VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 10
From: NorCal
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
These significantly stiffen the front end and solve all the cracking issues. Anyone contemplating track time or using stiffer springs pretty much has to have it. WILL NOT fit BB cars with the stock fan! We have to use electrics, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Hans
Hans
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
I have one of these bars and i can't see anyway to make it fit as designed with the engine driven fan. Possibly the tabs can be welded directly to the frame, but that would place it below the designed mounting point and reduce its effectiveness.
I would like to see a picture of someone with engine driven fan that has made it fit.
jim
I would like to see a picture of someone with engine driven fan that has made it fit.
jim
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,906
Likes: 0
From: Berlin
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
I have one of these bars, and my frame cracked anyway in the areas mentioned. The previous owner autocrossed it a lot (with the spreader), and set it up accordingly (very stiff everything), so I figure that's what caused it. Just saying...
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Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
The VBP folks responded today by e-mail. Here is the reply:
Hi Paul - Our 4222 Spreader Bar kit will work fine on your '79 vette. You can
position the bar either forward or aft, as need be to clear the fan. The fan shroud
will need to be trimmed(notched)a little bit to allow the assmbly to just sit in
front of the fan.
There is no welding or modification necessary on the car itself. The mounting
plates don't effect front end alignment, as they mount inboard of the upper
control arm cross-shafts.
We have these in stock now, if you want one. Please call our Tech Dept.,
if you have any further questions.
I enjoy experiments and have ordered one. I will let you know how things turn out!
Hi Paul - Our 4222 Spreader Bar kit will work fine on your '79 vette. You can
position the bar either forward or aft, as need be to clear the fan. The fan shroud
will need to be trimmed(notched)a little bit to allow the assmbly to just sit in
front of the fan.
There is no welding or modification necessary on the car itself. The mounting
plates don't effect front end alignment, as they mount inboard of the upper
control arm cross-shafts.
We have these in stock now, if you want one. Please call our Tech Dept.,
if you have any further questions.
I enjoy experiments and have ordered one. I will let you know how things turn out!
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 61,413
Likes: 478
From: Here to make friends
St. Jude Donor '11, '16-'17
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
The PO of my car added one of these along with electric fans. He said that it made a big improvement. I do know that the steering in my '80 is much more precise than the stock '79 that I sold last year. Of course that could be that the '79 had almost another 100k more miles than the '80. :D
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8,339
Likes: 24
From: I can walk to MA
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
The fan shroud will need to be trimmed(notched)a little bit to allow the assmbly ... SNIP ...
I enjoy experiments and have ordered one. I will let you know how things turn out!
I enjoy experiments and have ordered one. I will let you know how things turn out!
Good luck - looking forward to the pics on install.
:seeya
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (NHvette)
I always work in redundancies: I have a back-up shroud. If it is a minor cut then no problem. If major...time for EBay. But I truly enjoy learning about C3 projects. Testing this and that and sharing with the Forum. My 1979 is not my daily driver so I have that luxury.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,077
Likes: 27
From: Northeast South Dakota
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
I have been seriously considering this as well, but wanted to see some detailed pics of the bar installed on a car. I will be anxiously awaiting your upcoming posts on the project. Pics as well :D , which I know you will have because your documentation on a project is always top notch. :thumbs:
Speaking of that, do you use a corvetteforum web page to host the pics you put on the forum? I'm asking because I have had a lot of trouble trying to get photos uploaded onto my forum web page file manager.
-Justin
Speaking of that, do you use a corvetteforum web page to host the pics you put on the forum? I'm asking because I have had a lot of trouble trying to get photos uploaded onto my forum web page file manager.
-Justin
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,077
Likes: 27
From: Northeast South Dakota
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
Hmmmmm......I wonder what's going on there then? I don't have all that many pics in my file manager anyway, but I can't delete them, it just won't do it. I can't upload either for some reason. I guess it just doesn't like me. :confused: :confused:
-Justin
-Justin
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (turtlevette)
I have not received it from VBP yet. And my car does not come out of winter storage for two more weeks. I will be reporting on a number of my winter projects in May.
The spreader bar and the 7/16" rear sway bar are at the top of the list. For the latter, I do not know if the inside/frame welded retaining nuts are in place for mounting the bushings. I may have a nasty surprise coming up....
[Modified by paul79, 8:22 AM 4/13/2003]
The spreader bar and the 7/16" rear sway bar are at the top of the list. For the latter, I do not know if the inside/frame welded retaining nuts are in place for mounting the bushings. I may have a nasty surprise coming up....
[Modified by paul79, 8:22 AM 4/13/2003]
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,077
Likes: 27
From: Northeast South Dakota
Re: VBP Spreader Bar/Fan Setup (paul79)
Paul, when I did the rear bar on my 81' the nuts were in place in the frame, they were just covered up with some kind of undercoating and paint. I found them, punched through them with an awl, then used a tap to clean the threads up. Nothing to it really.
-Justin
-Justin
