Recommended chassis modifications:
For serious drag racing, we recommend
reinforcing the upper and lower control arm
chassis mounts. They are only spot welded
in place from the factory but should be fully
welded to the floor pan for added strength.
Tuning Tips:
These traction bars can be attached to the axle
housing brackets in 1 of 2 positions. The lower
holes will cause the rear tires to “plant” harder
than the upper holes. If you have too much
traction, move the rear attachment to the upper
holes of the axle housing brackets.
Illustration #2
shows what happens to the
instant center (imaginary intersection point
between the upper and lower control arms)
when the lower control arms are attached to
each of the two optional mounting holes in the
axle housing brackets.
When the differential pinion gear is turned by
the drive shaft, which is driven by the engine,
the pinion gear turns the ring gear causing the
axle housing to rotate, pulling back on the upper
control arms and pushing forward on the lower
control arms. These forces theoretically meet
at the instant center point (as shown on the
illustration). The shorter the instant center point
is, the more the tires will separate from the body
upon launch.
IMPORTANT!
Periodically check to make sure that all mounting
hardware is securely tightened. Use a good
quality chassis grease to keep bushings and
sleeves properly lubricated.
Recommended Optional
Lakewood Products:
• For drag racing, the factory rear shocks
should be replaced with a 50/50 ratio shock
absorber available for 1982-92 model years
(#40301).
• Replacement Bushing Set for Traction Bars
(#20538).
• Front Drag Struts are also available for
1982-92 model years in ratios of 70/30
(#40500) or 90/10 (#40510).
• Bolt-in Safety Drive Shaft Loop available for
1982-92 model years (#18020), 1993-2002
model years (#18022).
STOCK
LOCATION
B
A
LOWER CONTROL ARM ATTACHING POINT
ILLUSTRATION #2
LAKEWOOD LIFT KITS
SUSPENSION SYSTEMS
