[indymanjoe]

500 lb torque 450 hp no dyno yet...may go up in future..maybe..probably lol turbo 400 short tail ford 9 inch rear 3:50gears. drive to track. beat on car then drive 5+ hrs up north around the UP.I drive this car. This year 2021 I am having a new drive shaft made with 1350 joints at the trans.rear has 1350's already. 275 60 15 Mickey Thompson drag radials are on the car now. No runs yet. best so far on cooper radial street tires has been 8.5 83mph in the 1/8th. Lots of spinning. I want to run a driveshaft loop. I talked to steve caruso he isn't making them anymore. All the ones I see that fit 68-72 A-bodys mount to the floor pan.Maybe its the min to get on a track but I don't want the min.I want safety for me and my passengers,likly grandkids etc..The metco and UMI look like a bolt to the floor pan type. Does anyone make one that bolts to the floorpan structure? the ribbed piece of the floor pan by the trans? Thanks in advance.

[performerrpm]

dunno about the floor pan structure but ive seen one that bolts to the trans mount/crossmember

[ta man]

Metcos are nice.

[Half-Inch Stud]

I had the loop that bolted with the Trans Mount. It would rattle up/down at mid track. Had to dampen it. Ended up removing it is until needed again.

[OCMDGTO]

X2 on Metco

[leeklm]

I think you will have clearance issues trying to mount the hoop under the raised section of floor pan. Since nhra legal, I doubt there are any cases of the hoop failing when properly mounted to floor. The sheet metal is pretty strong next to the raised/ribbed area, which i believe is where the hoop would go.

As far as your grandkids, very slim chance of breaking your 1350 ujoints on street tires taking the kids for a cruise, unless you are doing some dukes of Hazzard reenactments

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[indymanjoe]

As far as your grandkids, very slim chance of breaking your 1350 ujoints on street tires taking the kids for a cruise, unless you are doing some dukes of Hazzard reenactments

My grandson is very convincing. Yea I was a couple drinks in when I wrote this LOL

Just want something strong and effective. I want my wife and kids to make a couple passes as well.

[grandam1979]

We put a Metco loop on my buddy’s 68 ram air II gto it’s a nice loop with cool textured paint but its not going to protect you more than a lakewood ect. The bigger concern is that the shaft breaks at speed and sticks into the ground and and crashes car not as much coming up into the floor.

[XLR8STEVE]

I used the BMR on the 70 Gto. It mounts forward of the floor brace on the pan. used sandwich plates on top to strengthen with Grade 8s. It is very solid. The brace area is where my Pypes X pipe crosses so wouldnt be able to mount there anyway...

[indymanjoe]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I tend to overthink and try to plan for all the just in case's. the trans mount ones in my research looks to move the trans angles so it seems. no big deal as I have adjustable upper control arms. I really liked the steve caruso unit but he isn't making them anymore..should have my new driveshaft next week so will be doing something soon. good idea on sandwiching some steel with the grade 8 bolts. thanks for the idea. Lapeer dragway is going to open back up soon!

Chime in if you have something you like.

[Jack Ferris]

I didn’t read every response so this could be a repeat. But, I see many bracket cars with flat bar style loop bolted to the sheetmetal and from first hand experience, a shaft that comes apart closer to the front will rip the loop right out of the floor. There are several out there that with some creative thinking can be attached to the frame . Those universal ones aren’t even an inconvenience for an exiting driveshaft.

[indymanjoe]

I want to avoid this ^^^^ and first hand experience I can learn from. Thanks jack

[performerrpm]

so does anyone run a rear d.s. loop? i wonder if theres a spec for it as fas distance from the u joint...

[Pigeon]

Just gotta say. In a former life I had one of those red flat metal driveshaft loops with the 2” reinforcing plates and grade 8 bolt when my driveshaft decided to depart in high gear. Broke in half after a slight vibration. There was not a trace of there ever being a loop on the car. Ripped the plates through the floor. Shaft went through the back tire at 130. Cracked the trans bell housing.. the potential energy in a driveshaft spinning 6500 rpm is a little more than the 22 gauge floor pan can contain. That’s my experience.

[ponjohn]

On my last Ventura, it was professionally done, It had chromemoly tube bent in a oval and welded to the floor in the correct location.

It was well done and it will not come apart.

[AG]

Investing in a bullet proof driveshaft will give you more peace of mind than a DS loop.

[lust4speed]

I had a driveshaft come apart and so did a friend. NHRA requires the loop to be within 6" of the universal joint. Within a split second the driveshaft pretzels and pulls right out of the loop. Both of us had floor mounted loops with 2" fender washers on top and both units held with some very ugly carving of the inside of the loop. But it could have been welded to the crossmember, frame, body and our seats and it wouldn't have mattered because driveshafts bend and break at RPM and leave the loop area quickly. My friend screwed up a lot of his floorboard behind the driver's seat and I had 3" steel exhaust pipes that took most of the force.

As said above, buy the best driveshaft you can because any loop isn't going to do you that much good.

[indymanjoe]

Picked up a new Driveshaft yesterday from Shaftmasters in Lincoln park Mi. 3 1/2 steel new forged trans yoke 1350 joints on both ends. still need a loop but im getting there. I appreciate all the advice given thanks everyone. I'll get pics soon.

[Mike Davis]

Originally Posted by lust4speed

I had a driveshaft come apart and so did a friend. NHRA requires the loop to be within 6" of the universal joint. Within a split second the driveshaft pretzels and pulls right out of the loop. Both of us had floor mounted loops with 2" fender washers on top and both units held with some very ugly carving of the inside of the loop. But it could have been welded to the crossmember, frame, body and our seats and it wouldn't have mattered because driveshafts bend and break at RPM and leave the loop area quickly. My friend screwed up a lot of his floorboard behind the driver's seat and I had 3" steel exhaust pipes that took most of the force.

As said above, buy the best driveshaft you can because any loop isn't going to do you that much good.

Best bet anymore is a Carbon Fiber Shaft. Turns to dust if there is a failure. Loop is just there for the ride.

[65madgoat]

If you have a an x-pipe or h-pipe exhaust and this loop from Ram Air Restoration you will be all set. Odds of anything happening are really so small. And typically if it ever does break at the starting line at a dragstrip, the driveshaft snaps at the u joints and just sits there. Not like you are gunning a 1000hp pre-runner truck over jumps.


https://www.ramairrestoration.com/pontiac.html?cat=360