What exactly does it do? I read somewhere it takes pressure off of the tail shaft? The reason is, I'd like to know if I should get a Spohn Torque Arm before or after my 9-bolt/motor.
-Rippin

 

under acceleration the rear end tries to rotate upward while the torque arm will lift the front of the car...hope this helped

 

The torque arm prevents the rear axle housing from rotating around the axles. The stock arm is stamped steel and weak, it allows the rear end to rotate, affecting the suspension's ability to plant the rear tires. Aftermarket arms do not usually mount to the transmission, but to the body, so when the rear end tries to rise on acceleration, they raise the body, this helps plant the tires harder, increasing traction. Hope this helps. You cant go wrong with the Spohn arm.

 

Definitely buy the arm AFTER you get the new rear!!! If you buy it now and it doesn't fit the new rear later on and you're screwed. Buy it AFTER and if it doesn't fit you can exchange it/modify it to fit right away.

BTW- not sure if you meant 9-BOLT rear or 9 INCH rear, but you should know the torque arm looks slightly different to me between a stock 10-bolt rear and a stock 9-bolt rear. Not sure if they interchange.

Better safe than poorer.

 

Should get a pair of control arms and a panhard as well....

 

I swapped a 9-bolt into my car a couple months ago and the factory 10-bolt torque arm fit perfectly, it should interchange just fine.

Here's another way to look at the purpose of a torque arm. When you drill a hole in something, you know how the drill tries to twist your wrist the other way? The rear end does the same thing when you hit the gas. A torque arm keeps it from twisting which keeps your suspension geometry correct and therfore helps traction.

The stock torque arm mounts to the back of the tranny....when the rear tries to twist the torque arm puts that load on the tranny, and therefore on the tranny mount. THAT'S why these cars break tranny mounts all the time. It's also bad for the tranny tailshaft housing. Aftermarket torque arms mount to either the floorpan or the trans crossmember, which makes them more stable and takes the stress off the tranny.

I'd swap the torque arm at the same time that you swap the rear, because you basically have to take it out anyway.

 

I hear a popping as if stress being relieved when i am coming to a halt and the tranny is downshifting. Might this be a sign of something not right. I have a new poly tranny mount, and also now notice a crazy vibtration at 4500 rpm. Might the tranny be sitting too high with the new mount? Could something actually be touching the floor??? Thanks guys

Will