Suspension and Chassis Questions about your suspension? Need chassis advice?

Front end bushings?

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Old 04-04-2001, 07:35 PM
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Front end bushings?

What is a good set to rebuild the steering/front end? Has anyone done this? Is it worthwhile? Thanks, Doug

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'91 Z28 - 50,000 miles. All power options leather. 350 TPI:
K&N; Fastchip; Airfoil; Custom 'Ram-Air'; SLP Headers; Slp Runners; Borla Catback 50% open; Dual factory Cats; Poweraid TB spacer; March underdrive pulleys; Accel Extreme 9000 wires, Accel coil; Hypertech rotor & cap; NGK platinum plugs; manual fan switch; TB coolant bypass; Pirelli P7000 Z245/50/R16 all season tires; Energy suspention motor mounts; smog pump delete.
S Cobra Radar Detector; Z28 SS Floormats
Old 04-04-2001, 11:12 PM
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I used the poly front end kit from pst,about $200 for everything. Definently worth it. Feels nice and tight, very responsive yet smooth.
Old 04-05-2001, 01:39 PM
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How easy is this to install? Thanks, Doug
Old 04-06-2001, 11:41 AM
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Car: '91 Z28
Engine: L98 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 323's
Doing the rebuild on the front end is relatively easy, BUT if you're going to change bushings, that is NOT easy, or fun. However, by doing it, I'm sure you'll notice a big improvement. The control arm bushings are a pain in the butt, as are the front springs, but it's not impossible...

KAM
Old 04-06-2001, 06:02 PM
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Car: 91 Z28
Engine: 5.7
Transmission: T-5
im not sure if this is true but my friend, who works at a suspension shop, said I need some special machinery to do the A arm bushings and some over things too (which i don't remember right now)
Old 04-06-2001, 07:52 PM
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Car: '91 Z28
Engine: L98 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 323's
The main special tool you'll need is a spring compressor (internal). The bushings I didn't even try to do, because they are installed in a manner that you have to press them outward of the A-arm to remove them, but to install new ones, they are pressed in from the outboard side. I hope that is clear. I had a shop remove my bushings, but I pressed the new ones in.

KAM
Old 04-06-2001, 10:01 PM
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Car: 1984 Camaro Z28
Engine: Blueprint 383
Transmission: T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Hey 91,
Are you going to be at the Rathskellar Monday night?

I just replaced mine. I used a friends 12ton press to get out the old ones. I used rental tool 27023 from Autozone to install the bushings(del-a-lum) and the ball joint. I can talk to you Monday if your going to be there.
Later,
Craig
www.indycamaro.com member 71

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84 Z28 305HO, 5spd, 220,000 miles, Edelbrock intake, Hedman headers, low restriction exh(w/cat), K&N air filter. Best 1/4 so far 14.649 at 94.77mph

[This message has been edited by Craig84Z (edited April 06, 2001).]
Old 04-06-2001, 11:37 PM
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Car: 86 IROC Convt
Engine: 305TPI
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AutoZone has a tool you can rent to press the bushings in with...??

GREAT!
Im half way through the installation, needing to get the new bushings in tomorrow, and was wondering where to go!!

Oh, and the springs, I took them out with no spring compressor without any problem. My problem was getting the struts off...they must have been superglued! Same with the drivers side ball joint.


Ken

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Old 04-07-2001, 12:18 PM
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Car: '91 Z28
Engine: L98 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 323's
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ChevyKen:
Oh, and the springs, I took them out with no spring compressor without any problem. My problem was getting the struts off... Ken
</font>
Ken, how'd you get the springs out without a compressor? Did you put a jack under the A-arm and then lower them down?

KAM

Old 04-07-2001, 09:24 PM
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Car: 1984 Camaro Z28
Engine: Blueprint 383
Transmission: T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.73
[QUOTE]Originally posted by thunderstick:
[B] Ken, how'd you get the springs out without a compressor? Did you put a jack under the A-arm and then lower them down?

Yes. Jack the car up enough so the A-arm can go down all the way. Slip 4' jack handle through bottom of spring so it can't jump at you and push it off. Very little tension at this point.

Old 04-08-2001, 10:06 AM
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Yeah, I'll be at the Rathskellar i think, need to check with my dad to see if he's going. Doug
Old 04-10-2001, 05:00 PM
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Car: 87 GTA
Engine: Eaton Supercharged 350 TPI
Transmission: 700r4
I want to rebuild my entire suspension and was wondering if there is anything else I need. I was thinking on a ES poly kit, tie rod ends, ball joints, idler arm, and a center link. I have not heard much about the centerlink from various catalogs such as pst. Is this important? Anything else I need to get while I am at it other than shocks and struts. Thanks
Old 04-10-2001, 08:17 PM
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Car: 87 IROC
Engine: 5.0
Transmission: 700r4
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by HotRod:
I want to rebuild my entire suspension and was wondering if there is anything else I need. I was thinking on a ES poly kit, tie rod ends, ball joints, idler arm, and a center link. I have not heard much about the centerlink from various catalogs such as pst. Is this important? Anything else I need to get while I am at it other than shocks and struts. Thanks</font>
Hey Hotrod, I just replaced everything you listed, I used a centerlink from Moog and
inner tie rods, also Moog and tierod adjusters from Hochkis, but you should check the diameter of your sway bar, mine is 36mm
and the kit I used came with a 30mm bushing so now I had to order one and wait or else I would have been done, thanks to JamesC on this site he suggested www.guldstrand.com and I will recieve the right bushings this week. Most bushing kits do not come with sway bar bushings of that size.




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TPIS airfoil,relocated MAT,AFPR,TB h2o bypass
March Underdrive Pulleys
otherwise stock 5.0TPI
700r4, 9 bolt 3.23 g92 axle, 4 wh. disc brks.
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