Rebuilding suspension

[Irish Pride]

Cars and trucks with shocks use an upper control arm with an upper ball joint. The upper and lower ball joints provide the pivot points that the steering needs for the wheels to turn. Cars and trucks with struts don't have upper control arms or ball joints. The strut mount has a bearing that allows the strut to rotate with the knuckle to allow steering.

The Gen3 lower control arms are the standard "A" shape and eliminate the need for strut rods. I'm really looking forward to finally getting my Gen3 installed.

 

[blk\blk90]

Just guessing but for gen3 control arms you need the gen3 subframe? I'm ready to dig in and find out how all this works. My brakes just showed up today.

 

[zoomlater]

Here is some info on the kit that Shosource put together

http://www.shosource.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=61_3_96&products_id=621

 

[blk\blk90]

I saw that. It's on the wishlist. Maybe next years student loans will help get it.

 

[blk\blk90]

Ok, so now I have even more questions. I thought all the lowering springs were gone. But on SHONuts there's a set of intrax for $250. And I found a set of b&g springs pn 26.1.041. If they're legit then I'll get the springs and buy the struts and mounts separate. But I could've sworn all the springs were gone...
Also, FPS says call for pricing on tokicos, and has motorcraft struts for $80 a piece.

 

[Irish Pride]

I would message SHOnut before you get your hopes up. Intrax have been gone for a long time. FPS hasn't updated the website in years. I doubt they have Tokicos still in stock and I personally would want to see condition of them first before buying.

Rockauto has Monroe SensaTracs on closeout right now for $21 a piece. That's the way I would go for now and then search for something better when you can.

 

[rubydist]

I would buy Motorcraft struts for $80 each before I put on Sensatrac struts that were free, but that is just me.

 

[blk\blk90]

I agree. I sent them an email. We'll see what they say.

 

[blk\blk90]

Well after reading through 10 pages in this section the monroes are definitely out. That's also going off of the way they feel in my tundra. Too damn squishy. I will be getting either the moogs, which have all good reviews, or the kybs, which have mixed reviews. I'll be pulling the springs off to put b&g springs on. I'm gonna hold off till next month sometime, then overwhelm myself again by doing all the suspension, brakes, new tires, and refinishing my wheels (so much curb rash). I might paint them black, or stay with white. Not sure yet.

 

[zak]

I know of some near mint Eibachs for sale, if interested PM me.

 

[Bryan]

Honestly unless you are racing around the track the GEN 3 subframe is really unnecessary. I just rebuilt the suspension on my 92 and she rides nice and tight. As long as the cups holding your strut tension rods in place in the front of your subframe are good and haven't broken free you are good to go. Make sure you get the right lower control arms! Make sure they are the right thickness. SHO Source doesn't (or didn't) have the right ones when I got them from them. Moog has the correct thickness SHO style lower control arms. Also I would suggest against impact tools when working on parts. That's a good way to round or snap off nuts and bolts. A breaker bar and cheater pipe is all I ever needed personally to get any nut or bolt off. A little PB Blaster or heat from a torch goes a long way.

 

[Jesse Menck]

Gen 3 subframe swap all the way.

 

[Jesse Menck]

I got some eibach rear springs for sale too

 

[Bryan]

Gen 3 subframe swap all the way.

A lot of work for something most will never use. However its up to whom ever wants it I guess. I will say I drive my 92 SHO hard and even with the stock suspension it sticks to the road fine.

 

[rubydist]

until you drive one with a Gen3 subframe swap, you cannot imagine how much better it rides and handles.

 

[Jesse Menck]

Yes I was getting on the freeway slowed down to like 5 let my hands off the wheel and punched it and it pulled completely straight. I was blown away lol

 

[zak]

The ride quality benefit alone makes the Gen 3 upgrade it worth it, but you also get much improved braking (front end no longer dives, allowing more braking power from the rear wheels, shorter stopping distances) and more precise steering.
The change is significant enough that I wonder what a 2004-2007 subframe + spindle upgrade would bring (these parts are unique to those years). And old Automotive Engineering article that chronicled the Taurus suspension development implied that they dialed in even more anti-dive, which allowed dropping front spring rate to something like 100 or 120 lb/in. The newer spindles may effect roll centers.

If your drivers seat needs a new upper cover, the cover itself can be swapped from a passenger side upper seatback, these typically have far less wear.

 

[sperold]

It is out my league to swap a subframe, as I understand it needs to be modified to accept the V6 Yamaha.

However, after learning that the later subframe uses an honest to goodness lower A frame (instead of that strut rod that anchors in the front and that skinny little ball joint assembly), it gives me pause.

It sounds like a much better idea, and I am not surprised that it makes the car better.

That strut rod suspension sounds like something from the distant past.

 

[blk\blk90]

Thats half the reason I wanna do it. SHOsource has a ready to go subframe kit for $1400.

 

[zak]

Makes more sense to do when its clutch change time as you would have the engine supported to do that.