I am pretty excited to get it on the road. I found out the wheels I have are 40mm offset on the back and something like 30ish on the front. I ended up buying 215/45 front and 235/45 back. I think just slightly smaller in front would have been better but it came down to cost and availability. Lock to lock the fronts rub a tiny bit on one side. I am hoping that alignment will help solve this.
Assuming the same widths... You could swap the wheels front to back. The 40mm on the front shouldn't rub. Is this on an 88?
EDIT: Who owns page 2?
Me!!! Woo hoo!
[This message has been edited by Fieroseverywhere (edited 06-25-2011).]
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10:58 PM
Dizzixx Member
Posts: 1470 From: Salt Lake, Utah, United States Registered: Oct 2005
Its an 87'. And I went with the advice of the tire shop guy as too which offset should go where. They are not the same tires front and back as indicated previously.
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11:17 PM
Jun 26th, 2011
IFLYR22 Member
Posts: 1775 From: Tucson, AZ. Registered: May 2007
I replaced all the control arm hardware with new bolts and locking nuts. (BTW totally a PITA if you are doing it without actually wanting to remove the control arms) As well as replaced all the ball joint grease fittings including those on steering and tie rods and greased them with a grease gun.
...
I am doing this right now. Complete rebuild of the suspension and brakes on an 86. with the exception of control arms, everything is new.
This will be the Wife's Fiero. Her favorite color is blue.
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10:33 AM
Dizzixx Member
Posts: 1470 From: Salt Lake, Utah, United States Registered: Oct 2005
They are painted. I burned out the bushings and stripped them down. Then they got tanked to remove the oils and grease. They got sand blasted after that. Once they were bare metal, I used a self etching primer with a 2K gloss paint through my Harbor freight HVLP (cheap Chinese crap) gun. No clear.
It is way overkill, considering I won't be doing the chassis (space frame) that way...if at all.
-Dave
Adding: I have no idea how much it was do get them to this point. I already had the tools and materials and did all the work, so I guess, the cost of the suspension parts (bushings, ball joints, etc...). The black parts are Rattle can (off the shelf spray cans).
[This message has been edited by IFLYR22 (edited 06-26-2011).]
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07:46 PM
Jun 28th, 2011
Dizzixx Member
Posts: 1470 From: Salt Lake, Utah, United States Registered: Oct 2005
Looks good. I did my control arms in rattle can black. I spent alot of time cleaning by hand and then priming and putting on multiple coats. I couldnt afford as much time to the cradle and crossmember. I tried but its flaking off. The control arms still look okay. I would like to get everything powder coated at some point and was wondering what a normal price was.
On another note. I got the replacement strut. Annoyingly the only way to get the meshed up one apart was to drill it out. I am worried they wont warranty it now which would really piss me off. Also I was not able to torque it to spec. I torqued it to the point I was worried I would break it again and then decided to leave it at that. Tomorrow or the next day I should be getting the alignment done. I am worried that the rear tie rods are bad (more specifically the passenger one because the exhaust is too close) in which case I may be replacing those in the near future and re aligning the back....the never ending process. If only my wallet was never ending as well.
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10:47 PM
Jun 29th, 2011
IFLYR22 Member
Posts: 1775 From: Tucson, AZ. Registered: May 2007
My 85 has a lot of powder coated parts. The rear cradle, the front cross member, the rear deck grills, and many various metal brackets from the front and the rear. Pretty much, if you could unbolt it from the car space frame, it was powder coated. The suspension was not done, as it is an all Held / Ryan system. The total for it all the powder coating was about 700 and that included them sand blasting the parts. This was done about 10 years ago.
Does the exhaust go over or under the tie rod and does it make contact with the tie rod?
-Dave
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10:23 AM
Dizzixx Member
Posts: 1470 From: Salt Lake, Utah, United States Registered: Oct 2005
It goes over. Its kinda retarded. Its one part because I wanted a dual in dual out. And partly because the exhaust shop was kind of retarded (For instance I cant take the exhaust off without taking the cradle/motor off). I am thinking I am going to buy new inner tie rod ends, do my best to not mess up the fresh alignment (its at the shop ATM) and then get some kind of uber heat insulation for the tie rod kind of like the things you can put on plug wire (braided glass stuff). The exhaust is heat wrapped and ceramic hi temp painted both over and under the wrap but it I am sure is still getting to hot.
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05:14 PM
IFLYR22 Member
Posts: 1775 From: Tucson, AZ. Registered: May 2007
It goes over. Its kinda retarded. Its one part because I wanted a dual in dual out. And partly because the exhaust shop was kind of retarded (For instance I cant take the exhaust off without taking the cradle/motor off). I am thinking I am going to buy new inner tie rod ends, do my best to not mess up the fresh alignment (its at the shop ATM) and then get some kind of uber heat insulation for the tie rod kind of like the things you can put on plug wire (braided glass stuff). The exhaust is heat wrapped and ceramic hi temp painted both over and under the wrap but it I am sure is still getting to hot.
Hmm. Your tie rods may be ok, as far as the heat issue. But, covering them can't hurt.
My Vette has side pipes that are aluminized with heat wrap and HT paint under and over. After running the engine for about 30 minutes (can't drive it yet, it is being restomodded), I can grab the pipes with mechanics glove covered hands.
My 85 exhaust for my 3800 is wrapped and coated the same way, and I can also touch them with glove covered hands. Not for as long as the vette, but they are not too hot for the plastic parts around them.
-Dave
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10:08 PM
Jun 30th, 2011
Dizzixx Member
Posts: 1470 From: Salt Lake, Utah, United States Registered: Oct 2005
I would like to think they are fine but they were on there with the exhaust prior to my removing it and then coating it in this and that. The allignment is good but it still has very noticeable bump steer and wander on the freeway. Also after what everyone has said about the kyb I expected it to be a great deal more stiff than it is.