help with suspension upgrades

[rktmn]

I am getting ready to upgrade my suspension which is shot.

This week I lost my passenger side inner CV joint, so I had to stop driving my SHO. I need to replace almost every rubber part, shocks (KONIS), and upgrade several parts.

I have been reading through the suspension threads for the past several months, but I an a little confused as to some of the parts and part numbers.

I plan to make my own subframe connectors (they seem to be easy enough to make and I have the tools). I plan to use the 2 square 1" tubes welded together.

I plan to keep my stock springs and install Koni inserts.

I guess that I should replace the Front and Rear strut bearings and Upper Strut Mounts.

My Swaybar end links are shot, so are my Steering Rod endlinks.

I have net even looked under my rear end, but I am sure that I will have to replace everything in there too.

I know that some of you guys have already done this, and probably have a recipt with the part numbers for all these parts.

Could you post the parts with the part numbers that I need, to help me with my shopping list.

I plan to takle the front end first since I have to replace the CV joint. Who makes a good replacement complete half shaft with CV joints?

I prefer to go with performance parts, rather than cheap replacements, but I am not interested in a race car ride. I would like to set my SHO up as a sporty "street ride".

Thanks.

Jose

 

[luigisho]

Jose I have mentioned in other threads that Josh at Shonut has a very good parts list for suspension. He has Moog parts and ford parts on his site. I would print out the list to use as a reference. I went with mostly Moog tpr stuff when I did an overhaul on my '90. The stuff adds up fast. IIRC I spent between $350-400 on bushings, mounts, endlinks etc.. If you want to use a front strut tower brace at any time get the front strut mounts from Ford. The aftermarket ones are of good quality but the studs are a little too short to add the thickness of the fstb and have enough threads left to really get enough threads on the nuts.

AN FYI--I also tried to save money by going through RockAuto.com. While I did save some cash on the initial purchase, many of the parts I got were incomplete and had to be shipped back and forth, which killed any savings and put the project on hold. They come shipped from the mfg. in various range of completeness so check everything at the store.

 

[K-Dawg]

The only place I would buy an axle from is RAxles.com. The quality is top notch and they use NEW joints instead of rebuilt ones.

 

[RStalveyARFF]

Here's my reply, I apologize that I don't have part numbers right now, but it would take longer than the 30min time limit I have to compile them all...

REAR
spring seats (I've seen a few sets on ebay)
Strut mounts (police are the best)
knuckle pinch bolts (josh)
endlinks, if you get stock, add poly bushings
swaybar bushings (TPR from Josh)
Strut rod bushings (replace before you weld on SFC's)

FRONT
Spring seats
Strut mounts
Strut bearings
pinch bolts (both for knuckle to strut, and knuckle to control arm
swaybar bushings
endlinks
tie rod ends
strut rod bushings

 

[rktmn]

I called Raxles yesterday, so I will be ordering the axles from them. I will probably change both of them out.

Who still has the police strut mounts? ShoNut shows them as obsolete.

Is Moog the way to go on the rest of the stuff?

Thanks for the list.

Jose

 

[Mels]

Who still has the police strut mounts? ShoNut shows them as obsolete.

Check www.midwestsho.com as not two months ago I received the Police mounts for my gen 1.

 

[luigisho]

I really like the quality of most of the Moog parts. At least those that come in tpr. One set of bushings IIRC came with one part tpr the other not for some reason. They were for a part that had 2 connections on each side. Maybe a tension strut rod to the knuckle or something? I forget the specific ones. Jose if you know the ford part number you can always try http://www.partsvoice.com . It has a database that searches for hard to find oem parts from participating dealerships around the country. Save that website. It can come in handy from time to time.

 

[RStalveyARFF]

The front strutrod bushings are rubber in front of the subframe, and TPR on the rear part.

 

[rktmn]

I have been considering keeping the stock springs when installing the Konis. I want to keep the "ride" a firm street ride without being stiff.

Is this a good combination?

Right now my stock setup is shot, and the car rides like a boat. I hate it, but I do not want the ride to be harsh.

The ASFB's and the Extreeme engine mounts transmit enough noise and vibration as is.

Jose

 

[DemonNeno]

If you want a "firm" ride, I would recommend cargo coils at the least. With the ultra firm Koni's, you'd severely bottleneck the ride dampening by choosing to stick with stock springs. Although it won't be too unstable to control, it's too unstable to stand and definitely doesn't improve the handling, either. My SHO currently has eibachs on stock struts and rides like crap. My old SHO had Tokicos and stock springs and rode like crap. lol... just some input..

Sorry for being the negative one!

 

[rktmn]

Don't worry about being negative, I am looking for a sporty everyday drive that won't beat me up.

I went a a bit stiff on my truck's suspension, and I am tired of it.

Will cargo coils raise the car's height?

jose

 

[luigisho]

The cargo coils may bring it up a tad but not by much. Of corse that could vary depending on if your rear springs are sagging already. The GenI's are notorious for sagging bottoms. When I put Eibach's on the stiffness wasn't that bad. As for harshness of ride, you're already feeling the worst of it with stiffining of the chassis and subframe to the motor.

 

[rktmn]

Lou,

Would you say that Eibach's make you street ride more agile, or uncomfortable for every day.

I rode in a Porsche Carrera the other day, and the ride was stiff. I was not in it long enough to complain, but then again, I guess I could put up with the ride.

I dove a 2003 SVT Cobra, and I liked the ride. It was firm, but not harsh.

How would Eibachs and Koni's compare?

Jose

 

[luigisho]

I wish I could really say. I had the Eibach's and Koni's in my car but the struts were used and pretty shot. I would say the koni settings might be the determining factor. I didn't find the Eibach's too harsh but that could be subjective, and again I didn't have the best damping with the shot struts. As for more agile I think I would have to say yes. A definite improvement over stock. If you could find a local owner with the Eibach's that would be ideal but maybe not doable. Also if you found a used set and didn't care for them you should easily be able to recoup your $ by selling them.

 

[SHO92]

Jose, I find the ride very acceptable with the Konis set to full soft with Eibach springs. Its a great hiway ride, and with you living in FL, I doubt uneven pavement and *** holes are much of a concern anyway.

Also keep in mind that the adjustment range of the Koni is only 1 full rotation from full soft, though it will go much further. When I adjust my struts, I always go back to full soft first, this way I know where the sturt is at without having to see the ****, especially in the rear. This may have changed with these new design struts that you have posted about in the other thread though.

 

[TankII]

Konis/Eibachs - 3/4 turn front, 1/2 turn rear.
Moog LCA's
Polyethelene Strut-Rod bushings (McQuay Norris/Sealed Power) - Don't use Poly Urethane like Energy Suspension
Moog front sway-bar end links
Hellwig rear sway bar end links
http://photos.yahoo.com/[email protected]
21.6mm Front bar (93 Sable)
26 mm Rear bar

Smooth on highway and stiff on bumpy roads. Not too harsh, unless the roads have potholes or other bups greater than 2" in transition.

Good enough to take on trips, and still stiff enough to cause a Porsche 911 Carerra wave me by after I was all over him at Lime Rock.

If I had it to drive it every day as a family sedan and not do any competition, I would make the rear bar a 24mm to soften the ride a little. It would understeer more, but side-to-side lifting due to the much stronger rear end-links would be mimimized.

TankII

 

[Bizzy]

Jose I have a pair of front police strut mounts on the shelf, and I have no use for them. If you want them let me know I'll give them to you for what I paid for them from my Ford dealer. I can still ger rear police mounts too.

 

[voogru]

im interested in th police strut mounts, my name isnt jose though
Its Javier,
fair is fair lets see what jose has to say
Javier

 

[rktmn]

Bruce,

I am interested in the police struts. As a matter of fact it, my steering box broke this week. I have the one from my ATX, so I will use that one.

Looks like I will be replacing the steering box , both front axles, shocks, rubber parts, endlinks, water pump seem to be leaking, fuel pump is acting up, A/C has a leak, etc.

I also need several other part for my SHO which I have been having a hard time getting. Maybe you have these? I will make the list and pm it to you.

Javier, you are in Miami?

I think that you are the only other forum member registered from Miami.

Jose

 

[voogru]

ya miami it is, we need some yamaha power to make imports green with envy when a four door toreass wizzes by them with thier coffee can exhaust.
Javier