Ok my car is ready to get a front end rebuild, new shocks/struts, and lowering springs.. i have everything already... but i need someone who can install all this.... im located in N. Phoenix... let me know of someone who does this and what they charge... thanks Martin

 

Bring it to Tucson and I can set you up with lot's o' shops...

 

thats to long of a drive for me... and i was suppose to go to tucson today for somefight but it got canclled. thanks though i need someone in phoenix area

 

I've never done springs but I can tell you that the shocks and struts are a pretty easy job. On the front just support the lower a-arm with a jack stand or something like that. That will keep the spring from dropping out.

You will also need lots of wd40 to loosen the bolts from years of road grime.

I did mine having never done it before. The first strut took me about 2 hrs. AFter knowing what to do the second one took about 45 mins.

The shocks are even easier. To be honest with you the hardest thing about the shocks was putting the carpet back after getting them tightened down.

 

thanks... but i also have a front end to do.... if nobody anyone out there whos it ok.... thanks for your guys help... i really appreciate it... i rent the tools and do it myself... and ill post pics of the progress... my plan for my car is to swap a ls1 or lt1 on it... repaint it darker green. a new black top. ram air hood but im not sure yet if i want the ram air or the cowl hood.... lower the car 1.75 front and rear also. so ill be posting alot in tgo.... but thanks again for the help....

 

i can tell you from personal experience, thats TOO low... mine is 1.5 dropped and i cant get a floor jack under the Cat in the front... especially in phoenix thats way low. i have hundreds of wonderful undercarrage scrapes because of the wonderful roads... 1" is all i would reccomend out there.. lol

 

 

lol. its too late now.. i have all the suspension parts and front end rebuild kit already... just waiting to be install... i knew i would have alittle problem being to low... but it will make me take care of my car... and i can solve the problem with the car being low and the jack not fitting u der the car. you some 2X4 blocks or a ramp.. that would work....

 

2X4 yes, ramp... good luck not ripping off your front spoiler and air dam.... lol well good luck with that... also, if its TOO low when you get it you can always buy those little bushings you put in between the coils to lift it a little bit, but its entirely up to you... might want to keep a couple front spoilers, oilpans and transmission pans handy.. haha

 

i'm sorry, you all are making this out to be way worse than it really is. i have a 2" dropzone spring drop on my car. i did the whole front end rebuild my self. it was easy. i would highly recommend doing it all at once. keeps from having to remove the springs more than once. what i did, was put the car up on jack stands. placed the floor jack under the a arm. on the inside. and put a little pressure on the arm with the jack. removed the bolts, and slowly lowered the jack. no problems with springs popping out, or nothing like that. and i've done this procedure 3 times on this car. after that, i would recommend putting in new ball joints, bushings tie rods etc.. just makes it easier doing it one time vice many. yeah, sometimes it sucks with it so low, but the main thing i bottom out is the air dam.. not the front gfx.. when you see a big dip in the road, slow the F*CK down.. an extra 3 seconds to clear a bump is much better than ripping a hole in your oil pan. i live in yuma, maybe i'll have to catch a flight from one of the Marine pilots out there, and help ya out. it's easy. don't waste your money on the labor. if you have the time to do it, and it's not your daily driver, do it. i think it took me about 6-7 hours total to do the entire front end. and the longest two parts was getting the bolts out of the a arm, and driving to the hobby shop to press in the bushings. semper fidelis

 

i build suspensions all day,i work for a chrysler jeep dodge shop. i can do all that and align your car sometime...if you got parts,i wont charge you that much...

 

7.5 hours using air tools. Everything except A-arm bushings because mine were fine.

I don't know about the houses up in Phoenix, but the newer houses around here have such a steep slope into the driveways you'd never get in with that much of a drop. You could probably get away from having too much road rash from dips if you have a stiff enough suspension. Or you could always put on mad tyte 20" dubs, y0.

 

Give me an estimate? i have a front end kit from performance suspension. bushing kit from performance suspension. front and rear sway bar w/ bushings from performance suspension. adjustable tie rod sleeves form them also. adjustable panhard rod from ebay. lca relocation bracket from Spohn Performance (*NEEDS TO BE WELDED). kyb2 gas shocks. and lowering springs from sprint. im pretty sure i listed everything. ill add to it if im forgot something. thanks Martin

 

CamaroStud1988 are you around? I need to install my front end really bad.

 

DUDE, IF YOU LIVED IN YUMA, I'D DO IT IN A HEART BEAT. IT WOULD TAKE ME LESS THAN SEVEN HOURS. THE LONGEST PART, IS THOSE STUBBORN BUSHINGS IN THE A ARMS..

 

The problem is your in yuma. its a pretty long drive. but i really appreciate your offer but i need somebody in phoenix. if not ill just got to autzone and rent the tools and do it myself. i have the haynes book that ill follow..

 

honestly, if you have the standard ratchets and socets. with a floor jack, and jack stands. you don't need to rent any tools. unless you're doing the idler and pitman. i can give you some tips if you're gonna tackel it yourself. it's a very easy job.
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on a scale of 1-10 i'd rate it a 3. if you weren't doing the bushings, i'd give it a 2.

 

i have ratches and tools. air guns and everything. and also im doing everything from bushing to idler arem, the only thing im not doing is a arms. and also i here the ball joints are a pita. and i though i need some special tool to remove the ball joints. and also a spring compressor..

 

well, i started mine the hard way. i did it in pieces over about six months. started out with the springs. jacked up the frnt. placed on jack stands. remove tires. use the floor jack under the a arm. put a little tension on it. on the inside of the a arms.. away from the ball joint. if you can picture that.. removed the two bolts holding the a arm up. and slowly lowered the a arm. i've done this twice, and i had no problems with the spring flying out. like i said, slowly lower the jack.. but if you're doing the ball joints too, that's way easier. place the floor jack under the ball joint side, remove the caslte nut, and smack the ball joint with a hammer. you'll will still have pressure on the a arm from the jack... then slowly lower the jack. and the the a arm falls out. but you do have to press the ball joints out of the a arm. i found that the spring compressor was garbage. i tried it for like two hours and had no luck. just couldnt' get it to work, that's when i went the other route with the bolts.. but if you're gonna have that all apart. i would highly recommend putting in poly bushings on your a arms. save from having to pull it all apart later, plus for the $30 it helps.

 

im also deciding if i want to replace the a arms with an aftermarket one but havent decided with what brand to go with and whos the cheaps but reliable. maybe you may know of some good company. see i was about to sell my car about 2 months ago and my father told me why. my car in 20 years is going to be a classic since its a firebird convertible. so then i start spending money on my front suspension since it needs to be done.. it shakes at 80 mph. my tires are new and have been balance. sometimes it jerk to the side. if a cop was behind me he would pull me over thinkg im drunk. imagine. you should know how these cars get overtime. very loose. but yeah after i have all the suspension done im going to swap out motors. havent decide to keep it the 305 and overhaul the lil piece oh $h!t or go with a 350.. i have to keep it smog legal though. and im also on planning on buying a camaro also to have something to drive when i get the main restoration on my bird.

 

in arizona... lol, smog legal is easy, just pass that sniffer... i reccomend a 350cid though, i really do. I like mine

 

ok im buying sgt0704 camaro and ill starting do the work on my bird since ill have the camaro to drive to work. ill keep you guys posted and updated on how the project is going. thanks for the help. Martin

 

just as an FYI I did a complete Front end Rebuild on my 92 GTA its not that hard ....I bought Energy Suspenion down on Thomas (I think) and some 2 inch drop springs off Ebay new Struts....Spent a day doing even sand Blasted Lower A Arms and repainted them....Put the whole thing back together...I even replaced Strut Mounts....I definately do not recommend driving to much without getting the Front end aligned....The A Arm bushings are probably the biggest challenge....And make sure you go to Autozone and rent/Borrow their Spring Compressor (just make sure you get the one that go inside the Coil) and a Ball Joint Press..