I'm looking for someone to install them to see how they fit. Someone who can do it right away and post pictures etc.
I'm wondering on the front ones because of the factory dent in the U bracket. They may need to be ground some to fit better? So someone who is a good craftsman would be appreciated.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
[This message has been edited by Rodney (edited 08-31-2014).]
Still looking for someone to test these samples. If they work well I'll have a batch made.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
I can test them. My 88 still has stock rubber bushings. If they need tweaked, I can do that too and send them back to you as samples.
Sending them out tomorrow. Happy you will do this. I think they will be OK as is. Once I know that for sure I'll have some made. I'm thinking they will fit under that dented area on the front mounts. I don't think the mold needs to be modified. But let me know.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Paul has tried them and for the most part fit fine. The fronts are very good and need no changes. The rears are slightly too wide between the outer rubber flanges leaving a small gap between the rubber and the steel bracket. So I'm going to have the rear mold reworked to be narrower. Once that is done I'll have a batch of each made. Hopefully I'll have some in stock in a few 2-3 months.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Those look great, and are something I've wanted for awhile since the universal parts don't fit well. I'm running rubber right now, but will order these once you have them listed on the site.
Paul found the fronts to be slightly too tight (height wise) thus making them somewhat difficult to install because of the small area you have to work in. They would have been OK if the frame was not in the way. So I'm having them modify the molds to make them slightly shorter. The backs will be narrower where the steel band goes around them. I have OK'd the changes and they will modify the molds and make a batch of fronts and rears. So maybe in 4-5 weeks I'll have some in hand.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
I have some more samples in and I gave them the OK to make them now. They sent me 3 of each so I have one set (2 front and 2 rear) to give away for R&D. Anyone want to try them? Has to be someone that can install them right away. Post some pictures and give some opinions. Has to be someone with an 88 with the factory front and rear sway bars and OEM steel brackets still in place and unaltered.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
I have some more samples in and I gave them the OK to make them now. They sent me 3 of each so I have one set (2 front and 2 rear) to give away for R&D. Anyone want to try them? Has to be someone that can install them right away. Post some pictures and give some opinions. Has to be someone with an 88 with the factory front and rear sway bars and OEM steel brackets still in place and unaltered.
I'll give it a shot. I need to place an order with you anyway for an emergency brake spring compressor.
Glad to see you getting into replacement parts for these old cars!! I have been thinking about the steering racks and how scarce rebuilds are getting. If I had a means-$$$- I would have pursed getting a shop to manufacture the bar with the teeth. And may be a foundry to cast new housings. Then offer new racks. LOL all it takes is lots of $$. If I had $$ I would have a plastics manufacture, make replacement inserts for the GT. And a high strength steel insert for the upper control arm bolt for the 84-87 front crossmember. So much for day dreaming.
I received a set of the 88 front and rear sway bar bushing. I installed the front pieces a few weeks ago and finally got around to installing the rear set today. Hopefully you can see the pictures ok.
Before
After
The rear before.
Compare the old and new.
After
I found the quality the rubber bushing to be very good. They went on pretty easily. They seemed to be shaped differently than stock, but I think the original rubber was shaped by the attachment brackets. I removed both bracket that hold the bushings and disconnected the upper attachment points of the zero lash end links and slid the bar toward the passenger compartment toward the drivers side. I removed the bracket from the bushing with channel lock pliers. Then removed the old bushings from the bar. I lubed the new bushings with silicone lubricant and installed them on the sway bar. Getting the bracket and new bushing back in place took a little effort. The difficult part for me was getting the two in place and getting the screw in straight. I'm sure there is an easy way to do it but I used a breaker bar, an extension and a socket to create a lever of sorts to push the bracket and bushing in to place while I inserted the screw screws. From what I understand, when the front sway bar bushings were installed at the factory, they did so before the front cradle was installed in the car.
Installing the rear sway bar pieces was a piece of cake.
Rodney, thanks for letting me try these new parts out prior to their official release. It looks like you've produced yet another high quality product that we need. Thanks for your continued support our community.
[This message has been edited by dajack761 (edited 12-18-2014).]
These 1988 rubber sway bar to frame bushings are finally here. Some things just take a long time to get finished. But they are here now and in stock.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Yes. I doubt anyone would ever reproduce the factory steel straps.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Looking for someone with an 88 4 cylinder notchback. I asked the manufacturer to make me more of the fronts than the rears. I expect to sell more fronts because the 88 4 cylinder coupes have only a front away bar. They messed up and made more of the rears. So I'm going to have them make more fronts. Before I do that I want to know for sure the 88 4 cylinder coupes have the same size front sway bar as the V-6's. Looking for someone to measure their front sway bar and let me know what the diameter is. As far as I know it is the same diameter as the front sway bar used in the V-6 Fiero. If the 88 4 cylinder coupes have a smaller diameter front sway bar I would only ask them to make enough so I have equal amounts of front and rears.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Just got home and measured the sway bar on my 88 4cyl parts car, it was a few thousandths less than 1.1 inch. Really easy to measure with no wheels on the car
Just got home and measured the sway bar on my 88 4cyl parts car, it was a few thousandths less than 1.1 inch. Really easy to measure with no wheels on the car
Thanks! Same diameter as the front sway bar used on the V-6 Fieros. So there is only one diameter front sway bar used on all 88 Fieros. 4 cylinder and V-6.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Thanks! Same diameter as the front sway bar used on the V-6 Fieros. So there is only one diameter front sway bar used on all 88 Fieros. 4 cylinder and V-6.