Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Doesn't have to be super high. But higher is better!

I had enough room to comfortably sit cross legged under the rear of the car and pull the tank down with no problems.

I chose to remove the rear axle, but thats not really necessary. However, it does make the job a billion times easier.

OrangeBird

iTrader: (1)

Bill , height is a very important consideration , but safety has gotta be the ultimate consideration and you took a pretty big risk by getting under there with the single jackstand on either side being the only thing holding the car up . Do you see how in thtanner's picture he's got the tires he took off smartly placed to keep the car from making it all the way to the ground in the event of a jackstand failure ? I will not get under any car without at least two things keeping it from totally reaching the ground and wouldn't want to see anyone here hurt by having one jackstand slip with nothing else to stop the car from squishing the guy under there trying to fix it ....

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

If your stands slip, then you did not place them correctly. The car is perfectly stable on 2 stands as it still has two chocked wheels on the ground. Its not going anywhere.

TylerSteez

iTrader: (3)

What worries me is jack stands that are completely maxed out for height like in Bill's picture, that is when I will have a second set of protection from the car crashing down on me.

I just recently acquired large truck jack stands that I would easily trust my life with when putting a car high in the air, better than maxing out little jack stands.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

They aren't maxed out. You could push the side of the car and it wouldn't tip.

You all act like the slightest breeze is going to flip the car over.

Put extra jack stands if you like, at some point you get to levels of ridiculousness.

TylerSteez

iTrader: (3)

not trying to dig on ya, those stands looked maxed on my phone from a quick glance but now I'm on my computer I can see they're not. my mistake.

I've just seen other people have cars maxed out on stands for height in the dirt and it makes you think twice.

Ghettobird52

I'm so fed up with this car right now. I've now spent MORE time playing with this sway bar and endlink than it took me to swap fuel pumps and be on the road again...... I'm thinking of just leaving sway bar disconnected. Seriously that's how much I'm fed up. I've tried everything...

thtanner

iTrader: (1)

Just buy Moog end links and call it a day. Poly ones are noisy anyways.

Ghettobird52

Thats part of the problem... I did and the cracking noise is still there on passenger side.

thtanner

iTrader: (1)

Sway arm bushing (not the links) creeking?

Don't feel too bad. I'm in the middle of a spark plug change on the 88. Woops.

Ghettobird52

It's a loud metallic pop, or crack sound,coming from the endlink location. Sounds violent too not just a little sound. I'm boiling in anger right now. A damn swaybar should not be harder to install than a ducking fuel pump

thtanner

iTrader: (1)

Post up pictures if you can. Maybe it was something simple and overlooked.

Ghettobird52

thanks for the comfort haha. Just a really crappy feeling spend all this money to not have it all bolt up correctly. Frustrating to say the least

Ghettobird52

stick around please give me 10mins

thtanner

iTrader: (1)

Did you put the passenger side track/panhard bar bolts backwards? the nut on those 2 should be facing away from the spring. I could see them interfering.

Ghettobird52

driver side

Passenger side (problem area)

Driver side

Passenger side (problem area but not from this bushing, sound comes from body of car, near end link)

Driver side

Passenger side (problem area)

Passenger side (problem area)


im serious lost, spent over 8 hours screwing around with this damn sway bar, adjusting forward, backward, side to side, turn rear axle mounts, tried moog rubber. nothing. Right now what you see is the Energy Suspension bushings on the moog stud. The driver side has made zero sounds with any of the three endlinks i tired

original tiny Energy suspension end link
Moog replacement (rubber) endlink
Energy suspension bushings on moog stud.

im really frustrated.......

Ghettobird52

They actually only go into the track/panhard bar one way. i made sure on thursday, the day of fuel pump swap, to verify and they only go in one way.

EDIT: and the sound is completely gone when the endlink is removed and swaybar is only connnect at rear axle and driver side.

thtanner

iTrader: (1)

Parking brake cable looks close to the end link, any chance it's catching?

Can you back the car up on a curb or something and easily reproduce the noise? Have someone with a camera or phone recording trying to isolate it.

Visually everything seems to check out..

Ghettobird52

I can only recreate the sound at a certain driveway entrance into a nearby liquor store. its large and angled so you have to hit it at a weird angle. those large driveways are the only place i can get it to make the sound. When driving the car it feels great, but that sound is going to **** me off if everytime i pull up an old driveway i have to cringe at the sound.

I didnt think about the brake cable, but if thats the original location, why did it start to make the sound now and not before?

EDIT: not sure if i would be able to catch the sound like that because of the location that i can make the sound. But i might be able to actually record the sound myself and try to upload it here. Dont really have anyone i could ask to record the sound. I could try to get one of the neighbor kids lmao...

Ghettobird52

It almost sounds like when the sway bar is flexing, and its returning the endlink gets caught and then releases or something? Should i just try to tighten this sucker down HARD? ive been pretty light on how much im putting on it because i thought i read they do not need to be rock hard. The driver side is on but not crazy hard.

EDIT: also the 13mm bolts that hold the endlink bracket to the car are rock solid, not loose.

thtanner

iTrader: (1)

You should have the end link bushings pretty tight. They do look a bit.. under loaded. They should be somewhat squished out I believe.

Ghettobird52

ok well **** i just tighetned down a bit. i still could tighten them down but they are alot tighter, and its still happening. I just noticed that if i come in my own driveway at a hard angle it does it... This is unacceptable for me so idk i think im gonna put the car up on stands, take the sway bar off all the way, and try a reinstall.

Ghettobird52

How would you get the tank out with out dropping the rear end? I dont see how its possible.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Its can be done.

Basically, unbold everything but the torque arm, LCA, and driveshaft.

But at that point you might as well go the rest of the distance and clear all that work room.

When my car was that high, I was also doing a significant bit of rust prevention and brake line stuff to the bottom of the car. Its one of the reasons its so high.

Ghettobird52

ops i think i misread your first post because thats exactly what i left connected and just lowered it. If not physically removing your rear end from under the car is what you were saying than ok i agree.

EDIT: and honestly thats pretty much how high i had it as well when doing the job. I was actually able to sit cross legged too, but was hunch backed.

Ghettobird52

Ok so i guess i lied in own of my previous posts about the upper sway bar bracket's 13mm bolts being tight... they werent. I pulled the tired off just to check, because i was only checking it with a hand wrench in awkward position under the car and it felt ok, and when i hit it with the 1/2 drive ratchet it was easily snugged down. Threw the endlink back in , tire back on and test drove it going up and down the hard driveways a handful of times and its gone. wow i'm an idiot, always overlooking the small things. If anyone is reading this in the future about swaybar sounds, check the bracket connecting to the actual frame of the body with a large ratchet, not just a small wrench.

Going over and over the driveways i have noticed this thing FLEXES LIKE CRAZY!! Mine is a T-top model so i know its worse than others but my god ive never realized how bad it was, i mean i knew it was there just really tuned into the sound now. Now im itching to get my UMI sub frame connectors welded up!

The job is complete i took the car on a high speed test this morning and it feels really good, MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE. There was a alot of wander from the rear when taking hard turns, but it seems calmed down. Ive only driven about 30 miles with new suspension so well see what i think about it in a thousand or so.

I did notice, and expect from reading other posts, that my rear height actually went up half an inch on the driver side, and almost a full inch on the passenger side with the Eibach pro kit springs. I wasnt really going for a drop any ways more so a good quality spring replacement that had decent reviews of the spring rates. These cars are low as hell already, going lower would be more worrying about my exhaust hitting. So far i like these springs. I went with the cheaper option KYB gas a just, which does feel pretty stiff already. I'm kinda wishing i actually saved up for Konis but... maybe in a year or so Now i know how simple this job is wow. But the front struts are a diff story....

Just wanted to say thanks again to everyone for the help and specifically thanks tanner for sticking in there with me!