The parts arrived today, TYVM Rodney, very fast shipping. I got the 1" lowering lower ball joints and the adjustable upper ball joints. Well turns out that the sway bar end links will be too short. Rodneys instruction sheet that came with the parts say this,

" The sway bar end links will need to be made longer by about 1" also. Maybe stop at some auto parts store and see if the end links from other cars are longer. You may find a nice match one inch longer."

Anyone ever find a source for these parts? Please help! lol

Also his instructions go on to say,

" Note on the 84-87's: when you install a lowering ball joints the turning stops are too high to work. Possibly a piece of steel can be welded in to retain the steering stops."

Can anyone please explain this a bit? Thanks for any and all help and remember pics are worth 1000 words if anyones got any.

Edit; removed a bad pic.

[This message has been edited by weloveour86se (edited 02-16-2012).]

Bump - i also would like to know this.

I don't have a good picture showing the steering bump stops on an '84-'87, but I've played with them before. To see just what Rodney is talking about, raise the front end of the car, take the wheels off, and turn the steering wheel until it stops one way. Then have a look at what is preventing it from turning any further by looking at the knuckle and the lower control arm. If you see nothing, then either go look at the knuckle on the other side of the car, or turn the steering wheel to the opposite lock and have another look. You'll see that part of the knuckle is hard up against part of the lower control arm. The part on the lower control arm is the steering stop that Rodney's referring to and must be raised to prevent the wheels from turning too far in both directions.

quote Originally posted by My84: Bump - i also would like to know this.

Tuesday is the day it all goes down! Lol forgive my pun. I've got the Rodney lowering lower ball joints, Rodney upper front adjustable ball joints. Whodeanie's rear coilovers, and Autozone rear ball joints. The Autozone ball joints are NOT made in China. I will be sure to take plenty of pics.

Blooze TYVM for your input. We will have a welder standing by to fix the steering stops if need be.

Also I have an extra set of front springs if things don't go low enough I will maybe try the cut spring technic. I have to take it real slow with the lowering, Maine roads...

Also, Autozone stocks some nice looking sway bar end links in the store here. Complete with pretty red bushings and all. Might toss a set on just cause, we will see.

Slow and low!!

The lower control arms were originally made to be replaced along with the ball joint as a unit, but the aftermarket stepped in to make this cheaper. OEM ball joints were only pressed in and can be pressed out, but if your ball joints have been replaced by a previous owner, there's a good chance they've been tack welded into place. Regardless, when using Rodney's taller ball joints, it is a very good idea once they've been replaced to get them tack welded since cornering and side loads on the wheels wil exert a greater force on the point where the joints are pressed into the arm due to the extra leverage. Over time, the tall ball joint will have a tendency to start wiggling in the arm and start causing you big problems.

Yes definately gonna weld them in. TYVM Blooze. This honestly will be my first attempt at ever lowering a car. I have a friend and we have full access to his shop, lift, welders and all. I just got freaked a lil by the Haynes and what it says about the lower control arms. My first thought was, dang now I gotta buy those too?

Thanks for any tips or help!

Ride height comparisons. First is stock size tires and factory rims, right at about 27 inches. Second is aftermarket 17's, the second pics is kinda tough to make out but its at around 28 1/4 inches. The rear.





Now the fronts. First pic is stock at 26 inches. Second pic is with aftermarket 17's measures at 27 inches.





And one more pic for future the before. The after pic comes Tuesday hopefully!! I absolutely cannot wait!

Take some pics while your at it... i'm curious.

quote Originally posted by Finally_Mine_86_GT: Take some pics while your at it... i'm curious.

Will def do lots of pics. Sorry for you cave people with dial-up. Hehe

Man, this mechanic friend is Killing me! I'm thinking I gotta find another person to do the install... Typical. This is worse then the times I had to wait for some chick's parents to go to bed when I was 16ish! And that was some horrible waiting. Lol

Screw this guy. I'm gonna find another garage that I can do it in. Even if I have to do it in my driveway!! Man and to think this guy says he can paint my car for $600. Yet he wont return my calls.

Might be a few more days then expected but it will be...

Think my 50/70 amp lil 120 volt stick welder is up to the job of welding these in?

Your welder should be fine... remember, you only want to tack them in place with two or three spot welds. If you do more than that you will curse if you ever have to replace them again. Besides, they won't fall out even if they're not welded. The way the suspension is designed, it holds them in place on their own but you do want to keep them from tipping under side loads so that's why you tack them in place.

Well got the drivers side rear coilover in. Got a very late start, around 5pm. No air tools either...Gonna grab some grub and go tackle the passenger side. Might be a late night but who says i gotta finish the coilovers today? Anyway it looks very nice in the drivers side wheel well. I have the spring perch set at about 2 5/8 inches from the top of the lower strut mount brackets. When I get it all back together on the other side we can do the final adjustment.

Man those lower bolts were rusted in tight!! Not the threads thenselves but the part of the bolt that passes through the spindle.

Sorry for the cell phone pic, it was all I had at the time.

quote Originally posted by weloveour86se: Man those lower bolts were rusted in tight!! Not the threads thenselves but the part of the bolt that passes through the spindle.

I hope you wire-wheeled them and used plenty of anti-seize before you put them back in. You never know when you'll have to do it again.

Look! Something to practice making coilovers on! Friend of mine has the tool to take these apart, The upright vise looking thingy. Not sure what its called but I'm positive I can run down there and take these right apart. Safely

looks like those end links could use some poly or zero lash. :/

That will change the way the car feels, drastically.

quote Originally posted by Finally_Mine_86_GT: looks like those end links could use some poly or zero lash. :/ That will change the way the car feels, drastically.

Yeah those and the outer steering link knuckel or ball joint, what ever its called, is toasty looking. Those may be next. The passenger side end link looks much better. I'm pretty sure a PO did some work. The ball joints were not factory.

BTW the whole ball joint press kit is a FREE loaner tool from Autozone!

Funny thing that happend yesterday. We had just gotten the rear end on the ground after getting both coilovers in. Tires on and taking our first look at the rear ride height. My friend whose 6ft5" tall and about 260lbs started pushing down on the rear end when thud, thud thud!! "It's Bottoming out!" Crap, crap ,crap I'm thinking. No way can this be bottoming out, I still have around 3 inches of sleeve travel to go down with. Panick set in fast.

It was then that I looked underneath the back and saw the floor jack still sitting right under the rear cross member. It was bottoming out on the jack! Phew! Or shew. Which ever you prefer.

Considering putting a non adjustable upper front ball joint in and seeing how that lines the front drivers side up. The adjustable upper ball joint might be a PITA to get aligned right

quote Originally posted by weloveour86se: Funny thing that happend yesterday. We had just gotten the rear end on the ground after getting both coilovers in. Tires on and taking our first look at the rear ride height. My friend whose 6ft5" tall and about 260lbs started pushing down on the rear end when thud, thud thud!! "It's Bottoming out!" Crap, crap ,crap I'm thinking. No way can this be bottoming out, I still have around 3 inches of sleeve travel to go down with. Panick set in fast. It was then that I looked underneath the back and saw the floor jack still sitting right under the rear cross member. It was bottoming out on the jack! Phew! Or shew. Which ever you prefer.

LOL, and I'm not laughing at you, rather with you! I did this exact thing once on a different car I was working on. Makes you feel better when you find it was nothing serious doesn't it?!

Kevin

[This message has been edited by Lambo nut (edited 02-24-2012).]

quote Originally posted by Lambo nut: LOL, and I'm not laughing at you, rather with you! I did this exact thing once on a different car I was working on. Makes you feel better when you find it was nothing serious doesn't it?! Kevin

Definately! My helpers and I were freaking out! When we realized our rookie mistake we had a real good laugh.

I honestly was a bit nervous about pulling this job off. However we did it. I have never installed a ball joint before or a shock. I am not 100 percent in love with my front end alignment. I'm pretty sure it was off before the Rodneys. My steering wheel sat turned as i went straight, and if I let go of the wheel it would pull to the right slightly. If I knew more about my front end perhaps I could fix it better. I mean how the lowering ball joint changes things. What to adjust. We tried adjusting the drivers side upper ball but it's not easy. It's pretty tough to get a good look at where its at with the tire off and the car on a jackstand. Perhaps a yard stick on the rotor and a jack under the lower control arm lifting it up? Hmmm. Might give that a shot tomorrow.

Don't do anything else modification wise to the front until it settles after a bit of driving, because that's exactly what it looks like right now, it's higher then the stock ride is normally! It always happens right after jacking up the front and lowering it down, let alone removing all tension from the spring. Give it time to settle before doing anything else. Just my suggestion.

Side by side pic of a Rodneys adjustable upper and a Autozone Duralast adjustable upper. One thing I can see is the round part that mates with the UCA on Rodneys is larger. The whole that this round part fits into is only so big. Also is it possible I need to turn the ball joints 180 degrees? Does Rodneys adjustable ball joint have to go in a certain way? One side looks different as you can see in this pic. The Duralast balls look more centered. Maybe thats my issue? Whats the odds that we put both in backwards? 50/50?

Once it settles in (usually overnight) that front is going to drop. How does it look today?

The red marks show the area that has differences. Note how Rodneys on the left does not appear to be centered on the part. If the wind dies down a bit I will got out and try rotating the drivers side upper 180 degrees.

[This message has been edited by weloveour86se (edited 02-25-2012).]

Finally got the chance to go out and tweek on it a bit. The winds been blowing in 50 plus mph gusts here in Maine. No fun in the winter with that much wind. I got the alignment looking better today. It was pretty simple. Now my steering wheels straight. I used the two tape measure method. Now at least I can get it to a shop for proper alignment!

Took a quick spin around town and it feels Awesome! No more rattle, rattle, rattle on every bump. What a difference in ride it is!

OK so Rodneys balls arrived pre-lubed! Lol All fun aside, time for business.

How much should I lube them once they are installed? The ball joints I mean. Till the dust covers start to leak grease?

Next item, I did not at all need the piece of PVC to install the rubber boots. It was pretty easy to just push them on after the lowering ball joints were installed in the lower control arms. I'm not sure why Rodney would include these. Perhaps there had been a problem before with the boots. Perhaps someone didnt know to install the boots after the ball joints get pressed in? Perhaps mine should fit tighter, dunno. Just making an observation.

Last item; On my drivers side front the castellated nut went below the cotter pin hole. Perhaps if the castellated nut was taller? Why not make them taller anyway? Perhaps my LCA lower ball joint hole is bad but that ball joint went in tight! Well anyway the cotter pin hole is above the castlellated nut tines after 55 foot lbs of torque. Rodney does not give a torque spec as far as I have seen so I went with the haynes manual. I know this is a tricky problem as there are many variables involved.

Only my observations. Modifying your suspension is on you! I for one know this. These are only my observations.

So with all that said, I very highly recommend this treatment. It's a whole different ride experience. I took a ride today down a curvey, hilly Maine road with the obligatory potholes and had to go all the way back and do it again just to feel how great it was.

I 3> U Rodney! hehe

Edit: dang typo

[This message has been edited by weloveour86se (edited 02-29-2012).]

so... before you jack it up again for the end links. how does it look?

quote Originally posted by weloveour86se: Last item; On my drivers side front the castellated nut went below the cotter pin hole.

Take the nut off and put a washer on first. That raises the nut.

------------------
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

quote Originally posted by Rodney: Take the nut off and put a washer on first. That raises the nut.

TYVVM Rodney, Will do asap. Why I didnt just think of that myself is beyond me. Like I have said in the past, I have much to learn.

Finally-mine, as much as I'd love to get final ride height pics, it's just gonna have to wait. We have been really lucky with the install and weather. This had been the dryest winter since I've lived here in Maine. IIRC 16 years. Well that dry winter is over... Also the cars been up on jacks twice since final install. Once to adjust camber and once to recheck torque specs all around. Final ride height analysis is going to have to just wait, believe me when I say I'm interested in this as well...

Also they pretreated the roads with some liquid chemicals here before the snow started. I'm not sure what they used but I can only imagine how bad it will be for me to drive around in that stuff. So till almost all the snows off the roads, she will sit parked. Rust is my enemy! Just went out and snapped this pic...

So these beauties came in yesterday. Rodneys zero lash end links. I gotta say these are sweet looking and feeling. They feel ruggedly built and the pivot ends swivle nicely. I have been reading up on these and seems the zero lash concept is fairly new, as far as I could tell. I could be wrong about that tho. Seems to be much debate in one of the camaro forums about these. I found that forum using a simple Google search. Didnt find to much else about them. They even drop Rodneys name there, lol. They refer to him as a god in our fiero community. I'll try and find that link again. Found it its the first one when you google, zero lash end links. Anyway please take a sec and review this forum thread from the camaro people.

http://www.thirdgen.org/tec...o-lash-sway-bar.html



Gonna take a quick spin down the windy coastal road between our beach town to the next. Posted speed limit is 45mph and curvy as hell! Ocean on one side woods on the other. The ride is a whole nother experience, it doesnt even feel like the same car! Even from the very first turn at the stop sign I can feel the difference. Ride hieght pics with final measurments to come before I install the zero lash end links, they wont affect ride height anyway. The jacking it up and down will tho, as others above have stated.

Thanks Mattwa and Finally_mine for the input, also everyone else whom I may have forgotten.

Finally installed Rodneys zero lash end links today. Went in nicely. A lil pry bar here a lil there on the sway bar. That easy. Put the top part in first, the sway bar end. Using the provided thin wrench. Then installed into the lower control arm and didnt need the thin wrench on that end. It would be a PITA to get in there anyway.






Now take a good look at these factory sway bar end links.. The laft one is worn almost to the point it looks it could snap soon, tough to make out in the pic, srry. The right one is bent to hell.. Oh drivers side was the one on the left. Pretty crummy looking.



Took about a 10 mile trip on that same whindy coastal road and its great! Need more time to tell tho. It kinda feels like the rears are different or something. Like the rears not as stiff as the front end. Almost like its not wanting to turn like the front is. Dunno call me crazy and its only after a short ride. I'm thinking rear sway bar is in my future. Any tips about that??

Now I have a great reason to drive around alot more!

Edit: I just realised that the factory sway bar end links in that last pic are laying on the table upside down. Those bolts and washers are what sit underneath the lower control arm, the threaded part is in the sway bar. The lower control arm is where they were bent and worn.

[This message has been edited by weloveour86se (edited 03-11-2012).]