You are correct on all your assumptions. You got the good stuff. Order those springs. Tell them it came from the catalog I spec'd for ya. OR ask them for "any better choice". I do not believe they will find a better spring choice.

wich springs and who do i call to get them?
is TRW the manufacturer?
are they stock height or lowering springs?
oh yeah, and thanks again karl for the help.

so, just got back from schucks (checker) and they ordered my bushings (went with the red ones! bling bling. ) they beat autozones price by 2$ so they are only 37.99$ yeeee-haw thats a good deal.

ohh...while i was there i saw these gloves they had with magnetes on the back to hold screws, what an awsome idea. they were 30$ i did not buy them, but neat huh.

karl YOU FREAKIN ROCK!!!!!

summit has the springs part # trw-CS5608 for 44.39 each.
damn you own!. i am going to call them and see if i can get more info.

EDIT: ok, so summit does not normally carry that part #. BUT they gave me the moog part # for BOTH front springs, the info is:
mog-5606 89.95

cool deal if you ask me. any thoughts ? they can get the trw ones. since they don't normally carry the trw it's a speacial order and they cannot tell me if it is the right one. thet said the moog ones are correct. i got a number for TRW i can not reach anyone for more info on the springs? the phone message said 7am -7pm central time. i'm on the west coast one hour ahead of central time and it's 5:30, that means 6:30 central. and they are allready closed. WTF?

NO YOU DO NOT WANT 5606!
They not the HD springs.
I could have offered that number easiest, too!
YOU DO WANT the TRW CS5608 SPRING.
If they can't get it for ya call elsewhere.
That spring is around.
Ya expect call centers to be manned 24 hours like on internet?
Remember you are calling the USA, not India call center sounding like one in the Bronx!
You only want to buy the CS5608
Tell them to find the MOOGCS5608
Damn, now HD V6 springs gonna be hard to find now?

karl relax. did'nt mean to scare you. summit can get the trw. i just could not confirm it as anything more then "coil spring" through summit. i'll call trw tomorow durring my lunch so they will be there. as you know i have been burned by bad spring part #s before, just want to double check.

oh and thanks for puting fourth your nay on the moog ones. do you have the trw's on your ride?

My 1985 Firebird stuff is all original, aged well.
On my 1967 Camaro, I'm replacing the original springs with new TRW's (thus the reason for the catalog, I wanted to custom order for a very thick numerical spec'd page).
My 1974 Corvette has new Moog springs.
TRW does not carry Corvette springs, interesting.
I did not want ya to get burnt on the springs.
Some people sell ya anything for a buck.

cool, thnnks karl. i'll call trw today at lunch

you are two hours off from central

6am your time is our 8am.

Your noon is our 2pm.

possible but doubtful your car came stock with 34mm, but who cars, its whats on it, and keep it! What size rear do you have?

The F41/Y99 combo gave the V6 a supreme deal on sway bars & coil springs.
It's the factory spec'd V6 HD stuff, as there was a class for SCCA small engine size & 80's V6 F Body was dominant in that class.
Not sure of exact racing class.
The F41/Y99 F Body V6 is "on par" with the 1LE V8 F Body of late 80's early 90's. Minus the 1LE brakes, of course!
The F41/Y99 factory option combo also offered the better ratio steering box of the Tran-Ams/IROC/Z28's.
If ya look hard there could be a ink stamp of "YH" code on the steering box. I believe that is the code for the quicker ratio box.

Did someone say Y99???

ordered springs from summit. they are backordered since summit does not normally carry them. but i ordered through them anyway since i had a 20$ gift certificate. order total was 77.23 for both, shipped. i should get them on the 8th.

oh, and my rear sway bar is tiny. like the height of a dime or penny. it's gotta be the smallest one made. you can easily flex it with your hand. the one in the front i use as my handle when sliding myself around under the car. it is hella thick.

hell yeah got my bushings today. and look..... the best part.... STICKERS. there is a guy on my block with a honda. mayb he will want them

this brings me to a question. how do i get these things in and out? to i need a berring press. is this the same as a balljoint press. can i rent one at AZ or schucks? any tips not in the supplied instructions?

Search for all my messages, use keywords like "LCA bushings", I gave details on how I did it. Also look for messages by a guy named Ukraine Train- he gave me the idea.

You sure you want red bushings? There's no polygraphite in those. That's what the "G" really stands for on ES part numbers.

My '86 has had a 34mm front antisway bar on it since I got it in 1994. I've taken my calipers to junkyards in the quest for a 36mm bar and found that most of the 85-up 2.8 f-bodies have 34mm front bars.

Did it once very quick way.
Heated the control arms
brought bushing OUT OF FREEZER, as LCA was heated, it expanded, bushing was "shrunk by cold" banged in to LCA & QUICKLY dumped LCA in water to cool.
Worked great!

wow, i am in awe.............
i think i'll do it the right way

IF ya can set yourself up this way, it is simple easy way to install the stuff. Biggest tool sides the flame & cold water bucket was a large hammer for a good wack to seat bushing.
Was rather fun to see how fast we could do all four (2 per arm). About 45 minutes after laughing about it first few times.
The other way, it was a big battle finding the correct sized spacer to prevent the arm from being compressed as the press bore down on the a arm, pushing in bushing.
Both methods were effective, in the end.
Find a shop to install bushings for a 1/2 hour labor rate or close to that.

please forgive the time lapse. my computer took a crap on me. i now have a dead 30gb hard disk,. good thing western digidal guarantees there stuff. new drive here i come....

anyway, cant i rent a bushing press from AZ or somthing?

IF ya prep the A Arm yoruself (remove old bushing) & then have new bushings installed, you'll do much better.
Ya need a large press for installing bushings along with various spacers to hold the arms part during installation (so the arms don't get bent as bushing forced in).
Let someone else do the bushing install for ya, you're better off.

ok, so who do i see about this? how long will they take? i have a three day gap where i dont work and no school to get this done. so i need fast turn around

Open phone book & phone around
Ask at auto part stores if any offer shop services like installing bushings
Ask for recomendations.
Someone wants yor money
It's only about 1/2 hour labor job.
I mean you are handing them the part off car to install a new bushing, after you have removed old bushing.
And you only have two A Arms to do.
Someone out there wants your money.
Understand better why I suggested to get the used A Arms with the new parts installed or really great condition used ones?
To save ya this extra project.
You could have had the old ones off & new (used) ones on.
OR take the used A Arms (without bushings in them), the new bushings, your car, to a shop & say do A Arm swap, align it & call me.

so like auto shops then. i was wondering if i had to use like a machine shop or somthing. only half hour. cool.

how do i get the old ones out? hammer?

GODDAMIT!!!!!

just checked the status of my summit order since my springs were supposed to ship on the 8th. they cancelled the order. and they never told me?!?

i called trw and asked why. summit no longer carries them, the come up N/A. guy recomended the moog ones. i finally beat a number for federal mogul. i call them, they MAKE moog too!!! man this is ****ed.

so i get a local retailer phone number from they guy at trw/moog customer support. he gives me a few local retailers, he has no phone numbers for them, so i call 411. no listings????

so i call trw back and then i realise i am late for work. but i think i am going to call them tomorow and become a distributer myself

I knew you were getting off easy (aggrivation wise!)!
Try Northern Auto
800-831-0884
See if Steve a sales manager still works there.
Performance Suspension Components
800-572-3768
Ask for Larry, tell him the guy who got Corvette parts from him at Long Beach Swap Meet recommended yah. He'll help ya alot!
Is there an Autozone chain store close by you up there?
OR
call back TRW, speak with tech guy.
Have the tech guy arrange a conversation with a sales person to find a vendor for you to purchase those specific springs.
Keep at it!
I am curious how you fare in this quest.

How to remove the old bushings is really tedious AND EASY!
Get a drill & drill them out.
Keep making drill holes in the rubber (you'll be surprised how easy/difficult this is) and the stuff falls out!
Work it until there is a shell left.
Then pound the shell with hammer & chissel or screwdriver or just bring them as is to shop. They'll appreciate the help & finish the job in a few more moments, anyway.
OR just bring them as is (w/old bushings) & they won't charge ya anymore for the job, either.
Or for real fun, torch out the suckers.
Be prepared the old bushings eventually project/shoot out real far!

auto zone carries trw springs??? i did not even think to call a local shop, i think i will do that in lue of becoming my own vendor (possibly fruade?) thanks karl, you have kept me both law abiding and sane

EDIT:
went to az website. 99.99 for springs. i think there is probably two in there. i am going to call
auto zone
schucks
napa
baxter
target auto (verry local, but cool)
knechts
tomorow before school.

I have a buddy who works at autozone. MAYBE he can "assist"
BUT no promise.

Start with TRW/MOOG person ya chatted with, get a solid answer from them & then go to the vendor who has been arranged by the TRW/MOOG salesperson.
I doubt that plan of attack will fail.
BUt serious, I got my new TRW springs from Northern Auto. My second best suggestion beside starting with manufacturer.

oh my ***, so i call like 15 gazillion places, come to find, TRW has been bought out from under federalmoghul by auto specialties, i call them, they don't know there *** from a hole in the cround. so i order moog cs5608's.

i call all the places listed above, cheapest was autozone. 29.00 each. but they can't order them anymore. ****ers
next cheapest was napa at 87 a pair. they ordered them, and will be picking them up today at 4pm. no shipping, and i get them now. why do i not use napa more often, wholy crap, they freaking rule. NAPA OWNS!!!!!!

spring crisis averted. ::knock on wood:::

WAY EXCELLENT!
THANK YOU for letting me know how easy it is to get this part!
Autozone couldn't order it for ya, hmmmmmm
Hope this all works out well,now.
Spring is here, TIME FOR CRUISING not repairing!
This Friday at 5:49, PST I hear.

This thread seems to have somewhat from what was originally posted, but I had an '87 Z 28 that I bought with a bent front end. I took it to Bear alignment, and they checked and straightened the frame for $145.00 They also told me that I needed to replace the drivers side control arm, which I junkyarded into the car before I had them straighten the frame.

This included an alignment. The car drove beautiful after that. Shop around for frame people, just like everything else.

Good luck
Troy
So Cal

thanks troy for the good idea and words of encoragement. this thread is gotten so long i doubt you had read it all, we have decided that my frame is not bent (thankgod) just the control arm

got my springs from the napa, thys lookin good.

found a place that will do my control arms, paceway frame and axel in hillsboro. have had them recomended from alot of people. the napa manager (they have a press at napa) said they won't press control arms, but recommended them alot. and some frame shopsi called also recomended paceway.

they are on my way to work, so i will stop in there on friday. and make an apointment. that way i can pull em monday morning, drop them off on my way to work, and pick them up the next morning. should be swell. well goingto bed now, got three finals tomorow.

well got the new stuff on. still binds up when i turn, but the camber is fixed, maybe it's a spindle?

What's binding?

IF me, I'd have that "Binding" discussion at the alignment shop!
Take the guy for a ride & BE SURE you can duplicate the "Binding action" that is happening.

when i turn to lock somthing hits somthing else. i think my spindle is bent, but an alighnment will tell for sure

Don't be surprised IF that turns out to be adjustment sleeve clamps, turned wrong way.
Misunderstood that ya already went to alignment shop.
How well did the install on the new springs go?

install was a real pita untill i remembered that i OWN a spring compressor. then it wet prety well.
so tell me about this ajustmnt slev clam thing? how coud his be it

That's easy.
Check the adjustment sleeves.
Those clamps on the ends.
The NUTS should be pointing toward the street, NOT towards the frame, where clamps, upon a "bump" and ya twisting the wheel, can "rub/notch" the frame/A Arms area.
IF all four clamp nuts pointing toward ground, ya eliminated that suggestion, but still it gets checked on a rack, better than the eye.
IF ya reused the old clamps & adjusting sleeves, clamp rotation can also happen. "Cured" by sticking in a large cotter pin, for "extra adjustment". Not the "best" cure mind ya, but effective for many miles.
Your car should soon be like a slot car on those mountain and tree lined curves.
Like myself, consider subframe connectors.
My car is all sudden just flexing so bad, it's ill. Especially over railroad tracks & such. As long as Firebird holds up until I get a Minivan for Wife (UGH! so sad) & I get my Blazer secured for daily driving.

I dont know how bad yours is, but I bought my car like this:



$404 Bucks for teh shop to streighten the frame

Now look at my sig

That was one special purchase!
Mine ($330), originally looked like yours, body panel close (not hood so bad), but great frame

theratdude64:hail: :hail: :hail:
Karl:hail: :hail: :hail:

But, according to Tech Smurf I'm :nono: w'da smile!

Now, ya saying it was the adjustment sleeve clamps that was causing the "noise"?

Holy **** that is alot of problems. I would just stick with my first suggestion, and just a friggen disgrace to cars and people, just get the Civic.