What's the difference between VBP Smart Struts and the setup sold by DragVette? Looks like they do pretty much the same thing to me. I plan to buy one or the other to help the rear end in my '81 4-speed car survive behind a healthy 406. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Just went through this exercise. I fabricated my own 1 inch spacer from 1/4" aluminum plate. Bought the correct length grade 8 bolts. Obviously it takes 4 thicknesses to get one inch. One inch gets the lower strut parallel to the half shaft which is what you’re after. Go look at the 6 link suspension stuff in Corvette Faqs if you want to understand the geometry. Because the bracket is lower it interfered with my exhaust. I dropped the exhaust 1 inch and got it to work OK but decided to go ahead and throw money at it and bought a smart strut. The smart strut inboard strut attachment point has a vertical slot which allows you to adjust the height of the inboard strut end. Dead in the center of the adjustment point is 1 inch drop vs stock. I'm not sure if the purpose of the slot is to adjust camber or the height of the inboard strut end. I think camber adjustment. The one inch spacer works great if it doesn't case significant exhaust issues. If you have stock struts you need to ditch them and at a minimum get the polyurethane. You really need to spend the bucks and get spherical rod ends and an appropriate strut sleeve to get away from the binding of the polys and stock rubber bushed strut.

I will sell you the spacers for $20 plus shipping if you want. E-mail me and or call and discuss if you have questions.

 

Did you need a heat shield installed (if you have a composite spring)?

 

I already own a set of the HD struts from VBP. They're the ones with spherical rod ends with grease zerts. Do you know if this will work with the rest of the smart strut hardware? They have a note on their site that "if you already own the poly end struts", there's kit you can buy to complete the smart strut installation, but they don't say anything about using the heavy duty struts. By the way, doesn't this do just about the same thing as DragVette's setup? Thanks!

 

I run the smart strut with VB HD strut rods. The tire contact patch is flat, the car drives great at 141 MPH and is very stable under dceleration (unloding the rear suspension).

Again, I don't know how to post pictures, so I can only direct you to my "amateur" website.

http://home.earthlink.net/~geaton/

 

2000 A4. 141 mph ? Your ***** are big. In the ¼ mile? Daily driver? Care about going around corners? I used to sky dive and 120 mph was terminal velocity in the spread eagle position. This is my speed reference point. Actually I have had my ZX11 Kawasaki up to 150 briefly. The bike is capable of 176 according to the bike rags. The new bikes are much faster. Weird but I always felt more comfortable going fast on the bike than in my vette. That’s why I have been working on the vette suspension so hard. Norval goes 130 in his vette crusing. He has conquered some of the control problems.

 

1/4 mile, that is all I do! Has never been a daily drive, just for weekend fun, and it does not go around corners.

Any idea what the record ET is for a stock suspension Vette?

 

Good stuff. Is the 141 in the 1/4? Tell us what you have?

 

Don't know about the record, but I'd sure like to know what you've done to get that rearend to hold up under the strain of a wheels-up launch! Rip one of those at an intersection sometime and the winged fartpipe crew would leave you the hell alone! Cool shot!

 

I just noticed on your website that your '70 is a small block. That thing is killer
More info needed on your motor please
BTW - The narrow rallyes are a nice touch.

 

2000 - a4 Did you make that tranny cross member?

I also have lots of tom's rearend parts. I have VB*P Smart Struts in the lower race position. I went with poly ends because I drive on the street.

 

I saw a "stock" '66 turn 9.99 in the Quarter...

 

Another important feature of the smart strut kit is the plate steel construction, eliminating the flex under high HP applications.

Megawatt - yes, 141 in the 1/4, 113 in the 1/8

L88Plus - not much really! Spicer U-Joints, aluminum mounts for the third member front mount and cross member, VB traction bar, working with the leaf spring and ride height.

71coupe - 388 with PRO Lite 220's, 12:1 CR, solid roller, Dart intake with 750, 1-3/4 headers, 600HP at 6600 and 512 Trq at 5000. Thanks, saved 32 pounds with the aluma stars and MT tires.

gkull - NO, The shop that installed the cage also did the cross member. Saved 15 pounds over the stock piece.

 

Is it a 3.75" stroke? Are you running Nitrous in that drag video?

 

Yes, it's 3.75 X 4.060. That's with 175 - 200 HP nitrous kit.

 

No experience with SmartStruts here. But the Dragvette components work as advertised. I've been very happy with them.

 

You are the MAN! Your Vette makes my 12.28@117MPH LT-1 seem SLOW! I would race you if there were some corners in the course (my car wins at autocross, but drops to high 12's/low 13's when the slicks are off of it.) I really don't understand the pre-concieved notion that an IRS wont hook-up at the drags, they work very well!

 

So with N2O your approaching 800? I used all good parts in my 383 because the original plan was to uses my Fogger manifold with twin 125 hp shots.

What are your cam specs?

 

Good call, Im working on putting components together for a good hybrid of stright line handling and as good of rear wheel corning as you can get hahaha. Any suggestions?

 

A 5 link?? How about a c5 setup with upper and lower control arms??