aftermarket suspension questions.
 

So I've decided while slowly replacing worn out parts on my 92 rs to go ahead and upgrade the suspension some. I was planning on poly sway bar bushings and end links, new strut mounts, lower control arms and an aftermarket panhard bar. I have a few questions on each of these I havent found an answer for yet. Brand wise im leaning towards founders, they seem to have some great prices, never used any of there parts tho.

1. I remember reading at some point that 91-92 V8 RSs with Z wheels got the Z front and rear sway bars. 34mm in the front Im assuming? I need to verify this before I hunt any bushings and link kits down.

2. I figure I may as well upgrade the strut mounts too. I dont plan on lowering it just new struts and keeping it same height. I seen where founders and UMI are listed as adjustable. Would I see any improvement using thiers with stock ride heighth? and being aftermarket is there anything else to installing them other than simply unbolting old ones and rebolting these?

3. last one. Panhard bars. I seen a variety of adjustable one side, both side, on car, and non adjustable. Is it worth it to get a non adjustable one with my stock rear end? or should I just spend the extra money and get an on car adjustable. Will you see any improvement with the non-adjustable?

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

Let's leave out that word in the middle there; the one where you break it down into its component parts, consisting of 3 letters, then 1 letter, then the last 2. "Make an ... out of ... and ..."

MEASURE it. Don't effff around with a bunch of a$$.u.me.

No particular need for adjustable parts on those. Doesn't hurt of course, just, expect you'll be dinking around with them extensively then putting them back to stock. Personally I wouldn't bother with adjustable. Oh wait... in all the years I've had my car, (over 30 now) I've had fixed-length those on it, and haven't felt any need to adjust them. Not sure I would recognize such a need, really.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

Where in NC are you located?

...I've lowered my about 1.75" and my stock strut mounts were easily able to be adjusted within spec. ...now maybe for extreme lowering, or racing specific settings where ride and tire wear aren't as important as handling and traction, you'd want aftermarket adjust ability, but i think you're fine with stock, assuming the bearings are still good.

As for the panhard bar, mine is double adjustable, and because the car is lowered, "technically" the geometry changes and requires an adjustment to maintain center. Now it may be so minimal it's not necessary, but....it's there, so I made it right. Do you need it, I don't think so, especially if you're not gonna lower.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

I didnt even think about going under and measuring lol. I'll do that this weekend.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

I live pretty close to wilkesboro, about half way in between there and elkin.

Thats kinda what I was thinking on the pan hard bar. And with the strut mounts Im sure they gotta somewhat worn out. We have had this car most of my life and we havent ever changed them. Summit has stock ones much cheaper but honestly I kinda like the look of the aftermarket ones.

The parts on Founders site are very good prices. Maybe $50 bucks more then stock and there panhard bar is half the price of anything summit. May just go ahead and get it for now.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

I ended up ordereing these http://www.foundersperformance.com/p...nhard-Bar.html last week and they got here yesterday. Pretty decent time on shipping considering where they came from and where im located.
I got the panhard bar installed last night but ran out of time to get the control arms on. Installation was pretty straight forward, only trouble I ran into was it was a pain to get the passenger side bolt holes lined back up. That thing fits in there pretty tight.
Hoping the control arms will be a little easier to line up.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

1. Yes, some 92 RS with Z28 wheels came with 34mm/21mm sway bars. I know because I own one. 36mm/24mm is the big ones.

2.There are other brands, founders, UMI, and J&M products/Hotpart.com are all the same. The later of those 3 are the original. Spohn made some. BMR too? Yes, their install is pretty straight forward. As long as the strut sticks up far enough its as simple as unbolt the old and bolt in the new. Make sure you don't over tighten them. You will have to get an alignment.

3. Adjustable is really only necessary if you change your ride height. But not necessarily bad idea to have if you want to fine tune your rear alignment. Whether you get on-car or off car adjustable really depends one how much effort your willing to put into it. Once it's set you shouldn't have to adjust it. My real recommendation is if you plan to do autoX or HPDE/PDX racing, don't get poly bushings. They can cause snap oversteer in hard cornering. poly is great for the sway bars though.

I spent the extra bucks and got the UMI double on-car adjustable panhard with roto-joints cause I do autoX and HPDE/PDX racing and drive it on the street.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

Thanks, that answered most of my questions very well. I ended up getting the non adjustable bar and lower control arms. Kinda wish I woulda got the adjustable ones incase I ever want to lower it. But I am happy with the set I just received from founders.

Also what came with the 36/24mm the Z28 with the 5.7L? or was that just a transam option? Im going to try to measure the front one tomorow if I get a chance to roll under it.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

I lowered my car using Vogtland springs and founders upper relocation pan hard bar, adjustable pan hard bar, adjustable tractions bars and traction bar relocation brackets. My question is now after changing all that and getting the axle centered w/ the pan hard bar along with centered in the wheel well. My axle is now clunking from reverse to drive. I did change the gear oil while I was under. I used 80-90 lucas with additive, since it's a posi eaton unit. It also whines only when I let off the gas. I'd say between 45-20. What would cause this to all of the sudden happen? Otherwise the diff. is fine. Any help would be great. Thanks

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

Sounds like it needs pinion bearings. Pretty typical. I'd bet it leaks grease around the pinion seal too, leaving a thick black crust on the bottom of the car right above it, that you either haven't noticed or it just seems normal so you ... haven't noticed it.

Nothing related to "lowering" or any of the rest; either, plain old coincidence, or, something about the new parts transmits the noise to the chassis more than before, so now you notice it more. Nothing particularly unusual in either case.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

i did replace the seal about a year ago. It started leaking about 4mths after we bought it. Otherwise the car sat for 10+ years in a barn before we bought it from the original owner with all the paperwork. If I replace the pinion bearing, which that's what I thought 90% sure that's what it was. I just need to keep crushing the washer till I get even yellow marking on the ring gear? I shouldn't have to replace anything else right?

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

Are you sure it's the axle and not the torque arm bushing or trans mount? Also, you can just start your own thread.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

I'll start my own thread. However, I know the TA bushing has some slop it's 26yrs old. the trans mount is new. Thanks

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

Get the poly one, and when you replace it, it does make a huge difference to slightly bend it like he says in the video. I don't know why, but it makes a world of difference. I was putzing around with mine for half an hour and couldn't get anywhere, and then I bent it and 30 secs later, it was bolted in.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

I ordered the poly energy suspension 1. Everything else has been upgraded. Why not that as well. Thank you.

Re: aftermarket suspension questions.
 

I have a couple of founder parts an they are spot on..great prices an great products will keep buying there product over most the other guys out there..