how to make an el camino hook on a budget?

toyodajeff

Daily Driver
May 21, 2012
21
0
0
Canton, GA
So I have an 82 el camino with a 350/4 speed swap. It has a saginaw with the low first gear (3 rings on input shaft). The cars suspension setup is this. v6 springs and stock replacement shocks up front, monte ss springs new air shocks and I have a monte ss rear sway bar but its not on the car currently. also has the bigger monte ss sway bar up front. 2.73 open diff with cordovan grand prix tires with 14 inch wheels. the car spins the tires easily in first and most of the time will spin in second if I go WOT (not dumping the clutch just punching the gas).

Not looking for a drag race setup just something to help the car hookup and still be nice to cruise in on the street.

I was thinking of going to a junkyard and trying to find a complete rear with a stock limited slip out of another g body, boxing the lower control arms and put new bushings in upper and lower arms. (not sure how much this would help) putting on the stock rear sway bar. and replacing the air shocks with some stock replacement rear shocks.

I would like to keep this under $500 but could always do it one piece at a time and buy more parts later.

anybody have any tips for a street driven car that cant hook up
 

greer_racing

Weekend Racer
Apr 23, 2013
55
0
0
a used set of rear tires, doesn't matter how much tread is left or if they are a bit weathered because you'll just burn them off having fun anyways and save for good parts like the posi/gear. a car that actually hooks on a dirty old side road is not a nice cruising street car anymore lol
 

woody31

Frequent Racer
ok here ya go,,remember you asked,,,for starters,,find a posi,,and a lower gear set,even a 3.08 will help alot,,while ya got the rear end out re-place the bushings in the housing,,box the lowers,,leave uppers alone!!!. grab the old wore out rear shocks off the donor car you got the rear end out of,,swap those in,,put on the ss sway bar,,go to a local dirt track..find some 8 inch pull offs,,i use hoosier 28x8.5x15 F 75 compound,,they are grooved on a set of 7 inch aluminum rims off astro van..
put it all together and put it on the ground and check the pinion angle,,needs to be -3* to start,,
up front ,,ditch the sway bar at the track,,old worn out shocks,,and about 38 psi in the front tires,,,start at 17psi in the rear and go from there,,i run a automatic and run 14/15 psi depends on track..this works for me..hope it helps
 

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