suspension overhaul

[rjjr]

My SHO has just turned 110K. All the suspension components are stock. I would like it to handle decently, but every day I read about something new or something better. So for a budget minded SHO enthusiast like myself , what would be some things to start replacing? It is riding very soft, leans a LOT on the turns, steering has kind of a numb feeling at highway speed, just typical worn out feeling. So where should I start to get some noticable improvments? Im kind of building as I go. I get money--It goes in the SHO....the never-ending cycle.
Thanks

 

[skribbl3z21]

i would prob replace the springs first...

 

[DHMag]

replace springs (Moog Control Coils, $100 for complete set), struts (stock $50 each or Tokicos $450 set), strut rod bushings ($100), strut mounts/bearings if needed ($150), sway bar bushings ($40), sway bar endlinks ($100)...just to start you off...

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

There is NOTHING quite like a fresh suspension

Check my sig for MOOG CC info

 

[rjjr]

I did some crawling around under the car today. I have 21mm swaybars in the front and back. I think this could be contributing to the excessive body lean. The tops of the swaybar endlinks appear to be newer poly ones (light blue), but the lower half appear to be the stock rubber crap(black). I dont know why the previous owner would replace the tops and leave the bottoms ?Are the swaybars from 1st and 2nd gens interchangable? At a nearby junkyard they have 2 SHOs and 89' and a 91', and also a 94' SLO. If so i could probably go there and get a bar dirt cheap.

 

[n8rsk8r]

If I am not mistaken, the gen I's had thicker sway bars then the gen II, lucky man havin two shos that close for the pickin', that is awesome, but yes they are interchangeable. Take care and good luck, oh, the thermol plastic bushings come in different colors, I have red, black, and blue, so don't worry bout that, but maybe they swiched em around for "looks" lol.

 

[Brian Smith]

Everything new you put into the car could very well break/exaggerate the failure of some other component. Bear this in mind as you begin work. I started with new springs/struts. Then I needed new subframe bushings. These exaggerated the effect of worn tie rod ends. New tie rods seem to have killed the rack. Be prepared to work backwards seemingly endlessly. Suspension work is really instantly rewarding though. Good luck!

 

[DHMag]

I did some crawling around under the car today. I have 21mm swaybars in the front and back. I think this could be contributing to the excessive body lean. The tops of the swaybar endlinks appear to be newer poly ones (light blue), but the lower half appear to be the stock rubber crap(black). I dont know why the previous owner would replace the tops and leave the bottoms ?Are the swaybars from 1st and 2nd gens interchangable? At a nearby junkyard they have 2 SHOs and 89' and a 91', and also a 94' SLO. If so i could probably go there and get a bar dirt cheap.

the endlink bushings on the rear come from the factory with one blue and one black bushing. i bought replacement endlinks from the dealer and it came with all blue bushings. the sway bars are interchangable between Gen1s and Gen2s. Gen1s came with 24mm front, 26mm rear. Gen2s come with whatever was laying on the rack at the assembly plant at the time. 19, 21, 22, 23, 24 are some of the sizes. if you replace using Energy Suspension pieces, i recommend the BLACK bushings, as they are impregnated with teflon to avoid the squeaks. they also come in greasable form (the G added to the end of the P/N indicates a greasable busing).

where abouts in Texas do you live ?

 

[rjjr]

Thats good to know that the 1st and 2nd gen bars are interchangable. If im not mistaken they have 23mm front and 24mm rear. I think this would be a nice combo, but if anyone knows of a better one id appreciate it. Ill be heading down to the junkyard later this week to check it out

Sounds like everyone likes the moogs. Would these end up lowering the car ( even after you cut them like most do) . Because I wouldnt really want the car any lower.

 

[rjjr]

I coulda sworn I read that the 1st gens had a 24mm front and a 26mm rear, but I but I guess I missread either way 24, 26 would be better, right? Thanks for the info on the stock endlinks, I was thinking that itd be wierd to change only the top halfs. Are the energy bushings poly or that thermol plastic stuff?
By the way, Im in Montgomery Texas, about an hour north of houston.

 

[DHMag]

Thats good to know that the 1st and 2nd gen bars are interchangable. If im not mistaken they have 23mm front and 24mm rear. I think this would be a nice combo, but if anyone knows of a better one id appreciate it. Ill be heading down to the junkyard later this week to check it out

Sounds like everyone likes the moogs. Would these end up lowering the car ( even after you cut them like most do) . Because I wouldnt really want the car any lower.

in stock form, the Moogs are about the same ride height as factory springs. on my Moogs, i cut 1.5 coils from the front, resulting in a 2ish" drop. 1 coil cut from rear resulted in a 2" drop. notice, you rear springs are prolly worn out a bit, so installing new springs might raise it a bit....1/4" - 1/2" or so.

 

[DHMag]

I coulda sworn I read that the 1st gens had a 24mm front and a 26mm rear, but I but I guess I missread either way 24, 26 would be better, right? Thanks for the info on the stock endlinks, I was thinking that itd be wierd to change only the top halfs. Are the energy bushings poly or that thermol plastic stuff?
By the way, Im in Montgomery Texas, about an hour north of houston.

you didnt misread, just miscommunication . the ES bushings are poly. the blue bushings from Ford are TPR (that thermal poly stuff). the 24/26 combo is desired by 90% of SHOwners on this forum.

i live near San Antonio, there are several SHOwners around H-Town, including Sergio Perfetti at Jerrys Automotive. hes a well known SHO mechanic if you ever need one.

you are welcome to join the FordBastards group (the LSSHOC) over on Yahoo Groups. im feeling too lazy to be finding the link for it but look around in the LSSHOC section of this Forum and youll find the link. its normally posted by SHOMurph or blue92.

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

Although every time I hit a tight on-ramp I start thinking about swapping my 24 FSB for a 22

Open diff stinks

 

[DHMag]

Although every time I hit a tight on-ramp I start thinking about swapping my 24 FSB for a 22

Open diff stinks

aww, come on, you just gotta know how to drive that open diff

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

wha, faster

My tires hate me


SCREEEEEECH...

Im looking forward to wearing these out and getting REAL tires. They came with the car when I got it. I like them, bridgstone potenzas "high performance all-seasons" , but are NOT sticky enough

Screw all-season. I have a 4x4 truck for nasty weather.

 

[DHMag]

wha, faster

My tires hate me


SCREEEEEECH...

Im looking forward to wearing these out and getting REAL tires. They came with the car when I got it. I like them, bridgstone potenzas "high performance all-seasons" , but are NOT sticky enough

Screw all-season. I have a 4x4 truck for nasty weather.

i was going to buy the Potenza 950s but decided to get another brand. while i still overdrive the tires on tight radius curves, im still very impressed with their performance for the price. fastest ive gone thru a hairpin while retaining control was 65. at 70+ MPH, i can get the rear end to slide out on me. of course, the last time it happened, i went for an unintended offroad excursion (unprepared for the backend to come out so quickly).

this is called thread hijacking ?

btw Kenny, after 9 months of heavy use, my modified Moogs are still very tight.

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

Yeah, I think we did rob this thread

My Moogs are as tight as new as well, BTW.
And what tires are you running?


ANYHOW, back to suspension overhaul!

What should you replace? Well, as always with the SHO and other "complicated" and labor intensive vehicles, it is a "since your in there, replace it all" type of thing.

Heres a list:

Front Suspension:

Coils/Struts
Mounts
Bearings
Coil spring insulators
Sway bar bushings
Sub frame bushings
tie rod ends
sway bar endlinks/bushings
tension strut bushings

Rear suspension:

Coils/Struts
Mounts
Sway bar bushings
Sway bar enlinks/bushings
Strut rod bushings



My '89 has the original 24/26 sway bar combo. I do like it, and it is awesome for general blasting thru canyons, but in real tight turns with high exit speeds and the throttle buried the inside tire lifts and causes wheelspin. Dropping the sway bar size from 24 to 22 will effectively lessen the problem, but it will cause a bit more roll.

My '89 has a MOOG CC / Monroe Sensatrac setup (check my sig for info).
I also have every bushing replaced, and nearly all of them are TPR.

This SHO handles :****:

 

[SolidState]

lets note forget ALSFB...

nothing will have a bigger impact on steering than these $100 jobbers. checkthe group buy section for a great deal on bryan king's aluminum subframe bushings.