Hi

This bar can be a life saver as it reduces crossbar flex and age cracking near the A-arm attachments caused by this.

A must only for that reason already, not to talk about handling improvements being a nice side benefit.

It can be made to fit at every C3 if the unweld version is used . Sometimes requires a bit of engineering, but still an easy install.

Happy new year. Günther

 

Having a highly modified C3 for racing with other structural reinforcements like a roll cage will minimize the effect of a spreader bar. Any street driven only C3 even with stock suspension components should benefit greatly from a spreader bar since all C3's, regardless of year, will experience serious frame flex since the C3 frame is well documented to be a weak point since the frame is only braced in a 2 dimensional plane. Cracked A arms, of course, will make the benefit even greater for a spreader bar.

With that said, as mrvette noted correctly, the more modified the suspension, the more benefit, but considering the frame flex in any unmodified C3, a spreader bar will benefit ALL C3's, and NOT insignificantly.

On my 78, I have a 100% stock type suspension with the Speedirect spreader bar (no C4 suspension, coil overs, etc) BUT have taken great pains to eliminate as much suspension rubber deflection as possible-poly upper and lower control arm bushings, poly front shock bushings on the Bilsteins, poly sway bar mounting and endlink bushings on the 1 1/8 inch front bar, custom blue printed/rebuilt OEM steering box by GTR1999, poly bushing on the power steering cylinder, poly mounting bushings on the OEM type 3/4 inch rear swaybar, poly bushings on the 360 composite spring, competition adjustable strut rods with NO bushings (heim joint ends) AND 255/45/17 ZR ultra high performance summer only tires. The car rides MUCH better than the stock gymkhana suspension with 255/60/15 junk tires and handles/steers like a modern sports car. It's that good. Is it as good as my 2010 Z06 or 2012 Lexus IS350 F Sport? NO but it is a VERY different car than what rolled off the assembly line in October 1977 when the car was built. The spreader bar IMCO should be on every C3, modified or not, since for the money the benefits are real. Hope that helps!

 

I put one in on my 70 back in the early 2000's and have not looked back. It made such a difference in the cars handling that I wanted to see what else I could do to stiffen it up more. Well worth the $100 or so it costs to get this. Easy install.

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...r-in-a-C3.html

 

To which I have to add, stock 15x8 rims are just flat too small, you need at least 17" C4 rims, I have '89 rims with 2.5" wheel adapters from VBP.....an easy cheap solution without spending 5000 bux on some aftermarket wheel......

AND it is most obvious that the biggest thing you can do to improve handling is a lower profile, WIDE tire.....gotta start with the basics.....

 

without the factory mechanical fan and shroud you may do it in a half hour. with its tedious but not bad, but more than a half hour.

 

Yes, the shroud is in the way. I noticed that as I spun the nuts off the posts, the control arm traveled down the stud posts. I ran out of time and stopped with the control arm most of the way down the posts, with the nuts still on. I am thinking I will have to jack the car up to take load off the arms so they will not come all the way off the posts. Did you encounter this problem? I have a speeddirect spreader bar.

 

most definitely, you have to get the wheels up to get enough weight to hold the control arms in place. tighten the bar when the car is back on all fours.

 

Installed mine on the ground. My VBP directions did not say anything about raising the car off the ground for the installation.

"You may need to lift the frame slightly so the cross shafts do not try to slide off the studs. After installation pre-load the spreader bar slightly outwards."

 

Thanks. I'll report on the results when done.

 

IS THIS BAR FOR SBC ONLY ? I HAVE A BBC 69 VETTE RAY

 

I installed one several years ago on my '72. It really does help on these older model cars.
Had to modify the mounting bracket to make it fit, but no problem...

 

I am sold on one for my 70 BB car.

 

No, it is not.

 

I understand the bar can be used for BBC also. Visit the speeddirect website for details. The information is kind of buried in their website and the best way to access the spreader bar is to Google 'Speeddirect spreader bar'.

 

Details please!! My understanding is these spreader bars, on BB cars, will only fit with no mechanical fan. Anyone done this with a mechanical fan?

 

I bought one of the VP&B version for my 76 vette with a big block conversion. I do have the electric fan and everything fits perfect. Once installed, I raised the car just about 1/2" and tightened the bar up. I drove it after that down a winding back road near where I live and noticed a big difference. Just felt alot tighter in the curves. Worth the 100 bux.

 

Yes, I understand it works with electric fans. Question is: is it at all doable with a mechanical fan? Has anyone figured this out?

 

I have a '74 smallblock with AC and an AIR pump and the factory fan w/clutch setup. The only way I think it would clear the pulleys is if I have a fan spacer made up. It would push the stock fan w/clutch forward and away from the three pulleys that are on the nose of the water pump. Then I would have the brackets welded to fit the crossbar in between the two.
Keep ya posted.

 

I installed one in my 80 with PS, air, stock fan with clutch and the full stock radiator shroud. It was a very tight fit, but we got the bracket welded in place and it all cleared. I never drove the car afterwards. This was right before I sent it to it's new home with a buddy in Brazil.

I have the VB&P one for the 75 that is already welded together, but it has an electric fan and no air. The one for the 80 was the one you have to weld together. I don't think a welded one would have worked.

 

I know the question is about using a spreader bar with a BB car which I cannot comment on, but I can comment about using one with a SBC C3. I bought the VBP spreader bar for my 78 L-82 which is basically all stock (with a mechanical fan) in the 90's but never put it on since I just could not fathom how to position the tabs that needed to be welded to the upper control arm bracket that would clear the fan pulley and mechanical fan with a spreader bar that had such a large diameter. Long story short, I never installed it and recently sold it to a forum member who installed it on his car which had electric fans. A few years ago, I did purchase a speedirect spreader bar that did not require any welding of the mounting tabs and is for SBC C3's with a mechanical fan and it installed perfectly with no clearance issues with the pulley or mechanical fan. Having A/C is no issue when installing a speedirect spreader bar. One of the best mods I have made to my 78.

Hope that helps!