So while installing my new TDS Wonderbar, I took a look around underneath. I learned a few things about my car.

A. my radiator leaks somewhere out of sight

B. My engine leaks oil (already knew this, going to replace it later)

C. My T-5 Freshly rebuilt 5000 miles ago leaks pretty bad (Pissed about that one)

D. I have Sportlines, they were just so dirty i couldn't see that they were red!

And the biggest mystery of all, I have the Sportlines like previously said, but in the rear it looks like i have some weird coilover aswell? Massively lost on that one, since my rear is all loose and bouncy, so thats not computing. by the pics to follow, can anyone tell me wtf is going on with this rear set up?

 

A number on the mystery shock and Le Wonderbar! Only shiny part of the car haha

 

Monroe shock with a helper spring overload kit clamped to it. About as budget as it gets. They were made for vehicles that tow and need a little extra rear support. It is essentially a "coilover" but not in the reacing aspect as coilovers are known. It is a retro fit kit that clamps to any steel smooth body shock. It is about as safe as those spring clamps...in other words, get rid of it.

 

Is it my eyes playing tricks on me or are your end link bushings gone?

 

Yep They Are Gone.

 

Yea i was pretty confused on that one too lmao, not sure whats up with that. any reccomendations on end link bushings?

 

When I got my '88 Bird I drove it from Dallas to the coast. I heard a constant rattling underneath and the front steering was really unstable...would wander all over the place. When I looked underneath I found that I could literally move the front sway bar with my hand. The bushings were gone and that was the source. Got a couple of end links from Autozone and it solved my issues. Good luck.

 

Well that would explain a lot, go figure, driving with no swaybars essentially haha. Overlooked that one completely lmao

 

Yep. Autozone has them for, IIRC, about $20

 

Between the end links, the wonderbar, and if you haven't already changed your driveshaft to aluminum your "maro should start to handle quite better than it has. I also added a Founders panhard bar. Handles real well.

 

You're not gonna feel any difference going to an aluminum shaft. I have one. It wasnt a waste of money but I certainly didnt notice a difference.

 

Looks like your rubber isolators are gone on your springs. I can't really tell from the angle of the picture. When I got my trans am the previous idiot took it out to "lower" the car. Every bump sounded like I ran over a Damn boulder.

 

oh my god you have coilovers on your car. Without them having plates welded all over the top..and your car has not folded in half like a Triscuit snack cracker...lol

 

Since you didnt figure this out properly, might I share the fact his conventional springs are in place taking the blunt of the load? These are merely a low rate helper spring

 

some guys have no sense of humor. You got to laugh a little more in life...
....why so serious.....my favorite line

 

I've seen the upper shock mounts bust completely out in a circle around them on standard replacement shocks in my brother in laws car. Just a **** poor design if you ask me. The fact I live in the land of potholes and dirt roads certainly contributed to it though. WV, wild and wonderful.

 

As I fully agree with you, the problem with these boards are two things- 1) Things can be and usually are misinterpeted as to demeanor, and 2) I take tech serious when giving advice becasue not everyone here is an expert and someone could easily misinterpet what you wrote as this being an example that rear coilovers are perfectly fine without support. As JoeTag just stated, some cars have so much corrosin from age they can break through simply by adding new firmer shocks back there.

What do you get when you cross a rooster and a telephone pole?....

....A 40 foot cocck that wants to reach out and touch you.

(old AT&T television ad for telephone service- "Reach out and touch someone")..for you younger guys that might not get it

 

These were stress cracks I was talking about. Was back in '90 on an '84 sport coupe. I'm sure once rust sets in the problem only gets worse. I certainly wouldn't run coil overs or air shocks without some reinforcement.

 

iv been lucky..iv never had to Build a race car/hotrod out of a car with rust on it. my camaro came off the GM lot..drove it home. then packed it up and sent it to LPE... it's never even been on a dirt road. or driven in the rain.

with only 50.000 miles on the OD now. it even still smells new.
and the paint still looks wet...is it a street car... it always has been.. it drives the street to the track. and somtimes gets towed home

with just about every aftermarket part they make... iv been lucky. not even a paint chip. or body crack..and i beat on mine when it's together...lol

gess some guys have all the luck...

(my first car was a 1967 ford Fairlane GTA 390 C6 4.11 locker)
back in 1980. my camaro is older now then my fairlane was when i got it.
saving money up for my ZL1 camaro ..so i can beat on that one!
cars break...thats life...(when ya beat on them) remember

if it's got **** or tires...it's going to give you problems