"The wheels are 17 X 7
Tires are: Yokohama AVS 100
FRT - 215/45 - 17
Rear - 235/45 - 17"

Now is the time to get that aggressive alignment, negative camber say - 2 degree! Throw in some inboard and outboard toe, set the front tire pressure to 34 psi and the rear to 40 psi, slap-on some letters and numbers and you my friend are ready for your first autocross event.

Just kidding, it looks great. I been there done that sio I know first hand on what it takes.
Good luck and it keeps looking better everytime I read this.

Speaking of agressive alignment, Solo2, I'll be trying out your daily driver autox specs when I get my suspension back together. Just in time for Run For The Hills.

I'm looking for slightly more agressvie settings than stock, but I don't want to chew my tires up. I drive agressively, but I don't autox my car. If you have other specific recommendations, feel free to PM me or post them.

Thanks!

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quote Originally posted by opm2000: A very informative and well done bit of work, Zoom88. I was really pleased to see that an '88 front wheel bearing can be repacked. Can you give us some direction on just how you "carefully remove the dust cover" ? David Breeze

Thank You, just a reminder so everything is clear. Repacking a bad bearing will not help it !!!
No real tricks here. My goal was just to not bend up the lip of the cap, even if you do bend it slightly it can be bent back down once its reinstalled. It is basically just like removing a regular wheel bearing cap.
I took a flat metal scrapper or putty knife sharpened the edge slightly. I then just tapped it along the seam at the edge of the cap
all the way around a little at a time until it started to open. When I got enough gap I switched to a wide flat screw driver. You could probably accomplish the same thing with just a thin blade flat screw driver.
I used a thin layer of High temp red silicone to reseal it.

quote Originally posted by Zoom88:

How do you get to that sway bar bushing to swap it out? Do you have to drop the crossmember or anything?

"How do you get to that sway bar bushing to swap it out? Do you have to drop the crossmember or anything?"

The answer is No.
First, remove both wheels. Second, remove completely both endlinks. Thrid, unbolt the sway bar bushings, by moving the sway bar a little. If you need move sway bar movement, you have to remove both tie rod links that is attached to the rotor assembly to give you more sway bar movement. When insalling the tie rods include new codder pins. Actually you now can remove the entire sway bar at this step.

Reason I know this, just two months ago, upgraded to the larger 32mm front sway bar vs. the standard 28mm sway bar. Upgrading includes adding larger diameter greasable sway bar bushings.
Good Luck
Solo2

quote Originally posted by Solo2: Thrid, unbolt the sway bar bushings, by moving the sway bar a little.

I guess my question is how do you get to that upper sway bar bushing bolt?

Easy, refering to mine. I redrilled to 3/8" dia, grade 8 bolts. Fronts were 3/4" length and backs were 1" lengths with trimmed USS flat washers to fit washer upagainst bracket.

In order to remove / install that bolt it is necessary to pivot it in by moving the bracket and sway bar at the same time. The front bolts are the first to be installed and last to take out. Using a wrench that has been trimmed down a little and a socket on the nut side near the rad. will do the trick. It is tight but works, just like my flowmaster exhaust. It takes time but can be done.

Remember, I have installed and removed my sway bar three times now. All with that greasable bushiing.

quote Originally posted by Zoom88: Ok lets install the front wheel hub/bearing. Slide it in as shown in pic below. You will notice that the hub itself has 3 holes in it. The larger hole is the one you use to install the 3 bolts. Rotate it around until it lines up with a hole in the steering knuckle, slip a bolt through the hole in the hub and screw it into the steering knuckle. Note: screw bolt all the way down until snug or when you go to turn the hub for the next bolt the head of the bolt you just installed will hit the back of the wheel studs. Once all bolts are in tighten them up. Check out the pics below for more visual.

I just keep coming back to this thread. Man, you did a GREAT job on this. It's a really great reference!
Now, I do have a question, though. I see how you're installing the new front hub, but any suggestions for removing the old one?
Everything I've found in the archives suggests it will be rusted to the spindle and to either take the knuckle to a machine shop and have it pressed out to hitting it with a BFH. I'm going to be replacing my wheel bearing hub this weekend. I've got a good used bearing in my old damaged spindle and I'm going to move it to the new spindle. Turns out that "12k" mile wheel hub was bad. But at least the spindle was good.

Any suggestions?

Zoom,

I don't know how I missed this post, but OH MY... SOO WELLL DONE.....

Incredible attention to detail, VERY well documented (pics)... A + for you man......

When I rebult my suspension, I didn't do anything with the rack. only the ball joints, bushings, spring, and struts. The info you posted gave me a little more comfidence that I did everything right. So thank you. I wish my Formula was as clean as your ..... damn, that thing looks like a show car!!!

I do feel quite proud of what accomplished though.... not to hijack this thread but I did want to show you a before and after. Mind you I have only had the car for about 2 years and have already done a ton of work to it just to keep it runnin ok, so my progress is slow. I can only hope that one day mine looks as clean as your does!
Anyway.... Before:

And After:

Like I said I wanted to keep it short cause I don't want to hijack you, and you can see mine is NOWHERE near as clean as your, but i am proud none the less.
I put on poly bushings, Koni struts, Fiero store loweing springs, and Rodneys ball joints...

Zoom... You are an inspiration to me........A+

Lee

[This message has been edited by intlcutlass (edited 10-08-2004).]

quote Originally posted by intlcutlass: Zoom, I don't know how I missed this post, but OH MY... SOO WELLL DONE..... Incredible attention to detail, VERY well documented (pics)... A + for you man...... When I rebult my suspension, I didn't do anything with the rack. only the ball joints, bushings, spring, and struts. The info you posted gave me a little more comfidence that I did everything right. So thank you. I wish my Formula was as clean as your ..... damn, that thing looks like a show car!!! I do feel quite proud of what accomplished though.... not to hijack this thread but I did want to show you a before and after. Mind you I have only had the car for about 2 years and have already done a ton of work to it just to keep it runnin ok, so my progress is slow. I can only hope that one day mine looks as clean as your does! Like I said I wanted to keep it short cause I don't want to hijack you, and you can see mine is NOWHERE near as clean as your, but i am proud none the less. I put on poly bushings, Koni struts, Fiero store loweing springs, and Rodneys ball joints... Zoom... You are an inspiration to me........A+ Lee

I appreciate the kind words.
And I do not mind you posting pics of your work. It looks good.
What is your impression of the Fiero Stores drop springs ?
Just have patients !!! I have been working on my car for 4 years now.
I still have alot of work to do, I will be changing out the side scoops in the near future and adding the
trans am/ firebird vents to the front fenders. I think they will go good with my new hood vents.
Hey keep me posted on your progress , I don't mind if you Email me some pics every now and then.
And if you need any help with anything just let me know.

[This message has been edited by Zoom88 (edited 10-08-2004).]

quote Originally posted by Zoom88: What is your impression of the Fiero Stores drop springs ?

I had read elsewhere that over time some of them have sagged.I don't know if the manufacture has fixed this issue, but I had also read somewhere on this board that one guy who had this happn to him , called the Fiero store, and they sent him another pair free of charge. I don't know this for sue now, but it seems plausable.
Mine haven't done that yet, still sits perfect. The ride is MUCH stiffer, but I also think a lot of that is the Koni's. I am very pleased with them so far. I had just read too many storys about Held's spindles, and $500+ was just too much for me to gamble with.

By the way ... nice wheels... Here's mine prior to the new springs... I just wanted to see how short they were:

See any similarities?

quote Originally posted by intlcutlass: By the way ... nice wheels... Here's mine prior to the new springs... I just wanted to see how short they were: See any similarities?

I think I have seen those wheels once or twice !! That was some serious gap you had there !!

I hate threads like this! It just points out more work I need to do to my GT!

Seriously, great write up and good pics! I have almost everything to rebuild my '87 GT this winter. Threads and forum members like you are a great insperation. Thanks!

quote Originally posted by Convertable Indy: I hate threads like this! It just points out more work I need to do to my GT! Seriously, great write up and good pics! I have almost everything to rebuild my '87 GT this winter. Threads and forum members like you are a great insperation. Thanks!

I appreciate your kind words as well as everyone elses, and as I have said before if it helps even 1 person with there car it is worth the effort. And I can definatly say the same ! There are several members on the forum that have given me the inspiration to try and do some of the things I have done to my car. (such as the Rockcrawl hood vent install just to name one) That is one of the many great benefits of this forum !!! Also at risk of being accused of sucking up, I know its a fact that without this forum my car would not even be close to where it is today !! I can't even imagine what it would be like if I had to figure out everything for myself !!! And don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem like stupid ones (I was just recently accused of asking a stupid question) but never be afraid to ask a question just because your afraid someone may give you some heat over it.

Well Zoom you are getting clossser to me.
Ohhh no!
I did upgrade to the larger sway bars. Now it is your time to do the same.
Looks good everytime I read this post.
Glad the info was helpful.
Solo2

quote Originally posted by Solo2: Well Zoom you are getting clossser to me. Ohhh no! I did upgrade to the larger sway bars. Now it is your time to do the same. Looks good everytime I read this post. Glad the info was helpful. Solo2

All your info has been helpful, but I think I'm done with the suspension !
If I were to race though I'm sure I would be hunting down some of those sway bars !!!
How you been doing with the racing anyway ?

quote Originally posted by Torch-Red87: My front end fixture right know !. Everthing will be new painted ,overhault ,and fixed for my new project .

Willkommen, Torch-Red87! Ich war zwei jahre in Erlangen; der zweite zeit ich war im Deutschland, ich nur zwei wochen bleiben. Ich traurig haben...

GREAT write-up on this thread; (sigh) I too have a lot of work to do...

Tony

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"He who does not oppose evil, commands that it be done!" ----Leonardo da Vinci

[This message has been edited by Vonov (edited 10-09-2004).]

quote Originally posted by Zoom88: I had no trouble removing the hubs from the spindles. They were not rusted on, I think I just pried them out with a screw driver. Maybe I was just lucky but I don't think you will have any problems. The ones I removed had 165,000 miles on them !!

I figured out an easy way to remove rusted wheel hubs. I started a new thread over in technical so I wouldn't hijack your thread any more.
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/056279.html