i just ordered the rear strut camber bolt kit for my 88 is there a difference between the say a v6 to a and L4 models when i ordrered from rock auto and when i got the conformation email i noticed it said 2.8L 173cid V6 moog k928 i have the iron duke engine would that make a difference or not ?

No, not at all.

good thanks for the reply

I ordered a couple different camber bolt kits, but didn't need either. Are you changing ride height, i.e. lowering. If not you may not need anything but regular bolts.

the last time i got the car aligned they told me the rear tires was toed just a little plus i bought new struts so i figured id just go ahead and buy them before i replaced the new struts

The real purpose for using the cam bolts with the large cam washer is so you can just turn the bolt and dial in the proper amount of Camber.

Without them you you have to:
Loosen both bolts, bump the wheel to get it where it needs to be, hold it in that position while tightening the bolts. If if moves or you didn't get it in the right spot, you get to do it all over again.

With the cam washer bolts:
Loosen the bolts, turn the cam bolt until the camber is where you want it, hold the wrench and tighten the bolt. Normally works the first time.

Put those on my 84, well worth the money.

quote Originally posted by tebailey: ...well worth the money.

Without a doubt.

quote Originally posted by Patrick in This thread: This is the type of adjustment bolt you want. IMO this is superior to the type where the "cam" is on the bolt itself. And this is where it goes on each strut. You simply turn the bottom bolt and the washer "cam" moves the strut. Every Fiero should have these installed before a wheel alignment.

Is it essential to install/replace these bolts when replacing the rear struts?

I have a stock 1988 Fiero Formula. It hasn't done huge mileage (only about 70k) but I have it up on stands to do some other minor work underneath.

I thought it was probably about time to replace the front shocks and rear struts. I have no idea whether the originals are good or worn out, as this is the only Fiero I have ever driven: the ride seems a little hard, but otherwise the car drives all right - no wallowing, lurching, or wobbling! But I plan to stay with stock spec - no lowering or other suspension tuning.

Anyhow, since parts are hard to source in the UK, and the struts are unique to the Fiero, I bit the bullet and ordered a rear strut kit Monroe SMB 156 (2 x struts, 2 x top mounting plates, and 2 x bellows) plus 2 front shocks Monroe 5821, all from Rock Auto for international shipping to UK. Don't ask how much it all cost.....!

I plan to get my local workshop to do the replacement changeover work. They work on race cars and do anything on my Fiero that is beyond my DIY capability.

Anyhow, I just happened to be browsing the forum for tips about the actual fitting of the struts (the front shocks seem straightforward), and came across this thread. Got me worried. I had assumed the rear strut kit from Rock Auto would include all the necessary bolts, washers etc to fit the new struts. But maybe this is not so. Do I need..... and should I have ordered..... a pair of new camber-bolts as well? I see that Rock Auto lists them separately - various brands including Moog, Raybestos, AC Delco etc.

It will be very tedious if I show up at the workshop with car and a box full of new parts only to find that two crucial bolts are not included, and not easily available locally. If I had included them with the other parts in my Rock Auto order, there would have been no additional shipping cost. But even though the bolts are small enough to fit into a Jiffy bag or a USPS packet, if i have to order them separately then Rock and other suppliers will charge a fortune for shipping them over to UK.

So the first question is - do I have to get a new pair of these bolts? If yes, second question is, what type/brand is best? The third question might then be to ask some kind forum member to get a couple and post them to me as a personal favour (I'll pay the full cost - but that ought to be a lot more reasonable than shipment by a commercial supplier.....)

Trying to adjust the rear camber without them is a BIG pita. Well worth the little they cost, and if your replacing your struts anyway definitely put them in. Your alignment shop will thank you.

quote Originally posted by br1anstorm: I had assumed the rear strut kit from Rock Auto would include all the necessary bolts, washers etc to fit the new struts.

New springs would've been nice as well. Should RockAuto have tossed them in?

You don't get anything that isn't specified. If you order the camber bolts, make sure to get the style I mentioned above.

I've done rear camber adjustments with and without. Without,I jack the rear up just till the load is off. Just touching the turn plates. That way the wheel doesn't move around. The biggest issue with the stock bolts is they get jammed/frozen in the strut and the strut won't move unless you take the wheels off, back the nut to the edge of the threads, knock them back, tighten just enough that the struts don't drop in under load, put the wheels back on, reset the alignment machine runout, then set camber. But most will move.

[This message has been edited by cmechmann (edited 07-21-2015).]

Thanks for those replies. Looks as if the consensus advice is - camber bolts are nice to have, but not vital. I'll do some online research to see if i can source a pair.

Meanwhile I have just checked the original rear struts on my car: clearly they just have standard bolts - so assuming they come out all right, we could if necessary simply re-use them.

Patrick mentioned the springs. Good point. If I'm replacing the struts I guess there is an argument for replacing the springs too. But what are the part numbers? Rock Auto doesn't list them at all (at any rate I have been unable to find them on the site). The Fiero Store lists standard springs only for the 84-87 (and the 88s are apparently different). Everywhere else, including a search on Pennocks, turns up lots of stuff about lowered springs/coilovers, but I can't find anything which tells me what the OEM spring replacements are, who makes them, and where I might obtain a pair. Can anyone provide the part number(s) or the tech spec as I think I may have to try to find them here in the UK.

quote Originally posted by br1anstorm: Patrick mentioned the springs. Good point. If I'm replacing the struts I guess there is an argument for replacing the springs too.

Oh hell, your springs are probably fine! Unless of course your car was sitting too low, or was sagging in one corner or at one end.

The original factory struts/shocks offered no resistance on compression, only on the rebound. Replacement struts/shocks will offer resistance going both ways. You'll no doubt find that your original springs are still plenty stiff enough, especially with the new struts/shocks now offering resistance on compression.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 07-22-2015).]

quote Originally posted by Patrick: Oh hell, your springs are probably fine! Unless of course your car was sitting too low, or was sagging in one corner or at one end. The original factory struts/shocks offered no resistance on compression, only on the rebound. Replacement struts/shocks will offer resistance going both ways. You'll no doubt find that your original springs are still plenty stiff enough, especially with the new struts/shocks now offering resistance on compression.

Thanks Patrick. That's reassuring. My car isn't sitting low or sagging. It hasn't done high mileage, nor been hammered on rough roads. There's some superficial rust, but the car hasn't been used on salty winter roads. So you're probably right, the springs should be OK.

My only reasons for contemplating a change were (a) the slight possibility that after 27 years the springs may be suffering a little metal fatigue; and (b) if we're going to the trouble and effort of replacing the struts - and redoing the alignment - then why not seize the opportunity and put in new springs at the same time? Of course this depends totally on whether, and where, I might find a new pair of the pesky things!

quote Originally posted by br1anstorm: So you're probably right, the springs should be OK.

Because I've autocrossed two different Fieros the last five years, I've had springs in and out of both cars many times. However, I've got say that the original factory springs in all four Fieros I've daily driven (as well as autocrossed) have been just fine.

I see you're in Scotland. Whereabouts? My dad was born in Paisley.

quote Originally posted by Patrick: .......I see you're in Scotland. Whereabouts? My dad was born in Paisley.

A long way further north - in the Highlands. I live near Inverness. Small world, though - I have cousins in BC (in Vernon and in Surrey).

quote Originally posted by br1anstorm: A long way further north - in the Highlands. I live near Inverness. Small world, though - I have cousins in BC (in Vernon and in Surrey).

Surrey is just a gun-shot away from here , and your cousin in Vernon must like the heat (in summer).