It would have really sucked if it dropped from 4 feet and broke the tranny or oil pan I'm happy it happened when it did.

 

Well between today and yesterday I got the engine in the camaro, got just about everything done today. monday I'll get the rest done and hopefully get to test fire it to see if the engine works. I was surprised how easy it all was, I decided since the first time the header install was such a b!tch I'd put the trouble making passenger header on as I dropped the motor in, worked great! so happy I did that. but hopefully all goes well with this engine, biggest thing monday will be making sure I get every little leftover thing done so I don't have some major failure.

 

Worked some more on the car today. Got the driveshaft back in, positive cable back on the starter, and partially installed my new air shocks and traction bars. 5 hours of rolling around under the camaro and fabing stuff to fit wore me out and since it was late I quit for the night. tommorrow I'll finish up, all I've got to do is plumb the air shocks, hook the lower end of em to the spring plate, and set the traction bars where I want em once the cars off the stands then it's back to the motor after going over all the bolts again.

 

Got the air shocks and traction bars done today. Love those air shocks the adjustability is so cool, got them set at 80 psi right now. What do you guys like for your settings?
after I got that stuff finished I went back to engine, swapped out intakes and valve covers.

 

 

I don't run much in mine. I need about 30-40 lbs., but when I was racing I ran 30 in the left and 45 in the right. I've always had dual feed kits on mine to allow for preload when I drag raced the '71.

 

Wow thats alot less then mine, But my springs are flat and need to be replaced so that could be part of it too.
My shocks are 20 psi min and 150 max with load, right now at 80 the springs still dont have much arch but it'll help keep the exhaust off the ground when I hit bumps.

Really I guess I just will have to drive it some to figure it out, same for the traction bars, right now I've got them set stiff with the drivers side in the rear hole with an 1/8 an inch gap and the passenger side in the forward hole but no gap. I didn't feel like cutting it, so till I drive it I won't know how I want them set. But as bad as the wheel hop used to be I think the stiff setting should work good.
Cant wait to get this thing back on the road to try everything out.

 

Did't get alot done today, Hooked up fuel line and little stuff like that, checked stuff, put the distributor in and set that for start up.
Tomorrow or friday I'll get some more done, now that I have the tdc/distributor placement done I can put the rad in and hook that up, I seem to keep pushing back my start up date but I should have it ready by friday.

 

You've got your traction bars set too tight. If you lock down the U bolts so the snubbers are close to the spring it holds the springs flat, and even with more air in the air shocks it reaches a point where all it does is get stiffer ride, and not raise any.
You should back the U bolts off, then air up the shocks to the point you want the ride. Then adj. the traction bars so there's about 1" clearance from the snubber to the spring. This will allow the spring to travel a bit as you drive, but still stop wheel hop. You can lock the U bolts with a nut on either side of the bracket to keep them from rattling around and still not be tight to the spring.

 

your refering to the u-bolts on the traction bar right? the u bolts aren't pulling it down at all. The springs are already flat, literally, thats why back when I was ordering stuff I thought I needed springs and air shocks. But yeah without the air shocks I think the springs might even be a bit negative arched, they're bad thats all I know.
As for the snubbers go. Cause the springs are so bad, the passenger side snubber is in the farest hole forward (bigest gap hole) and the spring still sits on the snubber so the snubber is giving it some arch. Driver side I have in the back hole (smallest gap hole) and it has an 1/8 an inch between the snubber and spring. Thought it'd be best to get it clostest to the spring since the other side is on it to try to even it out.
But what can I do here? I need dual feed lines like you have to remedy the springs different level issues otherwise I'll be cutting one snubber and not the other.
The shocks are at 80 psi right now should I take them to like 100? 120? to raise it up some more? that seems kinda stiff if max is 150 would it be safe running them that high?