Performance suspension (Page 2/5)
cvxjet MAR 18, 01:06 PM
Hardest part is cutting the spring perch off of the struts....The other critical thing is getting screw-sleeves that properly fit the strut...I bought some, thinking I had nailed the dimensions, and found out they would not work. Fiero Guru had the right size sleeves and that solved my problem (Well...One of my problems...)

I had KYB GR2 struts out back- switched to Konis.....slightly better- not a huge difference. I would not spend the money again for the change. It may be better for a dedicated track car- but even then I don't think it is worth it.

By the way, on the Konis, the top of the strut has to be ground down so that the sleeves can slip over it.....That is a miserable job also!
Monkeybean007 MAR 18, 01:14 PM
So sounds like definitely kyb for shocks, and fieroguru does all the hard work for them? And his kit if front and rear or just rear? And what kind of instalation goes into installing his kit.
fieroguru MAR 18, 04:04 PM
If you buy the level 4 kit, they are fully assembled with the spring rates and colors of your choice and will looks very similar to these:


Install of the level 4 is to remove the old strut (2 large bolts, 1 brake line hose screw, and the nuts on the strut hat studs), install the new one, connect all the bolts, nuts and screws, then have the car aligned.

The levels 1-3 require you to prepare the strut for the coilover conversion. This requires cutting off the spring perch on the strut (which is a pressurized cylinder). You have to be very careful with cutting and heat generation, so probably not something a first time fabricator should be doing.

The fronts are much, much harder and 95% of the time require some level of fabrication by the installer.
Monkeybean007 MAR 18, 04:11 PM
So no front ones, then what's recommended for the front? And what color options 🤔🤔
fieroguru MAR 18, 06:18 PM
I am pretty sure your fiero is an 84-87, so front coilovers would require lots of cutting and welding. The easiest way to lower the front 1" would be to get Rodney's lowering ball joints.
Beyond that, most people either cut the stock springs or buy lowering springs. The dropped spindles are hard to find and cost about $1000 when you do.

For the rears....
Options:
  • Sleeve Color: Black and Silver are the stocked colors, but Red and Blue are available at no additional charge.
  • Sleeve Placement: On top of spring perch weld bead, or on top of knuckle mounting tabs at the base of the strut.
  • Springs: Black and Silver are the available colors, spring lengths can be 10" or 12", spring rates can be between 250 lb/in to 450 lb/in at no additional charge. Red, yellow and other colors available for an additional charge, but not all spring rates are available in every color.
  • Strut Hat Orientation: 88 Fieros have the option of flipping the strut hat bushing plate - no charge.
  • Strut Hat Spring Centering Sleeves - Inside is used for the stock strut hat configuration and machined aluminum spring locator used for the flipped strut hat.
Monkeybean007 MAR 18, 06:23 PM
I always forget to put the details about my car, it's an 85gt v6 2.8l and how lond do they usually take to make and get to me? I'm US based.
fieroguru MAR 18, 07:49 PM
Normally it is a 7 day turn around. With all the various options, they are made to order.
Monkeybean007 MAR 18, 07:56 PM
That's not too bad at all
La fiera MAR 18, 08:20 PM
I did my own swaybars out of NASCAR suspension parts. Theres a member here that makes something similar to sell.
I think his name is 4runner???? Mine are like his but the diffence is that with his you can't interchange the bars front to rears
and viceversa. I made my kit where I can swap them because they are the same lenght.
Since I'm also now using very stiff springs now I'm working on shocks and struts to match the springs.
I'll will make a tread once they are made and tested.
wftb MAR 19, 09:20 AM
As for the front coilovers for 84-87, like Fieroguru said you are out of luck as most stuff is no longer available. But you could use Rodneys drop ball joints and/or lowering springs and get some QA1 shocks. Take a stock shock off and measure the extended length and collapsed length, note the type of fittings on it and go through the QA1 catalogue and I am sure you will find a shock to match. They come in steel and aluminum body, single and double adjustable (and triple adjustable in a gas over oil shock). No this will not give you front coilovers but it would be cheaper and be very close performance wise.

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86 GT built 2.2 ecotec turbo
rear SLA suspension
QA1 coilovers on tube arms