LeddySS98

I put Spohns Torque Arm #405, the one made for long tubes, that goes in place of the tunnel brace...

I have the ocaisonal clunk and what not, but for the most part I've been very happy with the Arm, and I "feel" like it has made a pretty big difference when it come to traction... So for that I'm a very happy customer...

However, ground clearance is another story, I'm scraping on all kinds of things, and no I'm not lowered. The ocassional speed bump is kinda a given, I can no longer get in my garage because going up the drive way the bar will scrape about a foot before clearing the door, The other night going trought a fast food drive through I scraped REALLY bad, and I did'nt ever figure out what it was. Leaving the gas pump tonight I got it...

I have a good inch plus wide scrape on the bar where it is missing a good 1/8" of metal not I'm guessing...

Is this a common problem? I'm currently running the 98 SS package Stock shocks and springs, and I'm getting ready to put 4 Koni's on... But I'm not enjoying this new scraping scenario...

anyone else?

01SLPSS

iTrader: (47)

I have the same torque arm and the same problem. I am not lowered either and I scrap absolutely everywhere I go . Everytime I take the car out it scraps at least five times a trip . I just came home from SLP Day in NJ and I scraped 7 times on the way home, all freeway . My car scraps and throws sparks all over everybody behind me . I have about a two inch mark on mine and have a big flat spot on mine. I called Spohn today and I am going to order another crossmember, the one that is straight. It will cost $130 no loop & $175 with loop. I don't have long tubes yet, but bought that crossmember for the future when I get long tubes and I can't take the scraping anymore I Love the Torque Arm but the dropped crossmember sucks . Even my friends hate the scraping, and its not their car.

Word of advice: Spohn is an awesome Torque Arm & I highly recommend it, but if you don't have to worry about exhaust clearance, get the straight crossmember, if not get ready for a sparks show!!!!!

DERTY

I bought the LT1 straight crossmember like mentioned. It gets rid of the little hump and gives you more clearance. You can then make your exhaust fit around that.

2w0s060

So will the straight design cross member clear with the stock y-pipe or aftermarket y-pipe with stock manifolds. Even the stock tunnel brace has bump in it to clear this. Or is this for LT1 models only?

2w0s060

Nevermind there site says it will clear as long as you dont have long tubes....should have looked first

No Juice

iTrader: (11)

Yeah I have the LT1 Torque arm on mine and it clears the stock y-pipe no problem but I had to cut off the D/S loop because it would hit the stock y-pipe. I plan on welding it back on after I get headers and ORY. However, with this crossbrace a custom y-pipe is almost a must. The only one that might fit is the kooks y-pipe

Oh and i'm lowered about 1"-1.5" and no scraping

LeddySS98

I have 2.5" TD's, with the X-pipe going through the Crossbrace right now...I dont think I can fit the TD's with the LT1 style brace.

Ground Clearance is just killing me right now...

LeddySS98

New one: went to change my oil using a drive on lift, and the Arm hit the braces on the lift...

Im worried it just a matter of time before I rip everything off my car driving arround = (

firehawk933

I have the same deal. I have Kooks Headers and y-pipe and I could have definetely gotton away with the straight crossbrace because they tuck up so nice.

No Juice

iTrader: (11)

Firehawk933 post some pics or send me some. I'd like to see how it all fits together

SnakeKiller

iTrader: (7)

I'd also like to see pics. I was looking at getting a spohn, but now I'm having second thoughts. I just can't imagine it hitting the ground, at stock ride height it appears I have a good 6-8 inches from the floor of my car to the ground.

DERTY

I only would ground out on really steep driveways or a tall speed bump. I never found it to be any problem. I did go with the flat one because the car is now lowered in the front with the drag tires and when I switched to duals it tucked up very nicely. Overall my 3" pipes for my duals were lower then the torque arm was.

LeddySS98

Derty: Do you have pics of your exhaust going arround the brace, I'd like to see you set up...

Do you have TD's or the traditional Y?

DERTY

Here are the pictures of my car with true duals going around the brace. Keep in mind that the brace I have is the older one before I switched to the LT1 brace. With the LT1 brace there is no reason you cannot run an x-pipe. But you'll have some of the same clearance issues all over again.

http://www.derty.org/photogallery/ca....php?cat_id=23

When I had the Corsa exhaust I had modified the Y-pipe to fit and I did need the bigger Spohn crossmember to fit the larger Y-pipe that I built. You can see that here:
http://www.derty.org/photogallery/de...p?image_id=419

There really is not a lot of space in this particular area. So I made it work and in some cases lived with the fact that it bottomed out on occasion. I will say it is built incredibly tough and takes more abuse then anyone on here can throw at it.

LeddySS98

Wow, Is your car on steroids or something? Guessing it's geared for the track pretty much? That red thing arround your tranny.. is that to keep it cool or something?

Is their an advantage to have a dual setup like that withOUT a X or H pipe... just two long I pipes basically. Pretty original sound I'm guessing.

I can move the brace up maybe a 1/4" so that will help me some. Have to notch out the SFC on the Passenger side a little bit where it bolts onto the car...

other than that I'm still looking for clearance solutions.

DERTY

The red thing is a tranny blanket. It's to catch the shrapnel in the event that it decides to explode. They've been known to blow through the floorpan of the cars and injur the driver. The blanket minimizes the potential damage.

There is a fractional loss of power without the x or the h pipe. Mostly the need for that is to reduce noise though. Overall I'm wasn't interested in the hype surrounding what a X pipe may or may not do. The added weight was far outweighed by the power that it would produce.

If you hunt around you'll find sound clips and videos on my website. You'll be able to hear how the sound has progressed from one change to another.

LeddySS98

I'll be sure and check out the sound files when I get a chance...

I was driving my little A to B eclipse car today, and it's funny how much I look arround for spots I'd scrape on in the SS...

I agree with you that Spohns' TA is a really nice solid piece... and I'm not TOOOOO worried about breaking the actual TA... but ripping the floorboard out from the bolts could make for a bad day... = (

DERTY

I wouldn't worry about that too much either. I mowed over the top of a dead deer with the car last year at 75 MPH. Don't ask! All I can tell you was that it was pitch black, I was in the left lane next to a semi trailer in the right lane and nowhere to go. It felt like a scene out of the Dukes of Hazzard! The torque arm took 99% of the hit. It bent the floor up a little but didn't rip anything out. There are pictures of the damage (to the deer at least) posted as well.

LeddySS98

Bent the floor up huh... hmmm... So you needed to readjust your pinion angle after you re adjusted what mr Deer look like.. = )

It's a nasty sound when it scrapes, and you can feel the car vibrate... I'm worried about the vehicle lifts more than anything... A good 1/2" of the TA smacks into the brace going accross on the drive on lift...

I'm gonna try and get a actuall ground to car mearsurment, and post my results.

peterock98

iTrader: (25)

That scraping sux the first time it happened I thought it ripped the off brace.