I've heard it referred to as a "tab" that could be easily broken off, and I've heard it referred to as a "bracket" that could be removed, or a "rod" that could be bent.

From what I've researched, the rod that activates the secondaries (all Q-jets have these), coming off the primary shaft on the driver's side, has a "tab" or "tang" that the rod hits in order to open the secondaries. On the Firebird 400's, this tab was not 90 degrees to the shaft. This made the secondary throttle blades (not the air valve secondary blades up top, the actual throttle blades) only open about 75% of the way.

You could grab the rod with a pair of pliers, and make it "longer" by removing or lessening one of the bends, or you could take a pair of pliers and simply bend the secondary tab (where that primary rod hits it) to get full throttle.

This is probably why some magazines stated you just had to "bend the rod" to get full throttle, while others stated "bend a tab".