im going to be makin a junk yard run tommarow. i need to get hood struts, some interior pieces, a glove box top and im looking for some tail lights for fiream. my question is there a difference between the rear sway bar on a regular firebird and like a transam or z28. if there is is it worth putting a better one my car. also what year f-bodys came with posi 3:73 rear ends?

 

should i look for other suspension parts like ws6 or 1le. if so how can i tell.

 

pick me up something...(joking)

ttt

 

The '83-'84 Trans Am's & Z28's, with the H.O. engine (engine code "G" for Gold) and manual transmissions came with the 3.73/posi/disc axle. I know; I swapped one on in 2000. No other car came with a 3.73/posi. A 3.73/open/drum can be found under an '84 Camaro H.O (says Camaro HO on the left of the rear bumper) and the manual-transmission'd 4-cyl 83-85 f-bodies.

Measure your sway bars with an open-ended adjustable wrench on the center (poor man's calipers), and take the measurements and adjustable wrench to the junkyard with you. Chances are you'll find a 21mm rear bar under a trans am that will be larger than yours, but I'm betting your '87 has a 34mm front bar- the only bar larger was on the 1LE or WS6 cars, and it's a 36mm. It's definately worth the upgrade for the rear bar. Take the mounting hardware too; if you can't get the end links, cut 'em in half. Buy new poly bushings and end links from Summit for both your bars, front & back, for more of an improvement.

A WS6 car will have a performance suspension badge on the inside dash, above the passenger's feet. IROC's (and I think T/A's) came with a quick ratio steering box- look for the # 26000525 and a "Z" cast into the box. You might want to avoid a box that has had it's p/s pump removed from the car by cutting the hoses- the box might be ruined from water/dirt/bugs.

Look too for the "Wonderbar"- search the suspension board for messages on it and you'll find a picture.

[edit] Oh- you'll tell a 1LE car by the huge front disc calipers and 4 wheel disc. The larger front discs will bolt onto your car, but only if you also grab the spindles- the caliper won't fit on normal spindles (like all non-1LE cars have). The spindle is the piece that the rotor is on; it bolts to the strut with two LARGE bolts, and connects to the car by a balljoint in the lower control arm (buy a "pickle fork balljoint separator") and the outer tierod. You can use the pickle fork on the tie rod too, or just remove the cotter pin and whack the tie rod end stud downward with a hammer, the end will pop out of the spindle. OR, you can just remove the adjusting sleeve connecting the inner tie rod end to the outer tie rod end. If you go thru all this, peel the "performance suspension" badge off the dash and put it in your pocket!

If you find the 3.73/posi/disc axle, do NOT wait on it!!! I waited on one once, and when I finally decided "yes", I went back and it was gone. I found my current one a few months later. Beware- it cost me upwards of $600 to swap it on, most of which was rebuilding the brakes (82-88 rear discs have a recall notice out). It might be cheaper to pay for installation of gears and a posi into your current axle.

 

I hope their not all t-top cars in the yard like they were when I went .I still got some good pieces , they cleaned up pretty good .But those cars are kinda yucky like that This Iroc had some kinda fungus growing on the backseat with a tree growing up from it One of these cars even had the buildsheet on the front floorboard but it was waterlogged !

 

HEY Tom , how much did that rear cost you , just buying it from the yard , minus the breaks ! ...I bet this guy has a 3.73 rear .He has a warehouse with rears beau-coup rears in it !