my camaro's front end is thrashed. i have spent all my time on the motor, and now this needs attention.

all the knowledge i have gained is motor related, and aparently i need a new topic. i hope this goes as well as my swap.

what parts are replaced on a wore out front end? (i.e. parts list)

is Spohn the best place for replacement parts?

which parts are not offered by a high performance manufacturer?

any help would be awesome.

 

if you are just doing the front end, Spohn has a complete front end rebuild kit that is made by MOOG, Spohn throws in their own adjustable tie-rod sleeves that they powdercoat red. this kit plus the master bushing kit from Energy Suspension is all that is needed for a front end rebuild unless you plan on doing the a-arms as well.

 

most of the part replacement is pretty straight forward. read your manual, look at your car then ask specific questions. you need to be extra careful dealing with coil springs and you need to have the right tools to do the work with.

 

does your car have the coil-over springs? if it does, do as ede said and get the right tools. you will need a coilover spring compressor in order to get them out if you are even going to mess with the springs. be careful with the springs as they may try to grenade out of the car when you have them compressed with the tool.

 

There are no stock coil-over setups on thirdgens. If you are replacing the springs and struts up front, you need a spring compressor or some creative jackstand/lift skills. Typically, a front-end rebuild includes the steering components and bushings up front, but if those springs and struts are shot, you might as well do them too.

I also recommend Spohn's rebuild kit. Steering components aren't all that hard to replace, but you will need an alignment when you're done. A complete front end rebuild includes the following:

everything in Spohn's rebuild kit
struts + springs
upper strut mounts
front sway bar end links and bushings
front spring isolators
wheel bearings and seals

Optional but highly recommended:
subframe connectors
wonderbar

Optional:
a-arm bushings
engine and trans mounts
steering box
brakes (rotors, pads, calipers, stainless steel flex lines)
strut tower brace
18" Boyd Coddington wheels

That should cover everything. If there's anything I forgot, let me know.

 

You do not need a spring compressor to change the struts up front...at least I did not need it.

 

thanks for the help guys. turns out my front end is fine, its the frame. its cracked.

 

Get it fixed at a body shop (they can probably straighten the car if need be, too), then get subframe connectors and a wonderbar installed, pronto.