I want to lift the wheels! '81 malibu

Status
Not open for further replies.

Myles

Apprentice
Jun 17, 2011
80
17
8
Hey guys,

New set up is running well, 11.89 at 112mph, 1.66 60ft, but I want to get a wheel up!

Let me know what you'd do,
All suspension resembles stock.. front is very stiff.

81 Malibu drag only with drag lites, skinnies. No interior, heater, wipers etc.

750mech Holley 355sbc 9.5:1 dart iron eagle platinum heads 64cc 215 runners
Cam is flat tappet mech. 106lobe .500lift 242@50
Shift and trap around 6800. This motor has no redline, lol.

Fresh Th350 custom 8" 4200 stall
12 bolt 4.56 gears spool and 28"MT slick.


I'm thinking soft springs/shocks up front? Brands? And maybe would like to get my 4200 stall modified to a 5000.

Saw a stocker a half second slower than me lifting both wheels, so some work can be done here. Basic ideas? I'm racing now and dont want to spend ALL summer working on the car,

Thanks! Myles
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

bracketchev1221

Royal Smart Person
Jan 18, 2018
1,386
1,599
113
Do you have a picture of the car? A big help in getting the car to leave is lowering the front end and having a spring that has a lot of stored energy, along with travel and freedom of motion it will help get the front end up. Second is the rear suspension bar angle, and how much leverage it is applying to the rear to separate the rear from the body and push the body up. Basic upgrades start with a simple Moroso trick spring and 3 way adjustable shocks to loosen the front end travel.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

motorheadmike

Geezer
Nov 18, 2009
8,976
27,522
113
Saskatchewan, Truckistan
More converter... and flash it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Myles

Apprentice
Jun 17, 2011
80
17
8
Thanks guys,

Here's all I have
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20190707-205823_Google.jpg
    Screenshot_20190707-205823_Google.jpg
    353.5 KB · Views: 284
  • 20190422_135047.jpg
    20190422_135047.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 938

lilbowtie

Comic Book Super Hero
Jan 7, 2006
3,460
3,965
113
Canton Mi
Ideally you want to go forward, not up but I understand you want to see it lift those tires. Are you footing or trans brake? Those are great heads but a little big for a 9.5/1 355 which doesn't help on the bottom. if you have a front sway you will get more travel w/o it and some adjustable shocks ( or 90/10's) will let that front come up. With the amount of converter you have and drag only I would like to see more camshaft in that engine and by the way that converter has a lot of slippage (over 10%).

YOK2460.jpg
 

Myles

Apprentice
Jun 17, 2011
80
17
8
Hey man,

I'm just foot breaking it, leaning it around 2400rpm

Any less and I get a slight hesitation, still trying to fix (was better with bigger squirters)

Yea the heads are big, we just built it with a bunch or junk laying around ti be honest.

Moroso tricks springs? 90/10s?
I'd like to try those 2 thinks and modify the stall, 5000 would also sound pretty cool. Just going for style, not trying to get every .001 out of it

I took my sway bar of my other malibu, after 1200 passes the car is bent lol
 

Myles

Apprentice
Jun 17, 2011
80
17
8
Ideally you want to go forward, not up but I understand you want to see it lift those tires. Are you footing or trans brake? Those are great heads but a little big for a 9.5/1 355 which doesn't help on the bottom. if you have a front sway you will get more travel w/o it and some adjustable shocks ( or 90/10's) will let that front come up. With the amount of converter you have and drag only I would like to see more camshaft in that engine and by the way that converter has a lot of slippage (over 10%).

View attachment 117916
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::twisted:
 

lilbowtie

Comic Book Super Hero
Jan 7, 2006
3,460
3,965
113
Canton Mi
Most economical route would be to try some 90/10's up front and make sure your suspension is free. Secondly make sure that carb is spot on - wide band tuning is great. The Regal can leave from an idle w/o a problem(except traction). My front end is completely stock w/ 6 cyl springs and adjustable shocks. I'm running a stock block/bore L-82 350 w/ 2.02 chevy iron heads, Comps 306S flat tappet, Vic Jr w/ 750, FTI 4500 converter w/ a T-400, 4.30 gears w/ 28's. 60's at 1.50 and runs 11.20's

 

bracketchev1221

Royal Smart Person
Jan 18, 2018
1,386
1,599
113
I think I would like to see the rear lower to make the bottom bar closer to parallel to the ground, but it looks like with the tires that is not happening.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Macguyver

SOUTHSIDE MACHINE PERFORMANCE
GBodyForum Sponsor
Mar 21, 2017
292
458
63
Instant Center Relocation and Why It’s Needed

The basic information regarding instant center is the same for all cars, but for this discussion, we'll focus on the factory-designed four-link system. The instant center (IC) is an imaginary point defined by extending the line of the upper and lower control arms forward until the two lines intersect. By changing the locating points of either the upper or lower control arms, the IC can be moved longitudinally (fore-aft) as well as vertically. Moving the instant center closer to the rear of the car reduces the leverage on the rear axle, reducing and eventually eliminating the car's tendency to squat. There are two basic ways to change the G-Body IC position. The OLD SCHOOL "No Hop" bars relocate the rear-axle mounting point of the upper control arms higher, which shortens the IC but goes too high. The obvious way is to drop the lower rear mounting point of the bottom trailing arm. This is the approach taken by SOUTHSIDE MACHINE PERFORMANCE WITH OUR 4 HOLE RELOCATION BRACKETS.

As the instant center is moved toward the rear by altering the upper or lower control-arm mounting points, this has an effect on tire load, or the "hit" on the rear tire. If you are using a sticky rear tire like a wrinkle-wall M/T E.T. Street or a pair of slicks, moving the instant center rearward will apply more leverage to the rear suspension, reduce the squat, and take maximum advantage of the wrinkle-wall tires. If a set of stiffer-sidewall drag radials are used, positioning the instant center back from its stock location--but not as far back as for a wrinkle-wall tire--would be beneficial.

The height of the instant center will also move as you reposition the control arms, and this affects average tire loading on the rear tire. If you draw an imaginary line between the tire contact patch to the car's center of gravity (CG), this is the 100 percent antisquat line. If the instant center is located above this line, antisquat will be more than 100 percent, while an instant center below the line is less than 100 percent antisquat. Theories abound on the proper location of the instant center, and this will change based on power, tire condition, track conditions, and perhaps a dozen other variables. This is just a hint of what you can learn about instant centers and traction. If you're into maximum traction, there's a ton of material to learn about putting the power to the ground.

If you were using a custom 9" or one of our truss kits you could achieve photo 2.
In the real world using a GM 10 or 12 bolt you can get photo 4.

Note: You need at least 45% of the car's weight on the rear wheels to make a 4 link suspension work properly.

These do require welding and shipped in bare metal.


https://gbodyforum.com/threads/how-do-we-get-the-g-body-to-hook-so-well.74205/#post-712566


https://southsidemachineperformance.com/chassis-tuning-tips


Screenshot (91).png s-l1600 (5).jpg
 
  • Useful
Reactions: 1 user
Status
Not open for further replies.

GBodyForum is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Please support GBodyForum Sponsors

Classic Truck Consoles Dixie Restoration Depot UMI Performance

Contact [email protected] for info on becoming a sponsor