Limited-Slip Posi: The highly efficient torque transfer capability of the Auburn limited-slip differential is achieved through the use of cone clutches coupled to beveled side gears. As torque is transmitted through the differential side gears to the axle shafts, the side gear separating forces and spring pre-load firmly seat the cones into the differential case. The cone design, along with the applied force, determines the torque transfer capability of the differential. When torque levels decrease, as in a cornering maneuver, the gear separating forces also decrease, allowing the axle shafts to rotate independently. It is designed to provide the maximum amount of torque transfer without compromising the performance requirements of a vehicle in situations where torque transfer is not required. A great posi for a performance street vehicle. The Auburn differential is an option on Ford 9" and 12 bolt rear ends. Detroit Locker: The legendary Detroit Locker began the revolution in performance differentials and still leads the industry today. The Detroit Locker is the most durable and dependable locking differential available. The Detroit Locker maximizes traction by delivering 100% of the torque to both drive wheels. It is engineered to keep both wheels in a constant drive mode, and has the ability to automatically allow wheel speed differentiation when required. No other performance differential has the reputation for delivering traction in mud, snow, rocks and on the track. The choice of professional racers and off-road enthusiasts around the world. The durability of the Detroit Locker is unmatched! The Detroit Locker is an option on Ford 9" rear ends. Spohn Performance Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:06:23 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/52/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/52/ Spohn Pro-Series Torque Arm vs. Spohn Standard Duty Torque Arm: See the video tour on the bottom of this page. What is the difference between our standard crossmember mounted torque arms and our Pro-Series crossmember mounted torque arms? We knew you'd ask, so here it is. We've been building crossmember mounted F-Body torque arms for over ten years. When we first started manufacturing torque arms most "fast" f-bodies were running 12's in the 1/4 mile. Then the LS1 F-Body was released and cars started getting in to the 11's. As more LSx technology came to market 10's and then 9's were becoming the norm. Fast forward to today and we have customers knocking on the 6's, some on drag radials (who would of thought?). Bottom line, our standard torque arm (and those like it) were never designed to handle that kind of horsepower and torque. The 1982-2002 GM F-Body cars offer a unique suspension set-up in that they only have one ladder bar (torque arm) in their "stock style" suspension. The single torque arm prevents the rear axle housing from rotating. On a 3 link set-up the lower control arms locate the rear housing fore and aft and the panhard bar locates the rear housing laterally. Most cars (ie. G-Body, A-Body, B-Body, 79-04 Mustang, etc.) came from the factory with a four bar (4 link) set-up that spreads the anti axle rotation across four separate bars, and of course aftermarket race suspension systems like ladder bars and four link suspensions do the same. To keep a "stock style" suspension on an F-Body, this entire load is placed through one single torque arm. What we have found over the years is that the weakest link in an F-Body torque arm is the pinion angle adjuster. If the pinion angle adjuster bends, once that link fails, the arm will twist up or snap instantly. There is no set rule on when you will overpower the strength of a 1.25" o.d. tube x 3/4"-16 threaded pinion angle adjuster set-up. We have customers running 7.X 1/4 mile times for several seasons with no issues. We also have had 10 second customers doing 8K RPM clutch dumps that have had arm failures. Our advice would be that if you have an 11 second or slower car with an automatic transmission you'll be fine with the standard torque arm. If you're running 10.99 or quicker or have a manual transmission car with an aggressive clutch and do high RPM clutch dumps, then we recommend the Pro-Series torque arm system. We designed our Pro-Series torque arm from a clean slate. We asked ourselves what it would take to design and build an F-Body torque arm that could stand up to a 6.0 second (sub 1.0 60' time) 1/4 mile ride, and the Pro-Series torque arm is the result. Click on the thumbnails below to view full-size images: 1982-1992 GM F-Body 1993-2002 GM F-Body Spohn Performance Sun, 25 Sep 2011 23:53:25 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/39/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/39/ If your del-sphere end is making noise that may mean the tension setting is too loose. You can correct this by tightening the del-sphere's adjuster ring using our del-sphere adjustment wrench. If you have a panhard bar with a Del-Sphere end the Del-Sphere end will contact the inside of the panhard bar mounts when at full rotation. Because the panhard bar mounts are much narrower then control arm mounts the Del-Sphere end cannot fully rotate without the housing contacting the inside of the mount. This shows you how much rotation your suspension likes to be bind free. An easy solution is to stick a rubber lining, a piece of weatherstrip, etc. on the inside surface of the panhard bar mounts to deaden the noise so you don't hear it in the cabin of your car. Spohn Performance Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:11:43 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/54/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/54/ The 402 style torque arm crossmember will normally work with factory exhaust, aftermarket y-pipes that connect to the factory exhaust manifolds and aftermarket shorty headers and y-pipe set ups. The 405 style torque arm crossmember is for aftermarket long tube headers and y-pipe set ups and provides around 2" more exhaust clearance. Some long tube header y-pipes will clear the 402 style torque arm crossmember. If you want to check you can lay a straight edge across your tunnel brace mounts spaced down 3/8" off of the floor mounts. That would be the top of the 402 style torque arm crossmember.Another common question we get is if the 405 long tube style torque arm crossmember can be used with regular exhaust for now until the customer then upgrades to long tube headers down the road. The answer is yes, with one exception. If you get the 405 style torque arm with a front driveshaft safety loop, the front loop will rub against the factory y-pipe. So if you have the factory 1998-2002 F-Body y-pipe you can not use the 405 with a front loop. If you are not getting a front loop then it will work fine. The 405 style torque arm crossmember (with or without a front driveshaft safety loop) will work fine with aftermarket y-pipes that connect to the factory exhaust manifolds and aftermarket shorty headers and y-pipe set ups, you'll just have more exhaust clearance then you need and will be good to go when/if you upgrade to a long tube headers and y-pipe set up later. Spohn Performance Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:44:55 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/308/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/308/ We have Dodge Ram 4x4 front suspension lower and upper control arms available for stock ride height trucks as well as for trucks with a 1"-3" or a 4"-6" lift.When a Dodge Ram 4x4 is lifted the front control arms need to be longer than the factory front control arms to maintain proper front axle alignment. Just specify your lift amount in the option box when ordering and we'll send you the proper length control arms.Follow the links below to view the front upper and lower control arms we have for the Dodge Ram 4x4:1994-1999 Dodge Ram 4x42000-2002 Dodge Ram 4x42003+ Dodge Ram 4x4 Spohn Performance Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:41:43 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/37/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/37/ Single Adjustable shocks mean that when you adjust the shock looser or stiffer you are adjusting both the rebound and the compression together, the shock will be loose or stiff both ways. Double Adjustable shocks mean that you are adjusting the rebound and the compression independently. You could adjust the shock to have a loose rebound for great weight transfer and a stiffer compression for a more controlled landing. Double adjustable shocks give you the most shock adjustment control of any other choice. "R" Series front shocks are adjustable just like a single adjustable front shock but the compression adjustment range is stiffer. This allows you to set the shock to a 90/10 type setting at the drag strip and go back to a stock shock type setting when driving on the street. They are designed for front drag racing applications to maximize weight transfer. For more detailed information with shock dyno charts see the .pdf file attached below. Spohn Performance Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:28:13 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/316/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/316/ 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. Spohn Performance Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:20:53 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/272/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/272/ Moser Engineering rear ends have a 90 day warranty on parts and a 10 year warranty on their axles (warranty does not cover any labor). Strange Engineering rear ends have no warranty. Spohn Performance Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:04:00 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/12/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/12/ Why Should You Use Del-Sphere Pivot Joints from Spohn Performance? The suspension bushings on your vehicle have a significant impact on your vehicle's ride, comfort, handling, acceleration, noise and vibration. When the vehicle leans (rolls) in a turn, one side of the chassis moves up relative to the rear axle and the other side moves down. The suspension's arms must twist to allow for the axle to articulate, this causes the bushings to bind. If this bind becomes excessive, it will raise the wheel rate and produce sudden and uncontrolled changes in handling such as snap oversteer. The factory minimizes this suspension bind by using compliant rubber bushings. These soft bushings help accommodate the necessary motion of the suspension's arms during body roll. However, the rubber bushings do not provide much in the way of forward and aft support which can cause wheel hop during hard acceleration and braking. It is common to replace the stock rubber bushings with polyurethane bushings to resolve the shortcomings of the factory's soft rubber bushings. Polyurethane bushings eliminate wheel hop, reduce axle deflection, and improve straight line traction. However, the downside of polyurethane bushings is they prevent the necessary movement of the suspension's arms during body roll, which in turn produces significant binding in the suspension when the vehicle is cornering. The polyurethane bushings also place high stresses on the suspension arm mounts on the vehicle. Polyurethane bushed suspension arms do not allow for rotation of the arm during cornering because of the stiffness of the bushings. The Del-Sphere Pivot Joint Design: The Spohn Performance Del-Sphere pivot joint solves the shortcomings of the factory rubber and aftermarket polyurethane bushings. Our Del-Sphere pivot joint incorporates a spherical ball which is surrounded by delrin bushing cups. This combination allows the control arm to articulate like a spherical rod end (28 degrees of available rotation) during cornering but the spherical ball does not allow the bushing to deflect during acceleration. This provides for great straight line traction like polyurethane bushed control arms but remains completely bind free like a spherical rod end during cornering for predictable traction in the corners. Think of the Del-Sphere pivot joint as a Delrin bushed spherical rod end. After over a year of R&D testing here at Spohn Performance on a streetable spherical joint the Del-Sphere pivot joint is the final result. Designed and manufactured exclusively by Spohn Performance, we have taken street suspension performance to the next level. Our Del-Sphere pivot joint features a one piece forged and heat treated chrome moly housing, a heat treated and chrome plated chrome moly spherical ball, Delrin bushing cups, heat treated retainer washer and snap ring, heat treated and chrome plated chrome moly threaded adjuster ring, an external grease fitting and a beautiful silver zinc plated housing finish. The Delrin bushing cups absorb shock and road noise so you get the quiet and smooth ride of a bushing as well as 28 degrees of rotation! Our Del-Sphere pivot joints will always ship to you fully assembled, however, we also offer an optional adjusting tool that will allow you to do two things. First, you can disassemble the Del-Sphere pivot joint for cleaning, inspection, etc. Second, you can adjust the amount of friction on the spherical ball. Do you want a very low friction pivot joint or a very tight pivot joint? It's up to you, the amount of tension can be easily adjusted by using our adjustment tool to tighten or loosen the end retainer ring. What that also means is if over time and miles the tolerances open up you can simply re-adjust the retainer ring and have your pivot joint as tight as it was the day it was brand new. We doubt you'll ever need to replace the Delrin bushing cups, but they certainly can be. Unlike a spherical rod end, the Del-Sphere pivot joint is 100% rebuildable. What is Delrin, and why did you choose to use it? Delrin is an acetal homopolymer made by DuPont. It is characterized as having an excellent combination of physical properties that make it suitable for numerous applications. With extremely low moisture absorption and a low coefficient of friction (self-lubricating), Delrin is uniquely tailored for wear applications in high humidity or moisture environments. Delrin will maintain constant physical properties under high moisture conditions and out-perform nylon or polyurethane under these conditions. Delrin has a 10,000 psi tensile strength and a 120 Rockwell Hardness rating making it ideal for our Del-Sphere application. Spohn Performance Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:51:48 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/246/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/246/ Yes, our roll bars and roll cages for the 1982-2002 F-Body Camaro and Firebird can be installed in a convertible car with some slight modifications by the installer. For detailed information and pictures click here.html sitemap Spohn Performance Fri, 27 May 2011 16:51:10 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/315/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/315/ No, our SKU# 992 solid LSx motor mounts are made to bolt to a 1993-2002 F-Body K-Member, they will not work on a 1982-1992 F-Body K-Member. Spohn Performance Wed, 11 May 2011 16:40:15 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/209/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/209/ 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, see the .pdf attachment below for the schematic. 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. We 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. We 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. We 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. We also offer various aftermarket rear disc brake kits that can be mounted as well.All Other Vehicles: Your factory rear brakes can be mounted on aftermarket rear ends. For the 1993-2002 GM F-Body and 2005+ Ford Mustang, see the .pdf instructions attached below.Aftermarket Rear Brakes: For aftermarket rear disc brakes that you already own and want to install on to your new aftermaket rear end such as Wilwood, Baer, SSBC, etc. you will need to supply us with the brand and part number of the brake kit you want to install. We will also need to know the fitment they are designed for. This information is required so the housing ends installed on the rear end will match your brake kit. See the housing ends .pdf attachment below to view our housing ends application schematic. If you are not sure what housing ends your brake kit is designed to fit this schematic provides an easy visual reference with all dimensions. Spohn Performance Wed, 11 May 2011 16:28:41 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/313/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/313/ Our subframe connectors for the 1993-2002 F-Body Camaro and Firebird do not require any carpet lifting or removal. The subframe connectors weld to points that will not transfer any heat to the actual floor pan underneath the carpeting.Our subframe connectors for the 1982-1992 F-Body Camaro and Firebird require you to lift the carpet, but there is no need for complete removal of the carpeting. You can simply remove the rocker panel cover and then slide a 2x4 underneath the carpet to hold it away from the floor pan at the weld points. Spohn Performance Tue, 10 May 2011 13:57:37 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/311/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/311/ Our upper a-arm cross shafts are offset so you can flip them depending on your front end alignment needs. They ship to you set with the cross shafts installed with the "wheel side" marking facing the wheel, this gives the same geometry as stock. If you need more alignment, simply flip the cross shaft so the "wheel side" is facing towards the engine bay. Spohn Performance Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:53:22 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/310/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/310/ A back brace is welded on the length of the housing (on the rear side). The back brace adds rear end housing rigidity for high horse power applications. Spohn Performance Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:05:00 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/309/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/309/ When ordering a rear end you must choose from various options. One of the options we need to know is what rear brakes you will be installing (article link) so that we can match the rear end's housing ends to the brakes you will be installing. The brake options available vary depending on the vehicle application. On many rear ends we offer aftermarket rear brake kits. Some of these aftermarket rear brake kits also have brake line and emergency brake cable kits available for easy installation, such as the Wilwood and Moser Economy rear disc brake kits. If you are ordering one of these brake kits you can add the brake lines and/or emergency brake cables at the same time.Moser Engineering rear ends do not have brake cable mounting clamps welded to the axle tubes like your factory rear end does. Many people simply wire tie them to the axle tubes, which works fine. We now have optional brake line mounting clamps that securely clamp your brake lines to the axle tubes and their adjustable clamping mechanism allows for fitment on any size axle tube from 2.75" to 3.25" diameter, which covers all of the rear ends that we sell. Spohn Performance Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:47:32 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/257/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/257/ Most GM vehicles built after 1978 were factory equipped with metric (12mm) wheel studs. Most vehicles built prior to 1978 were factory equipped with 1/2" wheel studs, but some had 7/16" wheel studs. 5/8" wheel studs are for extreme horsepower drag racing applications. Wheel studs are available in various lengths to suite your application and/or sanctioning body rule requirements. Spohn Performance Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:44:04 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/307/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/307/ Yes we have. The stock rear lower control arms are known to have strength issues with the rear sway bar end link mounting tabs. Many people have been having the rear sway bar end link mounting tab on the stock rear lower control arms on their 2010+ Camaro and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 deforming, breaking off and/or cracking out the mounting hole. These issues have been found with a stock sway bar and stock end links as well as with aftermarket rear sway bars with stock end links or aftermarket end links. On our SKU# C10-221, C10-221-DEL, C10-222 and C10-222-DEL rear lower control arms for the 2010+ Camaro and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 were designed with greatly increasing the strength of the rear sway bar end link mount in mind. If you look at our CAD model below you can see that we have incorporated three specific measures into our rear lower control arms:1. Our rear sway bar end link mount is CNC laser cut and formed from much thicker 3/16" thick steel and they have extra "meat" in place surrounding the mounting hole area.2. Inside of the rear lower control arm we have a fully welded 3/16" steel full width and height gusset directly under the rear sway bar end link mounting tab. This ties the tab to the full surface area of the rear lower control arm to prevent any stretch of the tab away from the control arm.3. The rear sway bar end link mounting tab is completely MIG welded around all sides. Spohn Performance Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:06:57 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/303/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/303/ If you already have a Spohn Performance SKU# 737 or 738 front coil over kit on your 1982-1992 F-Body Camaro or Firebird and want to install the QA1 adjustable front struts you will need to make sure you purchase the proper package that includes everything you need. We have packages available that include the QA1 adjustable front struts along with all of the coil over spring mounting hardware that is required to mount your existing coil over springs on to the QA1 front struts. You can find these packages at the following links: QA1 Single Adjustable Front Struts Retrofit Package QA1 R Series Rebound Adjustable Front Struts Retrofit Package QA1 Double Adjustable Front Struts Retrofit Package Spohn Performance Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:01:42 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/302/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/302/ Strange Engineering no longer offers the aluminum rear cover for the 1982-2002 F-Body Camaro and Firebird Dana 60 rear end due to interference with the panhard bar. Spohn Performance Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:28:02 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/286/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/286/ The 11" rear drum brake kit for aftermarket rear ends will fit 14" or larger rims. Spohn Performance Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:24:57 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/281/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/281/ When installing the SKU# 992 solid motor mounts you will need to keep everything loose until you have everything in place and all bolts and nuts started. You must loosen your transmission mount. Then install the motor mounts one side at a time just starting the bolts (keep everything loose). Once you have all bolts started you can tighten them, draw them in evenly skipping from side to side. Once they are tightened you can then go and tighten up your transmission mount.Note that these will only work on stock or aftermarket k-members that are designed to bolt on stock style motor mounts. They will not work on aftermarket k-members with the motor mount bushing stands welded to the k-member. Spohn Performance Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:51:36 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/280/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/280/ If your factory panhard bar clears your aftermarket rear end cover on your 2002-2009 TrailBlazer, Envoy or SSR then our panhard bar will clear it fine as well as it is not any larger than the factory panhard bar. Spohn Performance Sat, 26 Feb 2011 14:26:15 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/279/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/279/ No. All of our 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. Spohn Performance Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:59:43 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/278/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/278/ Yes, we get asked this question a lot. Some people think because they are getting a Ford 9" rear end as an example that it will have a Ford bolt pattern for the wheels. No matter what rear end you get, the bolt pattern will match the factory specifications for the year and type of vehicle you are ordering it for. Spohn Performance Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:51:08 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/273/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/273/ We do not sell any rear ends with c-clip axles. All of the rear ends we sell are set up with no c-clips. Spohn Performance Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:40:38 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/269/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/269/ The standard Ford 9" housing is a beefier cousin of it's OEM counterpart. They are made from new heavy duty 9" banjos that are reinforced in critical stress-point areas and thickened up considerably compared to an OEM Ford 9" rear housing. The Moser M9 housing is made to not only withstand the demands of high horsepower applications, but also finish off the back half of any show car with style. They are made from 1/8" thick CNC laser cut steel, which is fabricated from one triangulated piece of metal. Combine that with a 3/8" thick face plate and standard internal gussets and bulk heads and the M9 is ready to take on the toughest racing conditions. Both housing feature 3.00" o.d. x .250" wall seamless steel axle tubes, heavy duty mounting bracketry, new forged housing ends and new bushings where applicable (cars with rear upper control arm bushings in the housing). Bottom line, either style housing will hold up to anything you throw at it, it's just a matter of what look you want! Spohn Performance Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:12:01 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/267/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/267/ When ordering a Strange Engineering rear end one option box asks you if you want a standard or a chrome moly pinion yoke. The standard pinion yoke on a Strange rear end is their S-Series pinion yoke that is designed for street/strip vehicles. The chrome moly pinion yoke will endure the most abusive drag racing applications (for very high horsepower cars). Spohn Performance Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:49:15 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/266/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/266/ 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 we highly recommend going with this option. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:21:01 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/265/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/265/ Ford 9" Center Section Types: Nodular iron center sections are standard on the Ford 9" rear ends that we sell. They are heat treated and stress relieved before any CNC machining is performed. They come standard with an aluminum pinion support and a 1350 pinion yoke. Moser Thru-Bolt aluminum center sections save up to 14 pounds over the nodular iron center section. They are made from 356-T6 aluminum with 7075-T6 aluminum caps and billet steel adjusters. They feature a super-strong through bolt design to give the case increased strength and decreased ring gear deflection. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:56:42 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/264/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/264/ Standard flanges are a solid axle flange. Flanges with lightening holes have holes drilled in the flanges to reduce weight. Star flanges have a star shape for maximum weight loss. For anything but an all out race car where a few pounds really count standard flanges are what you will want. Standard Flanges Star Flanges Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:36:04 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/263/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/263/ 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. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:54:29 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/262/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/262/ Strange Engineering rear ends are only available bare. Moser Engineering rear ends are available bare or powder coated. See the website for a complete list of available colors. When choosing bare, that means the rear end comes in bare metal and you can paint it your color choice or leave it bare like the factory does. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:48:17 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/261/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/261/ Rear lower control arm relocation brackets re-position your instant center by lowering your rear lower control arm angle for increased traction and anti-squat. These are a must for lowered vehicles to correct your suspension geometry. Lowering your vehicle alters the control arm angle putting the rear of the control arm higher than the front, this causes massive wheel hop and traction loss. NON-LOWERED vehicles will also see a dramatic increase in traction by lowering the rearward angle of the control arm with relocation brackets. The lowered mounting holes are placed in the arc pattern of the OEM length control arm, this allows a non-lowered vehicle to drop the rear control arm angle and not require a longer than OEM (or adjustable) control arm as all geometry is correctly maintained. The anti-squat performance is providing most users with a full .10 or better 60' reduction!When you select to install the relocation brackets on your new Moser rear end they will be built right on to the rear end. There will be no installation required on your part. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:39:21 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/260/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/260/ All Moser and Strange Engineering rear ends come with a 1350 pinion yoke that requires a 1350 u-joint for connection to the driveshaft. If you have a 1978 or later GM vehicle (G-Body, F-Body, S-10, etc.) your factory rear end has a 3R style u-joint. The option box on rear ends for these vehicles that asks if you need a conversion u-joint provides you with a 3R to 1350 conversion u-joint. You hook the 3R end of the u-joint to your factory driveshaft and the 1350 end of the u-joint to the new rear end. You do not need to shorten your driveshaft for 12 bolt or Ford 9" rear ends. If you are getting a Dana 60 rear end then the drivehaft must be shortened 1.625". We also offer chrome moly driveshafts that will directly connect to the rear ends that we sell. If you have a pre-1978 GM vehicle you probably have a 1310 u-joint, although this can vary and you should confirm what joint you have from the factory. For other vehicle applications you would just need to get a conversion u-joint (available at NAPA, Autozone, etc.) that goes from 1350 to whatever your driveshaft u-joint type is. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:31:52 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/259/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/259/ If you are ordering a Moser Engineering rear end for your 1982-2002 F-Body Camaro and Firebird we ask if you want a sway bar installation kit. The sway bar installation kit provides all of the hardware required to mount a rear sway bar on to the new moser rear end. The factory hardware is too small to fit on the larger rear end. Our rear sway bar mounting kit includes the larger saddles, u-bolts and end links that are needed. Our kit also spaces the sway bar down so it clears the larger torque arm mount on a Ford 9" rear end and the larger rear cover on a 12 bolt rear end. Because we space it down we include longer sway bar end links to keep the geometry correct. Strange Engineering rear ends for the 1982-2002 F-Body Camaro and Firebird include the sway bar mounting kit so you do not need to order one if you are getting a Strange rear end. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:21:10 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/258/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/258/ Ford 9" rear ends do not have a rear cover. 12 bolt and Dana 60 rear ends come standard with a chrome rear cover, or you can upgrade to an aluminum rear cover. The aluminum rear cover is a performance cover that strengthens your rear. They are made from 356-T6 aluminum and designed to improve ring and pinion gear life, as well as improve the appearance of your vehicle. They greatly reduce the amount of ring gear deflection and therefore, your gears last longer. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:04:51 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/256/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/256/ To determine the best rear end gear ratio for your application we recommend using this handy rear end gear ratio calculator. Spohn Performance Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:34:38 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/255/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/255/ The main difference between a GM 12 bolt rear end, the Ford 9" rear end and the Dana 60 rear end is the size (and strength) of the ring gear. The 12 bolt rear end has a 8.875" ring gear, the Ford 9" of course has a 9" ring gear and the Dana 60 has a massive 9.75" ring gear. Obviously, the strongest rear end is the Dana 60. Which do you need? That's a question we get asked often, and there's really no right answer. It mostly just boils down to preference. We'll give you a few opinions to guide you. You don't want a rear end that is any bigger and heavier then what you need. If you have a car making 450 RWHP, you don't need the added bulk and weight of a Dana 60. Many GM guys refuse to put a "Ford" product under their car, and that's cool too. If you have a street/strip car making under 700 horsepower the 12 bolt will serve you very well. If you have over 700 horsepower, then we'd recommend a 9" or a Dana 60. The 9" is very easy to work on and can be easily disassembled with simple hand tools. It's also very easy to pull the center section in and out for guys who want to run different gear ratios depending on what they're doing with the car, another big advantage to the 9". The Dana 60 is a monster, if you have a big horsepower car then you can't go wrong with the Dana 60, drop it in and forget about it. Spohn Performance Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:34:43 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/254/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/254/ How to determine what spline axles and center section you need when ordering a new aftermarket rear end What size axles should you be running to be sure that you will not break one? A simple formula can be used to help you find the absolute maximum torque your car can put to the ground. To find the maximum torque, take the (Torque of your engine) x (Your first gear ratio) x (Your rear end gear ratio) x (90% efficiency). For example, let's say your car has 600 ft. lbs. of torque, you have a Powerglide transmission with a 1.86 first gear ratio, and you have a 4.88 rear end gear ratio. When you put those numbers into the formula, you get the following: 600 ft. lbs. (torque) x 1.86 (first gear) x 4.88 (rear gear) x .90 (efficiency) ------------------------------ 4901 ft. lbs. of Torque* * This is the maximum torque transmitted to both rear axles if the tires have perfect adhesion to the track, and you launch the car at it's peak torque. Each axle should be able to handle all of the maximum torque your car can produce. That way it is practically impossible to break an axle because you have at least a 200% safety factor. Axle Ratings: 30 Spline: 6,200 ft./lbs. (per axle) 31 Spline: 7,000 ft./lbs. (per axle) 33 Spline: 8,200 ft./lbs. (per axle) 35 Spline: 9,600 ft./lbs. (per axle) 40 Spline: 12,000 ft./lbs. (per axle) Spohn Performance Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:11:05 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/45/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/45/ 1982-1992 GM F-Body cars that came equipped with the factory dual electric fans will have to trim down the plastic mounting bosses on the bottom of the fan housing to allow for proper steering brace fitment. Spohn Performance Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:11:26 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/251/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/251/ On many of our roll cages you have the option of getting it through the dash or in front of the dash.In Front of the Dash: Getting the roll cage to mount in front of the dash is the easiest of the two to install. No modifications are required to the dash and welding access is easy. The front bars run down in front of the dashboard. Example of a "In Front of Dash" Roll Cage Through the Dash: Getting a roll cage that goes "through the dash" means the vertical bars will run down along the a-pillars and through the dashboard. This gives a cleaner and "hidden" appearance and provides a bit more room for the driver. It does require removal of the dash for installation as well as the need to hole saw two holes through each end of the dash. Normally you will also need to remove the windshield for welding access as well. Example of a "Through the Dash" Roll Cage Spohn Performance Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:08:43 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/250/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/250/ For custom length rear end orders you can simply tell us how much shorter you want your new rear end compared to the factory rear end, or use the schematic below to get your measurements and then give us a call at 1-888-365-6064 to place your order. Spohn Performance Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:08:38 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/239/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/239/ If you have a 1982-1992 GM F-Body Camaro or Firebird and want to run 1993-2002 fourth gen GM F-Body rear rims or C5, C6 Corvette, etc. rear rims and do not want to have to use spacers then the easiest thing to do is just order a rear end for a 1993-2002 GM F-Body. When doing so just choose no ABS, everything else on the rear end is identical to a 1982-1992 GM F-Body rear end with the exception of the overall length. Spohn Performance Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:20:45 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/249/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/249/ Pro gears are made from 9310 and then heat treated. It is a softer alloy than the 8620 Street gears. The softer 9310 alloy allows the gear to absorb higher impact loads that are generated in drag racing without developing cracks. A harder 8620 street gear could shatter under the same loads. As a side effect the Pro gears are not the best choice for street use as they will wear faster. Spohn Performance Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:22:57 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/247/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/247/ Yes, with our 8 point roll bar or 10 point roll cage installed you can still remove and install your t-tops as you normally would in your 1982-2002 GM F-Body Camaro or Firebird. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:26:51 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/245/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/245/ For more information on the Wavetrac rear end differential offered in Moser Engineering rear ends click here. Spohn Performance Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:50:36 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/244/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/244/ For a step by step video series on the easiest way to remove and re-install rear upper control arm housing bushings click here. Spohn Performance Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:00:55 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/243/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/243/ On the Thirdgen 1982-1992 F-Body Camaro and Firebird you want to use a 15" x 10" x 5.5" back spacing rear rims. These rims will fit inside of the wheel well with no rolling of the lip and only minor "massaging" of the front of the lower inner fender well.A 28.00" x 11.50" tire will fit on that rim and clear the car just fine. Any tire size larger than that will require modifications for clearance. Spohn Performance Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:26:11 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/242/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/242/ A common question we 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. Spohn Performance Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:47:13 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/241/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/241/ A common problem we hear about after customers install a rear sway bar, rear anti-roll bar or an aftermarket rear end sway bar installation kit is that after installation they now have no suspension travel and/or poor weight transfer. This is always caused by the same thing, the u-bolt that goes through the rear sway bar bushings has been over-tightened.When tightening the u-bolts that go through the rear sway bar bushings be sure not to make them so tight that the sway bar can not rotate inside of the bushings. You should be able to forcefully rotate the sway bar by hand, be sure to check that before installing the sway bar end links and finishing the installation. Spohn Performance Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:49:53 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/240/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/240/ Our 8 point 4130 chrome moly roll bars are approximately 20 pounds lighter than a mild steel 8 point roll bar.Our 10 point 4130 chrome moly roll cages are approximately 30 pounds lighter than a mild steel 10 point roll cage. Spohn Performance Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:19:30 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/229/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/229/ Yes, we can make custom length rear axles for the 2010+ Chevy Camaro. Custom length rear axle builds have a $75.00 additional charge over the standard price of our axle packages.The stock rear axle lengths in their middle (at rest) position, measured stub end to stub end are:Driver's Side: 35.375"Passenger's Side: 33.50"For custom length axles we need on car measurements. With the car at RIDE HEIGHT measure from the seal on the side of the differential to the inside edge of the bearing race where the axle attaches to the spindle. Get a measurement for the driver's and passenger's side.Fitment Note: Changing the length of the axles requires changing the length of the suspension components as well (trailing arms, toe links, lower control arms and upper control arms).There are NO RETURNS on custom length axles. They will be built to the measurements you supplied as explained above, once they are ordered, you own them. Spohn Performance Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:12:02 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/237/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/237/ Yes. All of our driveshafts are built with 1350 weld yokes on the front and rear. If you specify you have a 1310, 1330 or a stock rear end we use a 1350 to X conversion u-joint. So, if later down the road you get an aftermarket rear end that has a 1350 pinion yoke, you would simply remove the conversion u-joint from the rear of your driveshaft and replace it with a 1350 u-joint. Spohn Performance Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:43:03 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/228/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/228/ Open the .pdf attachment below (or click here) to view the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Parts Reference Guide and Schematics. This is provided by GM with "Body in White" cars and provides a wealth of information that is valuable to anyone owning or working on a 2010+ Chevy Camaro. Spohn Performance Thu, 24 Jun 2010 03:28:20 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/227/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/227/ The Spohn "Thrustator" front torque arm rotational mount utilizes a CNC machined steel housing with 5/8" chrome moly thrust bearings installed in both ends. Our competitors use a polyurethane bushing which really defeats the entire purpose of running an aftermarket crossmember mounted torque arm. The advantage to an aftermarket crossmember mounted torque arm is getting the torque arm off of the transmission tailshaft to prevent tailshaft fatigue but the biggest performance advantage realized is not having the torque arm pulling and stretching on a transmission mount bushing and the torque arm bushing. That bushing stretch and deflection takes away a lot of torque that could all be going in to planting your rear! Previously we used a machined steel sleeve with no bearings, this system planted the rear hard but you got some "clunk" noise when going from tension to rest. We wanted the best of both worlds, quiet and no deflection, so we tested and developed the "Thrustator" rotator mount. The chrome moly thrust bearings provide for a very quiet, smooth and tight rotation with no deflection or stretch! Click on the thumbnails below to view full-size images: . Spohn Performance Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:08:24 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/19/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/19/ Yes, the Moser Engineering Ford 9" rear ends for the 1993-2002 GM F-Body Camaro and Firebird are now available set up for 3 or 4 channel ABS. The ABS options are available for posi or spool center sections as well.Click here to go directly to the Ford 9" rear end product page. Spohn Performance Sat, 19 Jun 2010 04:33:11 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/216/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/216/ If you’re using a stock type transmission mount bushing that has a male stud hanging out of it, you can not use this type of mount with some of our crossmembers. We recommend using a polyurethane transmission mount, or if you want to stay with rubber, get a transmission mount from a 1965 V-8 Chevelle (available at any local auto parts store), this mount has two female holes just like a polyurethane mount does. If using a one bolt tranny mount place it through the center hole in the crossmember. If using a polyurethane mount, or an early GM type mount as mentioned above, use the outer two holes in the crossmember using the two 7/16" bolts that were supplied with your crossmember. Spohn Performance Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:52:36 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/46/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/46/ See the attached .pdf file below for a schematic of typical roll cage and roll bar installations along with the optional swing out side bar kit.All of our roll bars and cages come pre-bent and notched where applicable. You will need to trim and fit the ends of the bars that mount to the floor. The bars are supplied longer than required on the floor mount ends so you can trim them to fit where you want to mount them.All of our roll bars and cages are weld together kits, we do not offer a bolt-in assembly. Mild steel kits can be MIG or TIG welded, 4130N chrome moly kits must be TIG welded. They meet all NHRA and IHRA build specifications and requirements. Spohn Performance Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:02:35 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/226/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/226/ 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. Spohn Performance Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:57:09 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/224/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/224/ No. If you think your ride height has changed then you most likely have the u-bolts that go through the bushings tightened too much. If the u-bolts are over tightened it does not allow the sway bar to rotate in the bushings which binds up the rear suspension. This will cause a ride height change and also poor launch performance with no weight transfer.With the end links disconnected you should be able to forcibly rotate the sway bar by hand. Spohn Performance Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:54:35 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/223/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/223/ The factory rear end uses two long bolts that go through the top and bottom of the torque arm's rear mount. Our SKU# 982 torque arm mounting bolt hardware kit is for use on factory style torque arm mounting rear ends (anything but a Moser 12 bolt rear).The Moser Engineering 12 bolt rear end for the 1982-2002 GM F-Body, Camaro and Firebird uses four tapped holes that are not all the way through. You will need to use the torque arm mounting bolts that are supplied with your Moser 12 bolt rear end to mount our (or any) torque arm to the Moser 12 bolt rear end's torque arm mount. Spohn Performance Mon, 31 May 2010 23:41:55 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/32/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/32/ To install a LSx engine in to a 1982-1992 GM F-Body (Camaro / Firebird) you will need the following components: Mandatory: 1. Part #971 motor mount bushing adapter stands. 2. You must use 1998-2002 GM F-Body LS1 motor mount bushings with our adapter stands. If you do not already have these they are available from Spohn Performance, Part #GM-LSXMTRMT, and mounting hardware Part #970. 3. Transmission crossmember for a 1998-2002 GM F-Body 4L60E or T-56 transmission. We also have transmission crossmembers for various other transmissions as well, to see the full selection click here. 4. LSx swap headers (click here). Optional: These items are not "required" but can further enhance your swap and it's performance. We offer various transmission crossmember/adjustable torque arm kits as well as various LSx swap tubular k-members for stock style steering or Pinto manual rack. To see the full line up of LSx swap parts click here. Spohn Performance Fri, 28 May 2010 17:55:29 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/20/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/20/ With Moser Engineering 12 Bolt and Ford 9" rear ends you can keep your ABS even when running a spool.Strange Engineering rear ends are not available with ABS and a spool. Spohn Performance Fri, 28 May 2010 15:40:24 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/221/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/221/ As of this time we only offer the Pinto manual rack and pinion kit for the 1982-1992 F-Body Camaro and Firebird tubular k-members. The rack mounts for the Pinto manual rack are much different then what would be required for a power rack so you would not be able to mount your own power rack to our k-member with Pinto rack mounts. Spohn Performance Fri, 28 May 2010 00:06:33 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/219/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/219/ The front coil-over kits for the 1982-1992 GM F-Body Camaro and Firebird will work with the factory a-arms or any of our tubular a-arms. The coil-over kit mounts over the strut that is mounted to the spindle, therefore the a-arm has no effect on installing the coil over kit. If you have purchased our tubular a-arms with spring boxes for factory type springs you can still later on run the coil-over set up. The tubular a-arms we make that are a "coil-over version" have the spring seat for factory style springs eliminated for further weight savings, that is the only difference. Spohn Performance Wed, 26 May 2010 16:58:15 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/217/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/217/ It is a very common problem to keep breaking transmission mount bushings on the 1982-2002 GM F-Body Camaro and Firebird cars. The cause of this is the torque arm suspension system. The front of the torque arm mounts to the tailshaft of the transmission. The constant stress from the torque arm pulling on the transmission tailshaft causes the transmission mount bushing to fall apart in little time.Cheap replacement rubber transmission mount bushings just don't cut it. The best cure is the Prothane polyurethane transmission mount that Spohn Performance carries (click here). You may have heard the stories of poly tranny mounts causing driveline vibration, etc. That is very true of another brand, but not of the Prothane mount we use and sell. Spohn Performance Tue, 25 May 2010 20:14:28 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/215/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/215/ Prior to 2010 steering stops were an option on our tubular front lower a-arms for the following vehicles: 1982-1992 GM F-Body 1978-1987 GM G-Body 1982-2003 GM S-10 (2WD) If you have a-arms manufactured prior to 2010 that do not have steering stops you can purchase our clamp on steering stops. All a-arms manufactured after 2010 have steering stops welded in place on the rear tube of the a-arms. Spohn Performance Mon, 24 May 2010 16:00:53 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/214/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/214/ We can build a custom drive shaft for almost any application. To order a custom built driveshaft see our custom driveshaft page. Measurements: Follow these instructions to provide us with the information needed to build your driveshaft: 1. Enter your transmission type (ie. TH350, TH400, Powerglide, 700R4, Muncie, etc.) 2. Enter your rear end type 3. Open the Picture attachment below - Measurement Directions 4. With your car at ride height - suspension loaded (weight of vehicle on the rear), measure and record Measurement "A". Also record Measurement "B". Note: On Measurement "A" you are measuring the distance from the center of the rear u-joint to the rear edge of the transmission tailshaft seal. Measurement "B" is the distance from the rear edge of the tailshaft to the rear edge of the output shaft. Maximum Length: Measurement "A" maximum length = 63.00". Spohn Performance Mon, 24 May 2010 15:56:24 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/1/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/1/ Vehicle Set-Up: Make sure your vehicle is at ride height - suspension loaded. You can not have your rear end "hanging". The vehicle does not have to be level, no matter the angle of the car you're still measuring the difference between the two angles. Setting Pinion Angle There are two angles to deal with: 1) Driveshaft angle 2) Pinion angle You subtract pinion angle from driveshaft angle to get TRUE pinion angle, here's how you do it: 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. We recommend –1 degrees on a mildly modified daily driven car. For high horsepower applications we 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. Adjusting your Spohn Arm: You adjust the pinion angle by turning the pinion angle adjuster either clockwise or counter-clockwise. As you turn the adjuster you will see the pinion nose of the rear housing moving up/down. Moving the rear housing's pinion nose down will give you more of a negative pinion angle degree, and up will give you more of a positive pinion angle degree. You will quickly learn that it does not take many turns to adjust the angle by several degrees, so go slowly and check your angles often. Example: From the driver's side of the vehicle you have 1 to the left of 0 (positive 1) underneath the driveshaft. You have 3 to the right of 0 (negative 3) under the pinion yoke. +1 minus -3 = -2 Spohn Performance Fri, 21 May 2010 18:51:34 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/211/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/211/ 1982-1992 GM F-Body:If you have a Spohn transmission crossmember mounted torque arm and you're now converting to a different transmission you can buy just the appropriate crossmember. All of our crossmember mounted torque arm kits are the same with the exception of the transmission crossmember. If you're swapping transmissions just select the crossmember you need at this link.1993-2002 GM F-Body:Our Part #402, 402-PS, 405 and 405-PS use the same style torque arms, only the crossmember is different. If you have a 405 style crossmember and would like to switch to a 402 style crossmember, click here. If you have a 402 style crossmember and would like to switch to a 405 style crossmember, click here. Spohn Performance Fri, 21 May 2010 18:51:03 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/210/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/210/ Yes, all of our 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. Follow the links below to purchase a replacement front torque arm mount.Torque Arm Front Mount Pieces:Polyurethane Bushing: Part #050Spherical Rod Ended: Part #052Del-Sphere Pivot Jointed: Part #DS-TA Spohn Performance Fri, 21 May 2010 18:50:11 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/213/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/213/ We get many inquiries regarding the upper panhard bar brace from customers who need to remove it to gain exhaust clearance for custom dual exhaust set ups, etc.From the factory the 1982-2002 Camaro and Firebird have a lower panhard bar and an upper panhard bar brace. The lower panhard bar is what locates the rear end laterally, and of course is always required. The upper panhard bar brace reinforces the panhard bar's upper mount from deflection during hard cornering.If you are just doing straight line drag racing then it is fine to remove the upper panhard bar brace, we have many customers who have done so. If you will still be using the car for street driving and/or plan to do hard cornering then it is not advised to remove the upper panhard bar brace.We do not make a tubular upper panhard bar brace for the simple reason that when the suspension compresses the lower panhard bar fits inside of the upper panhard bar brace and thus the factory u-shape of the brace must be maintained. Spohn Performance Fri, 21 May 2010 13:55:55 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/208/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/208/ The KYB front shocks for the 1993-2002 GM F-Body (Camaro & Firebird) are much larger at the bottom mounting area then the stock and other aftermaket shocks and will not fit through the cut out on our a-arm's shock mount. Spohn Performance Mon, 17 May 2010 14:24:29 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/207/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/207/ See the .pdf attachment below for coil over spring and shock installation instructions for the 2010+ Chevrolet Camaro. Spohn Performance Tue, 11 May 2010 18:10:52 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/203/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/203/ See the .pdf attachments below for a complete listing of front and rear suspension torque specifications and ratings for the 2010+ Chevrolet Camaro. Spohn Performance Tue, 11 May 2010 16:02:07 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/202/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/202/ See the .pdf attachment below for the front end and rear suspension alignment settings and specifications for the 2010+ Chevrolet Camaro as recommended by GM. Spohn Performance Sat, 08 May 2010 18:10:24 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/201/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/201/ 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). Spohn Performance Sat, 08 May 2010 17:51:23 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/200/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/200/ The poly bushings we supply with our SKU# 923-Front, 924-Front and 925GFront front sway bars are designed to mount inside of the stock bushing shells. You will simply remove your OEM rubber bushings from the stock shells and replace them with the supplied polyurethane bushings, they are a direct fit to the factory clam shells. Spohn Performance Sat, 08 May 2010 17:00:43 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/199/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/199/ All Moser Engineering and Strange Engineering rear ends come equipped with a 1350 pinion yoke. The only other option Moser offers is a 1310 pinion yoke, but only if you specifically request it. We recommend going with the standard 1350 pinion yoke as it is bigger and much stronger.How does this effect driveshafts for late model GM cars? If you are ordering a Spohn Performance Extreme Duty or Top Gun driveshaft you want to pick 1350 as your rear u-joint type. If you have a stock driveshaft you will need to get a conversion u-joint that goes from 3R (stock) to 1350. We have these available, see our Part #E-U3R1350. For older model cars (ie. 64-72 A-Body, etc.) you will need to determine your stock driveshaft u-joint size and get a conversion u-joint from that size to 1350 to connect to the rear end, or order one of our Extreme Duty or Top Gun driveshafts set up for the 1350 rear u-joint. Spohn Performance Fri, 07 May 2010 19:53:52 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/13/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/13/ For almost all applications we offer sub frame connectors for we do not offer bolt-in sub frame connectors (SFCs). If the attachment points do not offer a solid and purpose built bolt mounting area and would require drilling holes through the sheet metal unibody then we only offer weld in SFCs for these applications. In a short amount of time these drilled holes will just oblong and defeat the entire purpose of installing SFCs. For these applications weld in SFCs are the only "right" way for installation. For applications that we may offer bolt on SFCs we feel the bolt mounting locations (normally existing factory mounts) are adequate to properly mount the SFCs. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:59:39 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/18/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/18/ K-members are available with no motor mount pads for those who will be using a motor plate, or with motor mounting pads that will accept your block mounted motor mounts. If you will be using any block mounted motor mounts then you must get the motor mount pads installed on the k-member. The motor mount pads are what the block mounted motor mounts bolt fast to on the k-member. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:58:07 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/29/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/29/ Polyurethane bushing manufacturers advise to never use a petroleum based grease for poly bushing lubrication. Polyurethane should only be lubricated with one specific type of grease to insure long bushing life, and squeak-free performance, Silicone based synthetic water-proof grease. We've found this grease to be so good, we use it for the entire chassis lubrication on the cars we build and race out of our shop. It stays where you put it and doesn't wash away. This grease can be very hard to find at your local stores. This grease is available from Spohn Performance, it's our Part #902, click here to check it out. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:56:32 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/49/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/49/ Yes, we carry the complete line of Moser & Strange Engineering rear ends and components. For more information on the complete selection available click here. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:52:16 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/15/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/15/ 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 we suggest getting an adjustable panhard bar to allow you to properly center your rear end laterally in the car. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:48:18 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/3/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/3/ See the .pdf attachment below for the schematic. This shows what is required to install 1982-1992 Camaro / Firebird rear disc brakes on a Moser rear end. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:47:09 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/2/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/2/ We ask what type of rear end you have when ordering a torque arm because the Strange Dana 60 (S60) rear end requires a rear mounting bracket that is shaped differently for proper fitment. Our normal rear mounting bracket will work with any stock or aftermarket 12 bolt and Ford 9" rear ends. So if you order a torque arm and say you have a stock rear end and later down the road you get a 12 bolt or 9" rear end the torque arm will fit just fine. The only time you would need to contact us for a different mounting bracket would be for the Strange Dana 60 rear. You can also modify your rear bracket yourself to fit the Dana 60 rear. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:46:30 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/136/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/136/ Both our Extreme Duty and our Top Gun driveshafts are made with 3.00" x .083" wall 4130N chrome moly tubing. The Extreme Duty driveshafts use Spicer 1350 weld yokes on each end of the driveshaft (what holds the u-joints). The Top Gun driveshafts use forged chrome moly 1350 weld yokes on each end of the driveshaft. That is the main difference between the two.If you have less than 800 horsepower then the Extreme Duty driveshaft will hold up just fine for your application. For cars with more than 800 horsepower, especially high horsepower cars with power adders, transmission brakes or manual transmission cars launching with high RPM clutch dumps then the Top Gun driveshaft is what you're looking to get for bullet-proof strength and durability.For cars with more than 800 horsepower, especially high horsepower cars with power adders, transmission brakes or manual transmission cars launching with high RPM clutch dumps then we recommend upgrading to the much stronger Strange billet stainless steel slip yoke. This will ensure you won't have any slip yoke spline twisting from initial shock loads.Still confused? Here's a layman's summary: If you have a daily driver or a street/strip car with less than 800 HP the Extreme Duty driveshaft with the standard Spicer 1350 slip yoke will last you a lifetime. 90% of the driveshafts we sell are this exact set-up (and we've never had anyone break one!). If you have a high horsepower race only beast, then get the Top Gun driveshaft with the Strange billet yoke. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:31:35 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/134/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/134/ Our QA1-Kit-F-9302-SA and QA1-Kit-F-9302-DA complete QA1 shock and spring packages for the 1993-2002 GM F-Body do not include rear springs. The rear shocks included in these packages are factory style replacements. The 1993-2002 GM F-Body from the factory has a coil over front shock and spring set-up (not ride height adjustable) and a conventional rear shock / separate coil spring set up in the rear. You would maintain your stock rear springs.We do offer single adjustable and double adjustable rear coil-over shock systems for the 1993-2002 GM F-Body that are based on QA1 adjustable coil-over rear shocks. These are not kits available from QA1, but custom built rear coil-over kits that we fabricate ourselves. If you want adjustable coil-overs on all four corners of your 1993-2002 GM F-Body then this is what you would want to get: QA1 front coil-over shocks (12 way single adjustable, 24 way double adjustable or "R" Series drag race) QA1 front coil-over springs Spohn rear coil over package (12 way single adjustable or 24 way double adjustable) Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:15:45 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/135/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/135/ Yes, our 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. Spohn Performance Wed, 05 May 2010 01:15:31 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/16/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/16/ Adjustable rear lower control arms are not used to adjust pinion angle and are not required if lowering your ride height. We offer adjustable rear lower control arms (LCAs) to allow for two things. For those installing very large tires they allow you to push/pull your rear end front/back to gain the tire clearance you need in the wheel well. Secondly, many fabricated aftermarket rear ends do not always have the control arm mounts welded on "perfectly". The adjustable LCAs allow you to square up your rear end. With adjustable LCAs and Panhard Bar installed you can do a four wheel alignment to get a perfectly square set up. Many of our LCAs only come adjustable due to the fact that the mounting ends are threaded (rod ends, Del-Sphere, etc.). You may desire these mounting ends but don't feel you need the adjustment feature. Know that all of our adjustable components ship to you jig set at OEM length. If you have no desire to do any adjusting, simply install them as they are shipped and you will be good to go. Spohn Performance Tue, 04 May 2010 14:14:52 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/59/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/59/ The QA1 Pro-Coil coil-over kits for the 1964-1972 GM A-Body and 1978-1987 GM G-Body will work with the factory a-arms or any of our tubular a-arms. The QA1 coil-over shock mounts to the a-arm the same as the factory shock, with a t-bar mount. If you have purchased our tubular a-arms with spring boxes for factory type springs you can still later on run the QA1 Pro-Coil set up. The tubular a-arms we make that are a "coil-over version" have the spring seat for factory style springs eliminated for further weight savings, that is the only difference. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 17:31:48 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/58/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/58/ For whatever reason many of our customers have experienced fitment problems with the Moroso solid motor mounts and our 1982-1992 GM F-Body tubular k-member. It seems the Moroso bolt pattern does not match the factory's motor mount bolt pattern like we use on our thirdgen SBC/BBC motor mount pads. We are not sure why that is as obviously we don't build their product. If you want to run solid motor mounts the Spohn Part #998 solid motor mounts will bolt right up to our tubular (or factory) k-member with no problems. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 17:29:06 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/57/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/57/ We get a lot of requests from customers wanting to know the overall width of our Pro Touring and Pro Series rear sway bars for the 1964-1972 GM A-Body and the 1978-1987 GM G-Body to see if they will clear the various custom set ups they are incorporating. That information is: Pro-Touring Rear Sway Bar: Overall width is 35.25" Pro-Series Rear Drag Sway Bar: Overall width is 35.6875" Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 17:25:46 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/56/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/56/ Frequently Asked Questions about Polyurethane: What is Polyurethane? Polyurethane is a term used to describe a wide ranging family of elastomers (any compound exhibiting the characteristics of natural rubber; stretchy and elastic.). Poly meaning "many" and "urethane" the classification of the chemical structure. Polyurethane or urethane for short, is used as a solid cast material (bushings). Polyurethane can be as soft as a rubber band or as hard as plastic. Is there a benefit over rubber? Many advantages can be found over rubber. Depending on the formulation, urethane has a higher load-bearing capacity, greater tear strength, better compression set, greater abrasion resistance, tolerant to greases, oils and ozone and allows for more unique designs. What's the difference between rubber and urethane? Rubber is the sap of trees found mostly in tropical climates. The sap is altered by mixtures of carbon (why it's black) and mineral oils and various fillers. Polyurethane is completely chemical or man-made. Because rubber is a biodegradable product it is affected by ozone and will over time dry rot and degrade, while urethane will keep going and going. How are urethanes rated? There are approximately 20 categories in which urethanes are rated based on physical properties. The most common is hardness. Others include: abrasion resistance; compression set; tensile strength; tear strength; etc. How are bushings manufactured? Most all urethane bushings and mounts are manufactured from a two part liquid cast system. It basically constitutes a polyol or prepolymer and a curative. Much like epoxy, when the two are mixed together, they begin to harden and form a solid material. This mixture is poured into molds where it forms the bushing, mount or pad when it turns a hard solid.Other ways include injection of melted urethane pellets. This is accomplished much like plastic injection moldingwhere the pellets are melted and forced through a small opening into a closed mold cavity. Another way is to cast a solid round bar and then machine it to the desired shape. Is there a difference between colors? No. In most cases the color of the part has no relation to the hardness or other physical characteristic. The pigment used to color our urethane components is a paste-like product that is mixed into the urethane in quantities of about 2-4%. You have your choice between red or black colors. Does urethane squeak? In a word, no. Squeaking is caused by high frequency vibrations that can be heard rather than felt. It is usually caused by lack of lubrication, poor installation, incorrect part, urethane that may be too hard for the application. In sway bar mount applications, most squeaking comes from not cleaning the sway bar prior to installing the bushings and not using our "squeak proof" grease! Additionally, all our dynamic application bushings feature grooves or splines to hold in our waterproof, highly adhesive, high temperature and pressure grease. Does urethane ride really hard (harsh)? The original rubber bushing or mount was fairly soft which helped to attenuate noise and vibration that is generated by the tires and road surface. Increasing the hardness of the bushing either with harder rubber, urethane or even bronze, will allow more transmission of noise and vibration. Some manufacturers formulate the hardness and design to reduce this effect. A softer urethane bushing allows the vehicle to perform better without the harshness, even over the same hardness rubber piece. Are all urethane bushings the same? Same material, same hardness? No, no and no. Each manufacturer has their own idea as to the best way a bushing should be designed. We select materials based on physical performance and choose the right hardness for each application. Can urethane be used for all types of vehicles? Urethane can be formulated for anything from an MG to a Cadillac to a rough and ready 4X4 or lowered Honda street car. Do I need special tools to install? No. Installing urethane components requires no special tools. However, if unique tools and equipment are required due to the type of vehicle, you will need them in order to do a correct job. Will I need to reuse my metal shells? We have a complete shell program for most popular applications. Many of our control arm bushing kits come complete with a new shell. On some applications you will need to reuse the metal shell, so be very careful when removing it from the vehicle. The shells themselves are not a replacement item. If you do damage a shell during the removal procedure, you have a few choices: Obtain a used piece from a repair shop or salvage yard or purchase a new shell with rubber bushings from your local parts store. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 17:23:28 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/55/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/55/ It is common if you have an aftermarket rear end, most notably with a Ford 9" rear, that your front rotator plates for the torque arm are not perfectly straight up and down but angled towards the front of the car. This is because the torque arm mount on the aftermarket rear end is further front than on the stock rear end. The front rotator plates move less than 1/16" with full suspension travel so as long as they are not bottomed out on anything it is fine that they are not vertical, it does not effect anything. If they are bottomed out you can shorten the torque arm about 1/2" by threading the top rear rod end all the way in and then matching the bottom rear rod end and adjuster, this will shorten the arm. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 17:21:43 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/53/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/53/ Tech Article: Suspension Alignment Settings Explained Camber: Camber is the tilting of the wheels from the vertical when viewed from the front of the vehicle. When the wheels tilt outward at the top, the caster is positive (+). When the wheels tilt inward at the top, the camber is negative (-). The amount of tilt is measured in degrees from the vertical. Camber settings influence the directional control and the tire wear. Too much positive camber will result in premature wear on the outside of the tire and cause excessive wear on the suspension parts. Too much negative camber will result in premature wear on the inside of the tire and cause excessive wear on the suspension parts. Unequal side-to-side camber of 1 degree or more will cause the vehicle to pull or lead to the side with the most positive camber. Caster: Caster is the tilting of the uppermost point of the steering axis either forward or backward, when viewed from the side of the vehicle. A backward tilt is positive (+) and a forward tilt is negative (-). Caster influences directional control of the steering but does not affect the tire wear. Caster is affected by the vehicle height, therefore it is important to keep the body at its designed height, or correct the caster setting when altering the vehicle's height. Overloading a vehicle or a weak or sagging rear spring will affect caster. When the rear of the vehicle is lower than it's factory ride height, the front suspension moves to a more positive caster. If the rear of the vehicle is higher than it's factory ride height, the front suspension moves to a less positive caster. With too little positive caster, steering may be touchy at high speed and wheel returnability may be diminished when coming out of a turn. If one wheel has more positive caster than the other, that wheel will pull toward the center of the vehicle. This condition will cause the vehicle to pull or lead to the side with the least amount of positive caster. Lead / Pull: At a constant highway speed on a typical straight road, lead/pull is the amount of effort required at the steering wheel to maintain the vehicle's straight path. Vehicles will tend to lead/pull in the direction of the road slope as part of normal operation. Lead/pull is usually caused by the following factors: Road slope Variability in tire construction Wheel alignment (front cross caster and camber) Unbalanced steering gear Electronic Power Steering (EPS) steering position and torque sensors not calibrated correctly, if equipped. Memory Steer: Memory steer is when the vehicle wants to lead or pull in the direction the driver previously turned the vehicle. Additionally, after turning in the opposite direction, the vehicle will want to lead or pull in that direction. Scrub Radius: Ideally, the scrub radius is as small as possible. Noramlly the SAI angle and the centerline of the tire and the wheel intersect below the road surface, causing a positive (+) scrub radius. With struts, the SAI angle is much larger than the long arm/short arm type of front suspension. This allows the SAI angle to intersect the camber angle above the road surface, forming a negative (-) scrub radius. The smaller the scrub radius, the better the directional stability. Installing aftermarket wheels that have additional offset will dramatically increase the scrub radius. The newly installed wheels may cause the centerline of the tires to move further away from the spindle. This will increase the scrub radius. A large amount of scrub radius can cause severe shimmy after hitting a bump. Four wheel drive vehicles with large tires use a steering damper to compensate for an increased scrub radius. Scrub radius is not directly measurable by the conventional methods. Scrub radius is projected geometrically by engineers during the design phase of the vehicle's suspension system. Setback: Setback applies to both the front and rear wheels. Setback is the amount that one wheel may be aligned behind the other wheel. Setback may be the result of a road hazard or a collision. The first clue is a caster difference from side-to-side of more than 1 degree. Thrust Angles: The front wheels aim or steer the vehicle. The rear wheels control tracking. This tracking action relates to the thrust angle. The thrust angle is the path that the rear wheels take. Ideally, the thrust angle is geometrically aligned with the body centerline. In the above illustration, toe-in is shown on the left rear wheel, moving the thrust line off center. The resulting deviation from the centerline is the thrust angle. If the thrust angle is not set properly the vehicle may "dog track", the steering wheel may not be centered or it could be perceived as a bent axle. Thrust angle can be checked during a wheel alignment. Positive thrust angle means the thrust line is pointing to the right hand side of the vehicle. Negative thrust angle means the thrust line is pointing to the left hand side of the vehicle. If the thrust angle is out of specification, moving the axle to body relationship will change the thrust angle reading. If the vehicle is out in the positive (+) direction, moving the right hand side forward and/or the left hand side rearward will move the thrust angle towards 0 degrees. If the vehicle is out in the negative (-) direction, moving the right hand side rearward and/or the left hand side forward will move the thrust angle towards zero degrees. Toe: Toe is a measurement of how much the front and/or rear wheels are turned in or out from a straight-ahead position. When the wheels are turned in, toe is positive (+). When the wheels are turned out, toe is negative (-). The actual amount of toe is normally only a fraction of a degree. The purpose of toe is to ensure that the wheels roll parallel. Sample Front End Alignment Specifications: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Camber: -0.8* (+/- 0.75*) Cross Camber: (L-R): 0.00* (+/- 0.75*) Caster: 6.6* (+/- 0.75*) Cross Caster: 0.00* (+/- 0.75*) Total Toe: +0.20* (+/- 0.20*) Steering Wheel Angle: 0.00* (+/- 3.50*) Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 17:16:09 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/50/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/50/ Some Good General Information About Coil Springs Spring rate refers to the amount of weight needed to compress a spring an inch (Example: 200 lb. per inch). To understand and properly check a spring for rate you need to know the factors that determine the rate of the spring. Fortunately, there are only three things that affect spring rate: Spring Rate Factors: 1. Wire diameter: This affects rate since greater diameter wire is stronger than lesser diameter wire. So, when wire diameter is increased, spring rate increases. 2. Mean diameter of spring - Mean diameter is the overall outside diameter of the spring less one wire diameter. When mean diameter increases, the spring rate decreases. 3. Active coils - Determination of the number of active coils varies according to spring design. Count the total coils minus two for springs with both ends closed. Count the total coils minus one for springs with one end closed and one end open. As the number of active coils increases, the spring rate decreases. Linear Rate Springs: If a spring's rate is linear its rate is not affected by the load put onto the spring. For example, a linear rate spring rated at 200 lb. per inch will compress 1" when a 200 lb. weight is placed onto the spring. If another 200 lb. weight is put onto the spring the spring will compress another inch. At this point the load on the spring has increased to 400 pounds. The rate of the spring, however, remains constant at 200 lb. per inch. Progressive Rate Springs: If the load put onto a spring increases the rate of the spring, the spring is said to have a progressive rate. Keep in mind that the load put onto a progressive rate spring can greatly increase the rate of the spring. Progressive rate springs are made by varying the spacing between the springs' active coils. During compression the close coils bottom out and deaden. This reduces the amount of active coils and spring rate increases as a result. Springs that are designed to include coils of different diameter or are wound using a tapered wire will also produce a progressive rate. Dynamics of Coil Springs: There are basically three different spring designs presently used in cars. They are: Closed and ground on both ends (Coil-overs and rear conventional springs are this type) Closed both ends but ground one end only (Conventional front springs are normally this type) Closed and ground on one end and open on the other end (Similar to a conventional spring that has been cut). The three spring types are used in different situations and provide different effects to rate. Since the designs are so varied, it only follows that the dynamics of each design are also varied. Remember, however, the only factors that affect spring rate are wire diameter, mean diameter and number of active coils. How Spring Rates Change Dynamically: As a coil spring compresses, the inactive (dead) end coils gradually contact adjacent, active coils. The contact causes the active coils to deaden which increases the rate of the spring. The rate creep that results usually stops after the first inch of spring travel and does not appear again until spring travel approaches coil bind. Generally speaking, this type of rate creep is of little consequence with springs softer than approximately 500 lb. per inch. When you use springs stiffer than 500 lb. per /inch, rate creep becomes more pronounced. It is important to realize that springs will pick up rate during compression. Consequently, the rate marked on a spring can differ from the rate as seen by the chassis. This is especially true whenever a spring is rated based on the first inch of compression. Spring Stress: The rate of a spring is determined by its diameter, the number of its active coils, and the diameter of its wire. Since most springs are built to a fixed diameter, a spring designer must decide on the diameter of wire and the correct number of active coils needed to produce the desired rate. If the designer chooses a smaller than normal diameter of wire (which tends to soften rate), he will have to compensate by using fewer active coils (which tends to stiffen rate) to achieve the desired rate. There are two possible reasons for a spring designer to use a smaller than normal wire diameter for a specific rate spring: 1. The ideal diameter wire may not be made and using the next larger wire (which requires more active coils) would produce a spring with insufficient spacing between its coils. This could cause the spring to bind during normal operation. 2. Cost could be the prime consideration and by using a smaller diameter wire and fewer coils (shortening the length of wire used) material cost is reduced. Unfortunately, many springs are built this way and these springs can cause a multitude of problems for the chassis tuner that we will cover. Many people mistakenly believe extra spacing between the coils of a spring indicates a preferable spring. While a spring must have sufficient stroke capacity it also must have sufficient material to absorb the load put onto it. If the spring's material is not sufficient for the load put onto the spring, the material will become over stressed and the spring will take a set (lose height). Handling, of course, is affected and the reason is not always apparent to you unless you pay close attention to your springs. What if a spring "sets"? When a spring takes a set it will normally stabilize at its new height. The rate effectively remains the same since no appreciable changes have been made to any of the three factors that determine the spring's rate. Other than creating a need to readjust the chassis (to restore the original set-up and ride heights) the spring should provide satisfactory performance. It is not uncommon for even well designed and properly manufactured springs to settle up to 1% of their free height. What is Coil Bind? Coil bind occurs whenever a spring is compressed and one or more of the springs active coils contacts another coil. The rate of the spring increases whenever a coil binds since the bound coil or coils are no longer active (this changes one of the three rate-determining factors). Of course, handling is affected whenever a coil binds. If the spring is compressed to solid height (all coils touching) during suspension movement, the suspension will cease to work. You can, and should, check for evidence of coil bind by examining the finish between the active coils. If any coils have bound the finish between them will show contact marks that appear as though they were drawn with a lead pencil. Normally any spring that is binding should be replaced with a taller spring. Why Springs Bow: Springs that have lengths greater than 4 times their diameter will have a natural tendency to bow when loaded. Consequently, tall springs tend to bow more than short springs, and small diameter springs tend to bow more than large diameter springs. Generally, the more a spring is compressed the more it will tend to bow. Keep in mind the rate of a spring will increase if an active coil rubs another part of the car. Here are some tips to minimize bowing: Use correctly fitting coil-over hardware or install weight jack assemblies so that the spring mounting surfaces are kept as parallel as possible during suspension travel. Use springs that do not lean excessively (when positioned on a flat surface). This indicates that the ends are ground parallel to each other. This reduces the tendency for a spring to bow. You should check both ends. If a coil-over spring is rubbing the shock, try reversing the spring so the bowed part of the spring is around the shaft where there's more clearance. Use coil-over springs that have straight sides rather than an hour glass shape. This maximizes the clearance between the shock and spring. Use springs that are wound straight. You can roll the spring on a flat surface to check for straightness. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 17:07:38 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/48/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/48/ 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. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 17:00:15 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/47/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/47/ 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. For stock and 12 bolt rear ends you must use the set of holes towards the passenger's side of the vehicle. If you specified a Dana 60 rear end when you ordered the torque arm then you have a rear bracket with just one set of mounting holes designed specifically for the Dana 60 application. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 16:58:06 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/44/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/44/ 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. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 16:47:43 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/43/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/43/ Our Part #901 Aftermarket Rear Sway Bar Installation Kit uses larger than stock diameter u-bolts to fit the larger diameter axle tubes on aftermarket rear ends (either 3.00" or 3.25"). The stock sway bar bushing shells are made to fit the factory size u-bolt. The factory bushing shells do not have enough material to modify (lengthen the slots) and you will need to use aftermarket polyurethane sway bar bushings. Aftermarket polyurethane sway bar bushings come with a larger shell that has longer slots. Depending on the brand and style you may still have to lengthen the slots a little with a die grinder but there is plenty of material there to do so. If you order the polyurethane sway bar bushings from us with your Part #901 Aftermarket Rear Sway Bar Installation Kit we pre-slot the bushing shells so they are ready to mount when you get them. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 16:44:10 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/42/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/42/ 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. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 16:40:32 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/41/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/41/ Bump-steer is essentially a change in toe-in during suspension travel. To properly perform this alignment, the technician will put your vehicle on an alignment rack so the front wheels are on movable tables. He will then likely hook a come-along to the crossmember and one to the floor that will allow him to pull the vehicle throughout its suspension travel to measure the change in toe (bump-steer). He will then re-arrange the rod ends vertical positioning to minimize the problem. In many cases, a subtle lowering of a car will not be enough to induce bump-steer, however, severe lowering, or the use of camber-caster plates will often cause the problem. By changing the angle of the tie rod assembly, done by extending or lowering the pin height, you can decrease your bump-steer to very small levels (less than factory).Installation instructions can be found below under "Attachments". Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 15:55:55 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/40/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/40/ The swing out side bar kits hinge the side bar so it opens and closes just like your car door allowing for easy entrance and exit from the vehicle. Also, with the swing out side bar kits installed you can completely remove the side bars for every day driving and just install them when you go to the track. See the attached .pdf file for a schematic. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 15:51:14 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/38/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/38/ 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. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 15:41:01 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/36/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/36/ When running the QA1 OED7855P, RC7855P or DOE7855P front coil-over shocks we recommend the following QA1 front spring rates: 275# springs: A lightweight (< 3,000 lbs.) drag only car 300# springs: A full weight (> 3,000 lbs.) street/strip car 325# springs: A full weight (> 3,000 lbs.) street car wanting good handling Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 15:34:58 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/35/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/35/ Part #736 Rear Coil Over Kits Spring Rates: For drag racing and street/strip applications we recommend a 150# spring. For road racing/handling, 170# - 200# or a variable rate. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 15:32:35 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/33/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/33/ Part #737 Pro-Tour Front Coil Over KitSpring Rate Recommendations:Street/Good Handling: 300#Road Racing: 325# - 350# Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 15:30:48 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/34/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/34/ Part #738 Pro-Drag Front Coil Over Kit Spring Rate Recommendations:Small Block/LT1/LSx/V-6: 175#Big Block: 200# Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 15:30:22 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/31/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/31/ A common misconception is that chrome moly is lighter than mild steel. Given the same o.d. and wall thickness a chrome moly tube weighs the same as a mild steel tube. Chrome moly is the abbreviation for "chromium molybdenum", and it is an alloy steel. It was designed for and is used extensively in the aircraft industry due to it's high tensile strength and torsional load ratings. Because of it's higher strength (almost double that of mild steel), it is possible to use thinner gauge tubing when building a product which provides for less weight, or a product that is the same weight but nearly twice as strong. On our products chrome moly tubing is offered for increased strength and/or lighter overall weight for extreme applications. Another misconception is that chrome moly will "crack" and not have long term durability. The stories you may hear about this normally boil down to one thing, it was not properly welded. We have extensive experience in TIG welding chrome moly using industry standard practices and have never had any durability issues. At Spohn Performance we do not cut corners on quality! Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 14:38:38 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/30/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/30/ Yes, you can find the installation instructions in this Support Center, just go to the Installation Instructions section and look up the SKU # you need instructions for. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 14:36:09 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/21/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/21/ At this time we can only powder coat our parts in bright red or gloss black. If you would like a custom color and have someone locally who can do this for you then we can provide you our parts in bare metal. Feel free to contact us before ordering if you would like to go that route. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 14:05:18 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/17/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/17/ At this time the only set up we have for the standard small block and big block engine applications in a 1993-2002 GM F-Body is our tubular k-member with no motor mount pads installed. You will need to use a motor plate to mount the engine. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 13:35:09 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/14/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/14/ To maintain proper geometry you must run the extended length lower and upper rear control arms. You can not just run one and not the other. You will need to get a 3/4" longer driveshaft as well. Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 13:19:49 GMT https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/11/ https://www.spohn.net/support/questions/11/ Product tour videos, etc. are available at http://tv.spohn.net Spohn Performance Mon, 03 May 2010 13:09:47 GMT