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Safety Loop Installation: 1979 Trans Am |
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| by Bill Boyle, February 27, 2009 |
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| This short article is about my personal plight to install a driveshaft safety loop on my 1979 Trans Am. For those of you who don't know, I've owned my L78-W72 Trans Am for thirty years. It doesn't have but 45,000 miles on it. In fact, front disc pads have yet to be replaced. During my thirty years of ownership, the car has been used as a daily driver, it was autocrossed, was in storage for three years while living in Alaska, and thereafter, it saw limited use; mostly as a pleasure vehicle. The engine isn't stock, in fact, the 400 was rebuilt by me in 1996, and that engine combination saw 5,000 miles, before I began my next 400 engine combination. Since I did very little drag racing, and I got no traction to speak at the strip, I saw no real reason to install a driveshaft safety loop. However, in my quest to build more power, possibly 1 hp per cubic inch of engine displacement, I thought that it was a good idea to install one. Besides, my plans included more drag racing, and that meant better tires and more strain on the driveline. With the added performance, I'd run faster too. It just made good sense.
After some research, I ordered a universal safety loop from Summit Racing. There are 4 parts to the kit, aside from fasteners, there are two support arms and two loop halves. The 1/4" mild steel is powder coated. The term universal, is kind of like, one size fits all, however; in reality, it meant I had some 1/4" steel to work with that I'd have to fashion to fit the TA undercarriage. Fit was the biggest problem. The driveshift doesn't sit centered in the tunnel. It is off to the passenger side. This meant when I bolted the halves together, I had little clearance at the top between the shaft and to the passenger side. I spent hours on my back looking up trying to see if the universal safety loop would some how fit the space without modification. What made the time more difficult was a medical problem with my right shoulder--it was very painful and lacked full motion. As a result of the non fit and the bum shoulder, I put the installation on the back burner. The car sat and sat. During the months of rehab, I'd crawl under the car, once in a while, and take another shot at fit, thinking that perhaps I had missed the obvious. Not true. Without making some serious adjustments to the loop, it would never be installed. Finally, months passed and with should therapy completed, I was ready to tackle the job. With determination, a heavy hammer, heat, and a vise, I bent and shaped the driver's side support to fit the convulted floor pan. To make the opposite side fit, required shortening the support arm. The front bucket seats were unbolted and moved out of the way to permit the 3/8" x 2" bolts to be properly located and tightened to secure the safety loop in place. One thing I note is that the support arms must be located so the fasteners don't conflict with the seat, the inside rails they operate on, and their fasteners. Below is a photograph of the installation taken minutes after it all bolts were tightened. |
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| Installation of safety loops will vary from car to car. The difficulty I encountered may not be what you experience. | ||||||||||||||
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