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my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

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Old Aug 28, 2010 | 07:46 PM
  #1  
88fastgta's Avatar
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From: Raleigh, NC
Car: 1988 Flame Red Trans am GTA
Engine: Forged 355 4 Bolt, FIRST TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: ls1 torsen 3.42 gear
my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

well this past wednesday i did my front end rebulid with the help of camaronewbie (he was a big help to completing this) but before i start with what we did these are the suspension mods that already have been done

KYB GR-2 Front struts
KYB Gas-a-just rear shocks
Moog front 5662 Springs
WS6 rear springs
36mm front sway bar with poly bushings
24mm rear sway bar with poly bushings
new poly front and rear sway bar endlinks
Front K-member Braces
UMI Steering Brace
BMR Strut Tower brace
BMR weld in outer subframe connectors
Alstons weld in Inner subframe connectors
BMR non adjust Torque arm with poly bushing
hotchkis Non adjust Panhard bar with poly bushings
J & M Street non adjust Lower Control Arms

all bushings have been replaced with poly except for the motor mounts which im running rubber....


camaronewbie and i did the following upgrades to my car on aug 25

Spohn front end rebuild kit
stock rebuilt a arms with poly bushings
umi camber/caster plates(idenitical to j and m plates)

it took us a good half day maybe more to complete the installation... mostly everything went smoothly except for the a arms and moog springs install... those springs are a HUGE PITA to get back into the car and indexed correctly...... but none the less we managed to get them in.... i had a great time working with him and meeting his family.... he is a very nice guy and offered me soda and pizza when we were done.... after everything was installed i took it to an alignment shop the next day.... the results are amazing.... the car handles SO much better than before.. i thought it handled well before but man the cars handling is sick... it handles like its on rails and feels really soild.. when i take sharp turns it takes them with no problem... like i have virtually no body roll anymore.... my rear tires are bald so i will be getting new tires sept 10.... should improve handling even more.... the last suspension mod i want to do to this car is get the torque arm off the tailshaft and onto a crossmember from umi..... after that mod i pretty much redid the entire suspension and done all the suspension upgrades you can do to a thirdgen...
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Old Aug 28, 2010 | 08:08 PM
  #2  
skinny z's Avatar
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Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

Good to hear.
I've recently completed an ENTIRE front end rebuild myself (including paint detail). Unfortunately I have to wait until the rest of the chassis is completed before I can enjoy the results.
Nice to know folks will lend a hand.
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Old Aug 28, 2010 | 08:21 PM
  #3  
88fastgta's Avatar
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From: Raleigh, NC
Car: 1988 Flame Red Trans am GTA
Engine: Forged 355 4 Bolt, FIRST TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: ls1 torsen 3.42 gear
Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

yes its nice to know that we have nice people on this site..... we also attend the traid f body meet first and last thursdays of the month.... quick question tho... would the umi relocation crossmember improve handling or launch in any way over the stock setup....
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Old Aug 29, 2010 | 01:13 AM
  #4  
Apolo's Avatar
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From: Guanajuato, Mexico
Car: Camaro 1987
Engine: V6 2.8l MPFI
Transmission: 700R4
Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

I have a question for you, i was reading some post from you, about the SFC instalation in your GTA, now that u rebuit the fron end, lets imaginane that your suspencion is on the 100%, before that u just installed only the SFC, wich porcent do u think it was?



pd im asking this because, ill buy the SFC from summitracing, and i live in mexico, and the shipment is expensive, about 450 dls in totall, sorry for my english, im from mexico, thanks!
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Old Aug 29, 2010 | 07:28 AM
  #5  
88fastgta's Avatar
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From: Raleigh, NC
Car: 1988 Flame Red Trans am GTA
Engine: Forged 355 4 Bolt, FIRST TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: ls1 torsen 3.42 gear
Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

to me only doing sfcs on the car is a small percentage of being done..... your adding something that wasnt there and still havent payed any attention to the stock suspension.... i would replace all the bushings and try to replace all the stamped steel parts with tubular.... being that your car is a 87 its 23 years old so i would replace all the wear items (shocks springs struts steering components etc....) doin all of these would do alot for your car....
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Old Aug 29, 2010 | 08:27 AM
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Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

Originally Posted by 88fastgta
... would the umi relocation crossmember improve handling or launch in any way over the stock setup....
Is this the transmission crossmember you're refering to?
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Old Aug 29, 2010 | 08:32 AM
  #7  
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From: Raleigh, NC
Car: 1988 Flame Red Trans am GTA
Engine: Forged 355 4 Bolt, FIRST TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: ls1 torsen 3.42 gear
Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

yes thats the one im talking about...
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Old Aug 29, 2010 | 01:40 PM
  #8  
Apolo's Avatar
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From: Guanajuato, Mexico
Car: Camaro 1987
Engine: V6 2.8l MPFI
Transmission: 700R4
Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

Yeah i understand what are you talking about, im seriously thinking, if im going to rebuilt and spend money, im gonna sell this car and look for an iroc, that worth it, but a sport coupe, probably not.
Attached Thumbnails my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_1-fotos-de-precioso   my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_2-precioso-camaro-irapuato.jpg   my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_3-precioso-camaro-autos.jpg  
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Old Aug 29, 2010 | 01:41 PM
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Apolo's Avatar
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From: Guanajuato, Mexico
Car: Camaro 1987
Engine: V6 2.8l MPFI
Transmission: 700R4
Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

more
Attached Thumbnails my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_4-precioso-camaro-automoviles.jpg   my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_5-precioso-camaro-guanajuato.jpg   my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_6-precioso-camaro-mexico.jpg  
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Old Aug 29, 2010 | 01:44 PM
  #10  
Apolo's Avatar
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 84
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From: Guanajuato, Mexico
Car: Camaro 1987
Engine: V6 2.8l MPFI
Transmission: 700R4
Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

Ok, this is my car, i was thinking, to buy bumpers and gfx, in two or three years a swap, but, whit all things, i think is better just to sell it, and buy an iroc and rebuit it, what do you guys think?
Attached Thumbnails my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_7-precioso-camaro-50000.jpg   my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_8-camaro-sport-coupe   my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results-1269228768_82007113_10-precioso-camaro-irapuato.jpg  
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Old Sep 1, 2010 | 04:41 PM
  #11  
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Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

Originally Posted by 88fastgta
yes thats the one im talking about...
Until you get to serious amounts of torque I doubt there would be any benefit from using a relocation type of crossmember. The real advantage is that the torque isn't transmitted through the trans tail stock and to the crossmember but rather to the crossmember itself. It will remove the stress from the trans which can under severe conditions, cause it to break.
Understand that my experience comes from drag racing a mildly modified vehicle that only runs mid/high 12's. My 60' times are consistentley in the 1.7's and as of yet I have not seen seen any problems related to the OEM arrangement.
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Old Sep 2, 2010 | 11:11 AM
  #12  
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From: Palm Coast, FL
Car: 86 T/A & 88 GTA
Engine: 305 LB9 TPI & 350 LO5 TPI
Transmission: Jasper 4L60 x2
Axle/Gears: 2.77/posi LSD & 2.73/posi LSD
Re: my front end rebuild with camaronewbie results

apolo: that is a clean car just v8 swap it and upgrade as you want. good luck
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