Im doing a suspension overhaul on my firebird and Im looking to get new coil spring isolators...I know that ES sells Poly ones and I can go to GM and get them direct. Id LIKE to get Poly ones but I cant measure the coil spring isolators I have now because they're on my Firebird (duh). Is there any company out there where you can just give them the year and the VIN and they can pull up a part # for isolators??? I DO have new coil springs...is there any way I can measure them and get the size I need for the isolators???? Worse comes to worse I'll go to GM and order/get 'em. If I go to GM directly can I just give them the year and the VIN???? Or do I have to go "deeper" than that?? Thanks in advance...

 

I planned on getting new ES isolators when I did my rebuild but I had to wait too long so I went with the GM ones.

The ES isolators are here:

http://www.energysuspension.com/sboots.html

I'm pretty sure the P/N you want is Style A, #9-6108. I don't know if they 'll have them for ya or not. I'd just get the GM ones...$5 each. THese things really don't do that much...just lay there. (...insert joke here...)

Do a search for this topic and my name and you'll get more info.


Ed

 

I had a girlfriend like that a few years ago. Except she cost me alot more than 5 bucks.:sillylol:

 

Don't they all...

if i was single, i bet i would have a 9 sec car

 

I think about that every now and then...."If I was single, I'd have..."


1. My own personal barstool at Hooters..
2. 2002 black on black M6 SS..
3. Real big dog..
4......

What's that?
.
.
.
.
.



Oh....coming dear!!!


(footsteps are heard...)


Ed

 

Any point to replacing them? Looks like the originals are rubber around a steel center core; are the ES ones made like this, or are they solid polyurethane? Any benefit?

 

The fronts are just plain ol' rubber, only the rear isolators have the steel reinforcement.

Ed

 

I tried to buy poly ones (for the rear), but the only ones I could find were way too small in Diameter, I thought about enlarging them by splicing a coupe together (I work for a plastics company so getting the right adhesives isn't a problem), but after I got the GM ones I was glad I didn't. The GM ones have a metal core and are real sturdy, where the poly ones were flimsy....

Just get the GM ones, they work great.

As for he fronts they were nothing special, just a little foam ring as I recall

 

I'm lowering my car next, and I was wondering if when you don't use the isolators do you not use them front and rear? Like, because didn't the front use one on the top and bottom? Would it make it too low in the front compared to the back or anything? Thanks.

 

As I recall the isolators are only on the tops of springs, and the front ones were very thin to begin with, and probably just to keep down the metal on metal squeek you might get without them.

As for the backs, I would not put in springs without them. They look like they not only provide cushion, but are molded in such a way that they actually help keep the spring in place...

 

When I replaced the insolators in the rear, I gained almost an inch of ground clearance. Now if it stayed, I have no Idea.
Now I my wife only cost me $5, wouldn't I be in Heaven.

John

 

Thanks for the info guys....is there anyway I can order the isolators over the internet from GM??? Granted I could go to my local Chevy Dealer but I just dont have the time....too many projects going on with not enough time to actually DO them...

Later..

 

Order Direct here....click me

 

Thanks aklaim~

I just ended up emailing GMpartsdirect because I dont see what I need. Have you guys had much success ordering parts from them WITHOUT telling them EXACTLY what you want??? It just seems whatever I do a search for they dont have a listing for. Go figure...




Thanks again...

 

Pass on GMPD...call Dal Slabaugh at Van Devere Olds, he knows his stuff and won't charge you an arm and a leg for shipping. Plus, he actually KNOWS F-bodies and will get you the right part:


dal slabaugh
van devere pont-buick
877-448-5451
fax 330-658-4065

Ed

 

P/N's for GM coil isolators are:

Front - # 14047915
Rear - # 10290379

Hope this helps!

 

ebmiller88~

How do you know Dal??? Ive emailed him about parts before...I got his email address from another "car group." I kinda feel bad because Ive emailed him once or twice before and hes given me great prices/info but for one reason or another I end up getting parts from a local dealer..Im always doing things last minute and if i can get a GM part in a less than 24 hours ill do it....if i have to spend a little more..screw it...ill do it.

Later..

 

so what exactly is the point of replacing the isolators? seems to me even if your old front ones are mushy they're thin and will deflect very little. the rears have steel in them so they won't deflect much either. besides, the springs are part of the suspension that's actually supposed to be moving. not bashing anyone, i'm just curious

 

I replaced them simply because I had it all apart and wanted everything new. They were fairly cheap so I went ahead and did it. I agree with your rear isolator comment...those things are really hard with the steel in there, looked fine, and I went back to the "old" ones anyway. (rear sat too high)



I was given his name and number back when the 2 BIG 1LE brake threads were running. I bought my prop valve and 2 lower air dams from him. Great service and better prices than GMPD. However, I used local dealers if I need quick, rather cheap parts. It's not always cost effective to use him. I do wish I had bought my 1LE parts through him...GMPD charged my a shipping charge on EVERY part that I ordered, around $80 worth...too much IMO. I will use him if I have "big" orders.

Ed

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ebmiller88
...those things are really hard with the steel in there, looked fine, and I went back to the "old" ones anyway. (rear sat too high)


The rear sat too high??? Can you go into a little more detail on that statement? For me personally Im very "big" on stock suspension. I dont go in for aftermarket wheels...bigger wheels...lowering springs ect ect. The reason I dont like that stuff is for alignment reasons. I dont do alignments where I work so once I get the suspension done in my car I'll be sending it out to be aligned. Id "like" to say everything is stock (alignment wise) and NOT say I did the suspension halfa$$..." so do the best you can." So was the rear sitting too high for you personally or did it just not look right? Granted its not a major alignment piece but my very curious about your statement about the rear sitting too high.

Later..

 

Sure...

First, read this:

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=139574

I got new rear isolators from GM for my rebuild, and I swear these new ones are for 4th gens only. They made the rear sit too high even with Eibach Pro-Kit springs. As you can see, they are almost an inch thicker. So I put the old ones back and it's much better. Here's a pic of the 2 styles, the new GM isolators on the left, old steel-backed ones on the right. Next pic shows how high the rear sat when I got it back on the wheels.

More pics on my page in my sig.

HTH...Ed

 

Next...

 

Are these part numbers for the old or new style isolators?

 

I just ran them thru GMPD.com and they are for our third gen front isolators and the 4th gen rear isolators, the only ones offered any more. Go to GMPD and run the numbers...they even give you littel pictures so you see what they are.
Fronts are $4.13/ea and the rears are $7.84 /ea.

Ed

 

What springs do you have ed with my hotchkis i thought the back sat to much higher than the front so i added an extra isolater in the front evened it out a lil better.I still would like the back lil lower then ill just take the extra isolater out of the front.

 

I'm running Eibach Pro-Kit springs.

Ed

 

ebmiller~

I SHOULD have taken your advice way way way back when you said NOT to buy the rear isolators... I NOW understand what you were talking about. Oh well live and learn.

Dan

 

Ed,

How much height did the 4th gen rear isolators add to the rear?

 

SpdFrk, you didn't put the extra isolator on the bottom, did you? Just checking...

 

About 3/4" more than the stockers.

Here's more info on the topic with pics:

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...ight=isolators


Ed

 

nah it was on top the spring prob wouldnt set right if u tried on the bottom

 

Cool, just wanted to make sure you didn't block the drain holes

 

so instead of making a new post, i thought i'd revive this one to try to solve my problems.
hopefully some of you old timers are still around.
quick background:
car has only 60K miles on the chassis, but still 16+ years old.
i've got the eibach pro-kit all around for the past 2 years or so.
did not change any of the isolators.
KYB's all around at the same time.

my fronts are great, rears sit too high for my liking, and the passenger side is definitely a bit higher than the driver on the rear.

can i do anything to correct the uneveness and also have them equally lower a bit more?

also, i've had a persistant squeeking around the rear wheel well, mainly on the pass side where it sits higher, for the past year or so..
would love to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. ..any ideas?

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving..

I'd look to be sure the rear springs and isolators are fully seated in the rear pockets. If not this will throw your ride off and by the way you described it I think this is your problem, hence the squeaking as something may be moving around. I'd jack up the rear to take the tension off the springs and see if you can reseat them. I'd bet this is your issue.

If you want it lower as well, you may want to cut an inch or two off the upper end of the spring, this should do it.

And who are you calling an "old timer"?




Ed

 

haha, happy thanksgiving too you as well.
good advice, i'll look into doing that.
i meant old timers as been on this site a long time.

 

If I was single I'd have a lift in my garage, a nice welder, and probably no money.

 

Probably no sense either, way to bump a 14 years old thread

 

Link is no good😒

 

That will happen after close to 20 years.

You may want to contact Energy Suspension directly, and see if they still make the item you are looking for.