I should not of used the word copy ... but rather based on ..... RCR's ..... too bad you arent makin these I would of paid your price ....
Danyel
would you piss off already.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
Originally posted by Danyel: I should not of used the word copy ... but rather based on ..... RCR's ..... too bad you arent makin these I would of paid your price .... Danyel
But you did use copy as a means to justify your intentions.... and this simply isn't a creditable statement.
RCR did post about a 13" (front only) kit for the 88. His used mustang rotor and camaro/corvette calipers, so the bracket design will be completely different (there general shape isn't even the same). My kit is for all 4 corners, doesn't alter the factory bias and comes with a working parking brake solution. But the most important fact here is that my kit was in development and posted 1 year before his... So according to you I am also a time traveler.
But you did use copy as a means to justify your intentions.... and this simply isn't a creditable statement.
RCR did post about a 13" (front only) kit for the 88. His used mustang rotor and camaro/corvette calipers, so the bracket design will be completely different (there general shape isn't even the same). My kit is for all 4 corners, doesn't alter the factory bias and comes with a working parking brake solution. But the most important fact here is that my kit was in development and posted 1 year before his... So according to you I am also a time traveler.
After reading back all the comments you made recently and reading mine I do agree with you .... I guess my french impedes my explanation towards your accusations of copying your design .... but I'll try to be more ENGLISH .... you are NOT the first to build a kit of 13inch rotors using 88 fiero calipers... right? So I was trying to figure out why you were accusing me of copying your kit?? As you were not making them and since another member was making brackets I clearly asked him if he could make those 13inch with 88 caliper brackets.... then you said in your previous commments being pi$$ed at some people for trying to make those available... right ? So why is it wrong to make something available again by using your design if YOURS arent available ?? I PM'd you how may times asking to buy yours .... 5 or six times ..... but same answer GOT NONE and NOT MAKIN THEM. I am not here to piss anybody off specially you as I am a super fan of your products... and I respect your designs .....
Originally posted by ericjon262: Guru, you linked the same thread twice.
Thanks for noticing that, they are fixed now.
quote
Originally posted by Danyel: After reading back all the comments you made recently and reading mine I do agree with you .... I guess my french impedes my explanation towards your accusations of copying your design .... but I'll try to be more ENGLISH .... you are NOT the first to build a kit of 13inch rotors using 88 fiero calipers... right? So I was trying to figure out why you were accusing me of copying your kit?? As you were not making them and since another member was making brackets I clearly asked him if he could make those 13inch with 88 caliper brackets.... then you said in your previous commments being pi$$ed at some people for trying to make those available... right ? So why is it wrong to make something available again by using your design if YOURS arent available ?? I PM'd you how may times asking to buy yours .... 5 or six times ..... but same answer GOT NONE and NOT MAKIN THEM. I am not here to piss anybody off specially you as I am a super fan of your products... and I respect your designs .....
regards Danyel
I guess I am going to have to rewind a little and walk you through it to refresh your memory… You finally buy and 88... and start a thread about it in early Oct 2015 and list all the things you plan to do to it. Item 17 is “13 inch Big Brakes” https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/095993.html
Originally posted by Danyel 10-24-2015 06:58 PM: Fieroguru use to make the 13 inch using the fiero calipers without any mods just brackets .... these had a dog bone shape maybe look up this old sale thread ... many are wanting these ... me included. I do have your 12 inch kit but behind 18's they still look small .... let me know . regards Danyel
Then within minutes are back in my 13” brake kit thread https://www.fiero.nl/forum/F...4/HTML/060122-6.html and post something… but who know what it was because it was edited on 11/11/2015 to remove the comment/question. You could say that I ignored whatever it was you posted in this thread and that would be fact!
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 10-24-2015 07:06 PM: ...
Originally posted by Danyel 11-11-2015 06:16 PM: Fieroguru used to make these 13'' swap .... using the OEM 88 calipers
I finally respond to all this with:
quote
Originally posted by fieroguru 11-11-2015 08:13 PM:
And... I do not condone someone copying my kit or others lobbying for it to be copied...
quote
Originally posted by Danyel11-11-2015 08:21 PM : Show's your professionalism and sense of devotion to this forum THANK YOU GURU !!!
And you followed it up a few hours later with:
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 11-11-2015 11:57 PM: I'd would say check with ... 2004 subaru sti front rotors 12.84" or 98 Cobra Mustang Front 13" rotor used a PBR 38x38mm calipers and 99+ Cobra Mustang Fronts 13" rotor used a PBR 40x40mm calipers I'd be leaning toward the cobra side ... with 13' a bit of trimming needs to be done to the 88 caliper for it to sit properly ... not a big modification..
By this time, you and your posts have made your intentions very clear…
The next day the other vendor posts in the same thread: “With the help of a few forum members I think we have narrowed down the correct rotor. won't know for sure until I get my hands on one.”
Originally posted by Danyel 01-20-2016 10:38 PM : Got some more parts for the "Vert" now waiting on some adapters for the 13 inch brakes .... more soon
That generates a question from another member…
quote
Where you getting the 13 Inch brake adapters from? With fiero guru still not up and running. Or are you doing a whole brake set up with different calipers too?
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 01-23-2016 10:46 AM : Hello I am presently working with a PFF member to get these done ..... Will post very soon in the mall the product.... thx Danyel
I saw the post above and had an opportunity to respond to the same person in my Fieroguru Performance is closed thread about me selling the designs of my products. https://www.fiero.nl/forum/F...1/HTML/094817-2.html While I clearly state my dissatisfaction of the actions of several PFF members, I give them all the courtesy of not naming any of them.
quote
Originally posted by fieroguru 01-23-2016 02:04 PM : I shut Fieroguru Performance down when I relocated, because I could not live up to my own standards of being a part-time vendor. Having had 5 different addresses in the last 15 months... I made the right decision, but now we own a house with a sufficient garage and I am working to get everything setup to get back to get back to messing with Fieros.
However, I am at a crossroads... Do I restart Fieroguru Performance? Or choose to keep it closed and keep all my R&D efforts restricted to my personal Fiero projects and close friends?
What made me an exceptional part-time vendor was my educational background and vast hands-on skill set, commitment to good designs, dedication to exceptional customer experience and communication, and quick delivery of purchased product. This took a huge amount of effort, time, and expense on my part, but the end result were some very creative, unique, and effective products and very happy and often repeat customers. In the 13 years I have been a member here, I would like to believe that I have established myself as a highly respected and creditable member for those who have followed my work and contributions or those who I have helped in some manner.
My 13" brake kit has been reproduced (without my permission) by a member of this forum with the help of one of my previous customers. Fortunately, this member hasn't publicly shared any key information to my brake kit when the questions have been asked (and I respect him for that!). However, there are also two other part-time vendors (one is a previous customer) that are actively working to figure out the needed information to replicate this kit as well. Additionally, a couple of members have posted their intent to replicate my Lateral Link Relocation kit as well.
I understand that them doing this isn't illegal, and they justify it by "providing a service to the community", but I do view these actions as very disrespectful... and they really piss me off!
So for a while I have questioned why should I continue or restart? Why should I take the time/effort/$$$ to develop more unique products? Why should I continue to be a part of this community?
So I am in a holding pattern of sorts, taking the wait and see approach, before I decide on which path to take.
About 6 posts down in the same thread:
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 01-23-2016 09:38 PM:
Guru Still wanting to buy your 13inch hardware kit without rotors ....say when Paypal ready regards Danyel
However, again this message was edited the same day and unfortunately I didn’t copy it in its original form. In your original post you chose to self-identify as one of the vendors working to bring my 13” back to the market as a "service to the community". Apparently after you saw all comments below yours agreeing with my stance that the conduct of those copying my products was disrespectful, you decided to go back and edit the post to present yourself as an innocent by-stander who just wants my 13” kit. This is especially comical when just 12 hrs earlier you were posting that you were working with a vendor on a 13” kit and it would be for sale in the mall soon… You probably forgot to edit that post!
The next day you post this to my LS4/F40 build thread… and I do intentionally ignore it, because I read both of your original posts the prior day and don't consider it to be genuine.
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 01-24-2016 06:33 PM: I would second that ... I want the VERT riding on 13's this summer ... THX for any updates regards Danyel
Followed by this a couple of weeks later:
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 02-08-2016 11:31 PM : @Guru any decision taken ... I'm really wanting 13 inch brakes .... and spring is at our doors ... thanks for any updates .. regards Danyel
quote
Originally posted by fieroguru 02-09-2016 02:37 PM: If you need a 13" kit before spring, then buy the 13" Viper Rotor kit for the 88 Fiero from WCF... it is that simple. Last kit on the page: http://www.westcoastfiero.com/brakes/13/index.php It is a little more expensive, but both kits use 13" rotors of comparable weight as well as the stock 88 fiero calipers. So once installed, I doubt anyone could tell the difference from the drivers seat. Problem solved.
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 02-09-2016 10:02 PM: Thanks for the link.... really wanted to buy yours .... I've decided to make my own ... regards Danyel
Based on all this back and forth for the last several months I ask:
quote
Originally posted by fieroguru 02-09-2016 10:26 PM: Is it going to be a kit of your own design, or are you back to working on a copy of my kit?
Now if no one was aware of your 1/23 posts where you posted you were bringing a 13” kit to market and self-identified to bringing my kit back to the market, you could say that I outed your intentions to copy my kit with this question… but is was simply a question. You could have easily said no, you were going to R&D a new/unique 13” kit, or said that you were going to support one of the other vendors and buy their kit… but you originally responded with:
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 02-11-2016 12:32 PM: I dont think there are 1000 ways to make a bracket to hold 88 calipers to a 13 inch disk .... copy nope .... but yes I will base my brackets on some of your pics.... will resale HELL NO too much liability issues .... and your brackets are a copy of someone elses design... by the way.
Hope that doesnt pi$$ ya off but I did find with the help of my brother (manager at NAPA) which disk you were using...
regards Danyel
Then later the same day revise it to state:
quote
Originally posted by Danyel 02-11-2016 12:32 PM: I dont think there are hundreds of ways to make a bracket that holds 88 calipers to a 13 inch Buick rotor ....Copy your kit NOPE .... but yes I will base my brackets on some of your pics.... will i do Resale... HELL NO too much liability issues .... and your brackets are a copy of someone elses design... by the way. I've been sending you many request to buy you kit for my VERT and you always said Got none and wont till maybe 2016 or later. .... buy from WCF nope either.
Hope that doesnt pi$$ ya off but I did find with the help of my brother (manager at NAPA) which disk you were using that way It will have the look I always wanted.... will I share my finding... NOPE ... dont have the need to....... that way I wont be accused of plagarising your kit...
regards Danyel
It is interesting that on 1/23 you are telling others to watch the mall for a 13” brake kit coming soon and that you are bring my 13” kit back, but now you say you have no intentions of reselling…
That pretty much brings us back up to speed so let’s revisit your last post:
quote
Originally posted by Danyel: After reading back all the comments you made recently and reading mine I do agree with you .... I guess my french impedes my explanation towards your accusations of copying your design .... but I'll try to be more ENGLISH .... you are NOT the first to build a kit of 13inch rotors using 88 fiero calipers... right? So I was trying to figure out why you were accusing me of copying your kit?? As you were not making them and since another member was making brackets I clearly asked him if he could make those 13inch with 88 caliper brackets.... then you said in your previous commments being pi$$ed at some people for trying to make those available... right ? So why is it wrong to make something available again by using your design if YOURS arent available ?? I PM'd you how may times asking to buy yours .... 5 or six times ..... but same answer GOT NONE and NOT MAKIN THEM. I am not here to piss anybody off specially you as I am a super fan of your products... and I respect your designs ..... regards Danyel
The issue here isn’t your French or English.
I didn’t accuse you of anything. You have been posting about your intentions for several months. You self-identified your intentions to bring a 13” kit to market as well as bring my kit back. Only after you stated you were going to build your own kit did I ask you a direct question about copying my kit… your answer again made your intentions very clear.
There are a few versions of brake kits that use 88 Fiero calipers… nothing special about that, and quite frankly that is the easiest and lowest cost way you build a brake kit that retains stock brake bias and a functioning parking brake. But as proven in your own quoted and linked post… you have been after my unique rotor application and either encouraging others to use that rotor to develop a kit or you were going to do it yourself.
If my products are not available, buy someone else’s – that is how you “punish” vendors for not supplying parts… there are several readily available options from others… and you will likely end up spending more to replicate my kit… so what is driving the obsession to use mine?
As shown above you have PM’d me 1 time about buying them, not 5 or 6. You had other posts about them, some directed at me, others were not.
I never said I didn’t have any, I said I wasn’t selling them. For the last year I have had about 27 hardware kits in stock for this brake kit (along with inventory for all my other products). Most of this time they were buried in a storage unit, but for the last 2 months they have been sitting on a shelf.
I have not taken the time to establish my LLC in the State of IL, get a new tax ID number, or get my business fully operational again… right now I have other more important priorities. And as I posted in the Fieroguru Performance is closed thread… I am still on the fence as to what I will do in the future… Your actions are certainly not encouraging me to start selling my parts any time soon… if ever.
Now go do whatever you feel is appropriate and leave my LS4/F40 thread alone.
Wow must of taken you alot of time to track down COPY PASTE this whole thing .... BRAVO ... aint worth my time trying to explain my back and forth direction for wanting desperately a kit. for I wasnt happy with the look of the 12inch kit I bought.. I'll just go ahead and build my own brackets (will post pics in my thread) so I can bolt my 88 calipers to my BUICK rear rotors and ENJOY MY VERT.... ... as for your brackets that have been sitting on a shelf ...many members want a set ... GLWYS ...... and get out of your thread? F'N yess ... no problemo ....
I wanted to ask what you thought would be easier. I am looking at buying a Fiero with a HIPO engine, 5 speed , brake upgrade etc. Every ( and I mean every, body panel has been removed to facilitate a restoration. Interior out also.( Roof panel also) All mechanics are in. It comes with all the body parts, which would need to be assembled, then painted.
Then I was thinking I might be able to buy a very nice stock 87 -88 gt for a few grand ( under 3 it seems, and just swap out the engine, brakes etc. What Im asking ie, in your opinion, which would be easier and more cost effective, assuming the body id excellent? Thanks, for your time. Mike Clancy ( customer)
Wow must of taken you alot of time to track down COPY PASTE this whole thing .... BRAVO ... aint worth my time trying to explain my back and forth direction for wanting desperately a kit. for I wasnt happy with the look of the 12inch kit I bought.. I'll just go ahead and build my own brackets (will post pics in my thread) so I can bolt my 88 calipers to my BUICK rear rotors and ENJOY MY VERT.... ... as for your brackets that have been sitting on a shelf ...many members want a set ... GLWYS ...... and get out of your thread? F'N yess ... no problemo ....
regards Danyel
Some things are simply worth putting in the time needed, but that isn't something I expect you to understand...
Like the willingness to spend countless hours checking rotor key dimensions vs. the workable dimension range (I spent hours determining) to find this rotor, all the while not knowing if this seemingly endless search would be fruitful. Most would have given up after 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 hrs, but I stuck with it even after I had a few workable options so see if there was anything better. I will likely do it again in the coming years as new rotor options are created every single year!
Slapping on a rotor from another application and making whatever mods to the lower control arm, upper control arm, shock mount or adding spacers for the needed clearance... simply isn't the same thing...
You knew the rotor existing, knew the OD, and even had a picture of it... that is a 20 minute search... and you are taking pride in accomplishing feat. This is just one of the fundamental differences between us...
I wanted to ask what you thought would be easier. I am looking at buying a Fiero with a HIPO engine, 5 speed , brake upgrade etc. Every ( and I mean every, body panel has been removed to facilitate a restoration. Interior out also.( Roof panel also) All mechanics are in. It comes with all the body parts, which would need to be assembled, then painted.
Then I was thinking I might be able to buy a very nice stock 87 -88 gt for a few grand ( under 3 it seems, and just swap out the engine, brakes etc. What Im asking ie, in your opinion, which would be easier and more cost effective, assuming the body id excellent? Thanks, for your time. Mike Clancy ( customer)
That is a very tough question and there isn't really enough information to properly answer, and the answer is really different for each person.
The best way is to detail out all the items you want on your car in its final state and assign the cost for each and factor in shipping and labor if needed. Then start looking for cars that have portions of what you want and compare them with the rest of the items on your list and look for the lowest total cost option. Many times it is better to pay more for a lower mile car with good paint and interior than buy a cheaper car that needs work in these areas. Painting is expensive, rust repair is expensive and most DIY's don't do it properly, and restoring or upgrading the interior can be expensive as well. However, if you wont be using the stock body panels, interior or will be cutting/modifying the chassis anyway... then you might not want to pay more for items you wont use. In that case, find a car with a rust free chassis -
The one caveat to buying a work in progress is the quality of the work and if you will need to redo it. An example... lots of people rave about POR15 for the chassis and engine bay... but I have worked on several Fieros where that was done and it pealed off in large sheets. POR15 only properly sticks to rusted metal... So if it wasn't a rust bucket to start with and they didn't take the time to sand the entire coated surface down to bare metal, then etch and intentionally rust it (POR sells products to do this), then it will not stick.
2nd example... buying an engine swapped car is a crap shoot. It all depends on the preplanning of the swap, quality of the parts used, skill/knowledge of the installer, and attention to detail. I reworked a swap once that had probably 20K in name brand performance parts, but they used standard bolts to hold the mounts to the Getrag transmission case. installed the wrong header gaskets (round vs square) and had primary leaks on 6 of the 8 primaries, but most importantly the car had 500 miles on the engine and when I pulled the oil pan the pickup came with it... The previous owner had spent a small fortune building doing this swap himself, but didn't have the skill to do it right and make it reliable. So if the swap doesn't have thousands of miles on it (5K +) go into the deal checking everything... engine swapped fieros are a blast to drive, so most people enjoy driving them, so the fully sorted and reliable swaps have more than a few hundred miles on them.
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 02-13-2016).]
Guru I fully understand the R&D that goes into making a new product safe and reliable and I also know that just like you I do long hours of work to make an new item available to members. It was NEVER my intent to piss you off I just wanted the damn 13in kit and you did not have them available ..... yep I did go the wrong way to get a set and at first was NOT my intent to making em available until I got dozens of PMs askng me when will they be available to buy..... If you decide to start the production on them then GOOD for you. I would buy a hardware kit in a heart beat but you arent makin them available... I will make my own based on YOUR design because they are EXACTLY what I need .... I repeat NEVER WAS IT TO PISS YOU OFF OR STEAL YOUR DESIGN....
this is my last comment in you wonderful F40 thread in which I also own one of those trannys ... and lookin forward to reading more on your developments ..... hope you will understand my point of view in desperately wanting a13in kit....and do apologize for any grief given.... greatest regards Danyel
Honored to be mentioned with the likes of Fieroguru, even if incorrectly. I'm all about DIY, not making a profit, but I'm not here to reproduce other's work when it affects there life, that's one reason I never mentioned the rotors used in his kit. I hope for the good of our "club" that Fieroguru can find it in himself, the time, and the worth, to bring his parts back to our market. To anyone that wants to copy it for whatever reason, you do have to live with yourself.
For the past many weeks, I have been putting my garage back together with benches, shelves, tools, and as well as pulling out my inventory. While this garage is larger than my old one, the wife wants to actually use it to park her car inside in the winter, so my focus has been to maximize the use of the available space. I also had 220V wired into both bays for the compressor, welder, vertical mill, and band saw.
I also like bright work areas, so the garage got a super simple lighting upgrade. Since the fixtures were single bulb ceramic and rated for a lot more than 100W, I found some 200W bulbs that put out over 3500 lumens. So for about $12 the main garage bay is very bright! Many of the after pic where shot at night with the doors down.
I do still need to add some additional lighting over the mill.
From this:
To this:
The other bay:
Storage areas between the beam and the back wall:
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 03-13-2016).]
The wife took the girls back to KY this weekend to visit some friends, so I have the run of the garage this weekend to knock out some customer orders as well as do some upgrades on my Fiero.
My goal this summer is to do more autocrossing with the local car club, so upgrades to the springs, wheels, and tires are all in order.
I had been running some cut down Chrysler cirrus springs (moog 7634) with something around a 360 lb/in range as installed... but I want something stiffer. So I am following Fierobsessed's lead and using the Moog 639 springs. I cut them down to 8 3/4" free length and should have a rate around 575 lb-in.
Springs went in w/o issue and front the first trip around the block, I think they will do the trick! The Koni's in front are set to full stiff, but I really need to get them revalved for the higher spring rate... maybe later this summer.
For the rear, I order 425 lb/in springs for my coilovers, but they haven't arrived yet... On the rear as well, the rod ends for the lateral links have worn after 3 years and 20+K miles, so I ordered a new set. Since these are 1/2" ID and the mounting bolts are M12, there is about 0.032" of slop between the bolt and the rod end. To close up the gap, I found some aluminum sleeve material that has 0.016" wall thickness and 1/2" OD from McMaster.com (7237K39) for $4.55 + shipping.
The sleeve slides into the rod end and allows the M12 bolt to pass through it too!
Using a tubing cutter with the bolt inside the tube to support it, I was able to cut the 8 sleeves (4 are installed in the pic below):
Saturday I am planning to swap in the new rod ends...
I also swapped out the trailing links with a fresh painted set with new Rodney rubber bushings. Here is the old one - original 1988 bushing...
All done:
After a short test drive, I am quite pleased. No more rattles from the rear links! Sub 50 degree temps and the 245 tires are no match for the power in 1st or 2nd gear.
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 03-20-2016).]
Today, I swapped out the fan relay. The fan relay set a DTC. Lucky for me my daily commute has less than 3 miles of non-interstate at each end, plus the cooling system is overkill. So I drove it for several days w/o the fan working w/o it ever even getting to 200 degrees. With a new relay, the fan is back working, so I drove it around town for about an hour running to get more stuff for the garage.
The LS4/F40 swap has been bullet proof reliable for the past 3 years with the exception of 2 items. 1: Getrag Select Cable used as a Shift Cable - broke the cable twice - redesigned the bracket to use a stock Isuzu Shift cable - been working great for 2+ years, so it is no longer a concern. 2: Belt tensioner - I have broke this tensioner twice, once while sitting in the driveway, the other while driving on the interstate. The "issue" is I added a spacer to shift the pulley further from the tensioner body. This extra spacer length is overstressing the the pulley bracket leading to a premature failure at some point...
Stock pulley spacing:
My setup:
The eventual result:
There isn't much material in the bracket... which is part of the problem:
So one of my next projects is to disassemble a new tensioner and make a new pulley bracket for it with a significant amount more material thickness. Once that is done, it shouldn't break again.
The tensioner is just pressed together, so with some properly sized sockets and a vice, it comes right apart:
Here is the part than needs to be remade:
A 2x3x12 bar of 6061 aluminum has been ordered and will be here in a few days!
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 03-20-2016).]
hi Guru! Nice to see you are back at it! Garage looks great; I will have to go back and get caught up. I assume at some point you will get back into production of parts for the LS4 and F40... If it is in recent posts then I will find it. Better weather and a lot of things out of the way means I am getting back at it, too. GP
Do you have instructions for that Kent Moore J-36419 tool for castor / camber? I have a pair, but wanted to see if you had advice or instructions for use? Any pointers for this tool?
Do you have instructions for that Kent Moore J-36419 tool for castor / camber? I have a pair, but wanted to see if you had advice or instructions for use? Any pointers for this tool?
They didn't come with any instructions. When I do alignments, I take the wheels off and let the car rest on the rotors on blocks. Then you install the tools on both ends of the upper a-arms and snug them to the chassis. Loosen the a-arm bolts. I use a couple of magnetic digital angle finders. One on the face of the rotor (camber), the other on the upper flat of the tie rod arm or the vertical surface of the upper ball joint surface (caster). I try to dial in as much caster as I can get on both sides while making the caster and camber match from side to side. Once you have the caster & camber set, then you adjust toe.
Use the tool on the front side of the cross shaft to push the leading edge of the cross shaft as far from the chassis as possible to increase caster and reduce negative camber. At the rear having the bolt as close to the chassis increases caster while increasing negative camber. Normally I start with the front bolt moved to the outer most position of the slot and the rear bolt at the inner most portion. Check both sides to see which has the lowest value of caster. Then on that side use the adjusters to adjust the camber while trying to keep the camber maximized. Once you have one side done, make the other side match.
Another way to think about it is by focusing on the ball joint end of the upper a-arm. You want it as far to the rear of the chassis as possible to maximize caster, while keeping it at the needed lateral distance from the side of the front frame rails to have the proper camber (-1 degree or so). So you adjust the tools at each end until you get the desired measurements.
I am a pack rat... acceptance is the first step right?
The 425 lb rear spring finally arrived:
So did the aluminum bar for the tension. The problem was that the rotary table was at the very back of the 10x40 storage unit. My wife as been on me to get out of that unit (45 miles from the house) and get into a smaller/cheaper one a few blocks from the house. So she got me a 10x7 unit and today I started moving crap into it. 1 of my wooden work benches, 3 88 rear cradles, 2 88 front suspensions, Isuzu 5 speed, 92-94 HTOB getrag, 2002 Maxima 6 speed, and a 6000 lb scissor lift are now in the new storage place... I still have a lot of panels, 20ish axles, 4 seats, and other crap that needs to go in there too... 10x7 might be a little too small.
But after two 90 mile round trips with the truck and trailer... I now have this ready and waiting for some free time... and the rotary table is quite heavy:
I also made the decision to bring my metal work bench and both LS4/4T65e-hd to the garage as well. This bay is now just a work bay, there isn't any room for even a fiero in there any more:
On Sunday, I will likely be on the road for 6 hrs to pick up a lawn mower. My International low boy mower with a 60" cut is too big for the new house, so I needed something smaller. I am cheap and like older stuff, so I have been on the hunt for a 32" Swisher Ride King/Big Mow from the early 80's. My grandfather had several of them and I spent many summers growing up mowing his place with that mower. It was one of the first zero turns as the front wheel does the driving and can be turned 360 degrees (you turn it 180 for reverse). Here is a sample pic of what it looks like.
Long day... picked up the mower. Here it is next to the LS4/F40 fiero. I think it has been restored at least once in its lifetime.
When I got back, I put fuel in it and mowed the grass (.37 acre). Then replaced the fuel line on the weed wacker and got it running again after not using it for 1.5 years. The trimmed along the house and the 4 neighbor fences (end of cul-de-sac lot - so the lot has 5 adjacent lots - 2 on the side, 3 along the back). Then sprayed those same areas with round up... did I mention I hate yard work.
It has only taken a year and half, but my 10x40 storage unit is just about empty. The desk I am giving to my mom, but have to wait 2 weeks until she gets her new hardwood floors. The trash can will likely be craigslisted as I just don't need it.
Not everything would fit in the garage (and still have room to do something in it), so what didn't fit was crammed into a 7x10 storage unit about 3 blocks from my house (the 10x40 is 45 miles away).
Sunday I need to clean/organize the garage and probably put more stuff in storage to get it out of my way.
That is a one cool mower. Good job on setting up your shop as quick as you did, I would have been a year behind you. It took me that long to find all my stuff from boxes and totes.
I have a question with regards possible engines for this swap. I have been following developments on this build for some time now and am almost ready to get serious about collecting parts for my own version.I have two 88,s which could be used as starting points. One GT and One Formula. Both are manual trans cars without air conditioning. The question is which version of the LS4 is going to make My life easier? 2006 and earlier or 2007 and later? Also would it be possible to to use an earlier LS1 control module on the earlier model engine and go back to a cable type throttle body. Since I plan on getting rid of the DOD anyway and changing the intake and exhaust manifolds I am not seeing a lot of down side to this plan at the moment.I know that I will have a bit more work as far as finding parts but the end result will hopefully be a simple easy to service installation.
I have a question with regards possible engines for this swap. I have been following developments on this build for some time now and am almost ready to get serious about collecting parts for my own version.I have two 88,s which could be used as starting points. One GT and One Formula. Both are manual trans cars without air conditioning. The question is which version of the LS4 is going to make My life easier? 2006 and earlier or 2007 and later? Also would it be possible to to use an earlier LS1 control module on the earlier model engine and go back to a cable type throttle body. Since I plan on getting rid of the DOD anyway and changing the intake and exhaust manifolds I am not seeing a lot of down side to this plan at the moment.I know that I will have a bit more work as far as finding parts but the end result will hopefully be a simple easy to service installation.
The 05 & 06 versions (24x) are simpler in that they are less "connected" to the BCM than the 07+ engines and easier to get some of the other features (like cruise control) working. The 05 and 06 ones could also be ran with one of the other 24x ecms in either cable or DBW.
Having done swaps with DBW and with cables... DBW is my preference by a significant margin.
Did some more work to the car. First I washed it, including the engine bay and front area. Then I got the phantom wipe after using the wipers to clear the windshield. Swapped out the wiper motor and it still does it. Think the cheapo turn stalk might be the cause.
I have to run a front plate, but my Fiero didn't have the bracket, so Raydar hooked me up with one that just need a little crack fixed. So I mixed up some epoxy, fixed the crack and then painted it flat back. On Sunday I will install it.
Moving on, the clutch master has been losing fluid recently. No drips, so figured it was the clutch master. It did give up a little fight with the line. But I fabbed up some heat shields to protect the harness and rubber items in the area and used a propane torch to heat up the fitting. Old one:
New one from Rodney! Very nice piece and install was quite simple.
Then I moved to the rear of the car and swapped out the 10" 275 lb/in springs for some 12" 425 lb/in springs. Only complicated thing was needed to turn off the weld bead so the sleeves could slide all the way down: Old springs:
Old vs. New:
Removing the weld bead:
Installed:
Back from test drive. With 575 lb/in springs up front and 425 lb/in springs in rear with the Konis on all corners set to full stiff... it handles quite nice. Ride is quite firm, but not really harsh, minimal body roll, squat, or dive. It no longer bottoms out on the rear over some of the larger road depressions, which is good as well. The rear is sitting about 3/8" lower than before, but I can raise it up in the next few days.
Before I put the rear springs on, I mocked up the rear suspension and used my Percy's Wheel Rite tool to verify a 18 x 9.5 45et wheel will fit. It looks to be close, but it should. So I sent an email to Tire Rack for a wheel and tire quote.
Wheels are Enkei Tuning Kojin in matte silver.
Tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 as the car is becoming more and more focused on autocrossing.
Front: 17x8 45et with 235/40/17 Rear 18x9.5 45et with 285/30/18
The front wheels and tires are a smidge wider than I would have preferred (7.5 and 225), but 8 and 235 are as close as I could get with these specific wheels and tires. All the more reason to get some rear flares and run a 305 or wider rear wheel!
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 04-16-2016).]
Wheels and tires specified above have been ordered from Tire Rack as a package. They will come mounted, balanced, and with the needed lug nuts, but won't arrive until mid-May. Wallet is still hurting a little...
Still working on some of the more minor upgrades as I get ready for the Hot Rod Power Tour. This weekend I worked a little on a power window/lock setup. The LS4/F40 car had hand crank windows. In my younger, thinner, more flexible years, I could reach over from the driver's seat and roll the passenger window down, but those days are long past...
Before anyone asks, I have zero interest in make a power window motor kit... I merely want these for my personal Fiero. I have a spare set of power window/lock doors from an 86 GT, so these will be the test subjects, then I will swap the guts to the doors on the LS4/F40 car.
Scissor cam with stock motor and replacement below:
To support the new motor shaft, I welded 3/16" shaft collar to the frame. The adapter bracket is 16ga steel and has 6 holes. 3 for the motor, 3 smaller ones for the frame. The shape of the adapter matches the stock mounting tabs, then is expanded to pickup the 1 motor mounting bolt that is above the cam. If you look closely at the frame, two of the bolts holes for the new motor land on the stock mounting tabs:
The bolt above the scissor cam is very close to the rib in the cam. I clearanced the button head bolt, but it still touches on the side so I will likely weld it in place.
Motor installed (I haven't installed the rivets in the small holes yet):
Now I need to reinstall and rig up a power source to check for fit and clearance to the main window rail.
My wheels and tires came in Monday and I installed them, verified the alignment and took it out for a test spin.
Front old/new (24.4"):
Rear old/new (24.8"):
Some clearance pics with a couple of notes: 1. the top of my struts are moved inboard 1" from the stock 88 location. 2. the rear mount for the lateral links are moved inboard 3/8" due to my lateral link relocation brackets.
Installed pics:
Camber was set to -0.7o in the front and -1.0o in the rear.
The rear center caps wont fit over the excess length of the CV stub shaft, so I will need to cut it shorter. I am on vacation from 5/14-5/22 with the sole purpose of getting the car ready for the HRPT. I will probably take the wheels off then to clean all the suspension parts and repaint the calipers and rotors since they will be more visible.
Overall I am pretty pleased with them. There is an autocross both days this weekend, but I don't know yet if I will have the free time to start wearing down the new tires!
I am now on vacation for the next week, so the primary activity for today was autocrossing to test out the new wheels and tires. I am very, very pleased! Between the stiffer springs (575/425), konis set to full stiff front/rear and the wheels and tires, the car holds the pavement quite well. I was able to take turns much faster than before. It is going to take me some time to get used to this new level of grip!
60+ cars showed up for the autocross today. Lots of fast cars and very good drivers (I am not one of them!). The only downside was the temp - 48 degrees during most of my runs... I did meet a another PFFr from Pekin and he rode with me for all my runs.
The course:
The cars:
The only Fiero:
The Fiero in action:
The Fiero in action - bloopers clip:
Fun times!
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 05-14-2016).]
Relocated the AR cruise module to the center tunnel area ahead of the shifter. I ended up building a newer/shorter harness and utilized the on/off switch on the stalk to enable/disable power to the relays. This way they only click when I press either the brake or clutch pedal when I have the cruise "on" vs. anytime the car is running.
Reworked the pedal bracket to give me more toe room and then painted everything:
Started fabbing up a bracket to hold my cell phone for GPS use above the aux gauges.
I also wanted to install one of the OEM sub enclosures with the Tang Band subwoofer. I don't like working with wood, so have started the process of making the end cap from 16 ga. Started with shearing some lengths, bending them around a pipe, and shearing/welding the pieces together to make a 5x5 ring.
Then I sheared the 5x5 cover and proceeded to do about 100 tack welds. They started out about 1" apart, then let the part cool. Do another round and let cool... long tedious process to end up with this:
Then a little grinder work to smooth the welds and cut/smooth the opening:
Painted:
Mounted with Sub:
To tune the enclosure for the sub, I trimmed 2" off the tube, lightly filled with poly foam, and sealed the metal flange to the sub housing with black RTV.
In the middle of these projects, I have been re-gluing some of the interior pieces:
Not a bad start for my first day of vacation!
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 05-19-2016).]
I got a little later start to today... wife purchased a new dining room table and it arrived last night. So this morning I had to breakdown all the styrofoam and cut all the cardboard to fit in the recycling bin.
I am still working on some speaker mods, but today was focused on the dash speakers. I had purchased one of these plates several years back and mounted some 5 1/4" speakers up front. As you can see the plastic warped with the interior heat in the summer.
The thickness of the spacer was placed the co-axial speaker too high for the covers to fit flush. So I wanted to make some new plates, but I wanted them to attach from the bottom side so there would be more material around the new speaker hole. Unlike the topside, the bottom side it flat with lots of room. So I sheared up some 16ga, located the critical holes and fabbed up some new plates.
Area of the dash that needs trimmed: Both sides needed a little work with the heat gun to reshape the HVAC ductwork to clear the magnets:
Installed:
Painted with some foam weather stripping to seal the low spots:
Speaker installed again:
Stock speaker covers now fit!
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 05-19-2016).]
Today, I started tearing into the passenger door to install power windows and locks.
Here is the donor door from an 86 GT:
From experimenting on the driver GT door in the past several weeks, I decided it was much, much easier to do the work with the outer door skin off, so off it came.
Out with the old motor... (it was also a good time to clean the tracks). The new motor is a later model GM motor used in this thread: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/000317.html. Since the 97 Chevy truck is one of the many applications for the motor and I have a 97 Chevy truck as my non-fiero daily driver, I call it the 97 Chevy Truck motor...
To remove the wrap spring, I just gripped it with the channel locks and moved the end from the stop. Its good to take a picture so you know how it goes back on:
To support the shaft, I welded a 5/16" shaft collar to the mounting bracket. If you use an adapter plate, there is plenty of room for it, with the setup I am using, I needed to make it about .065" thinner.
To make it easier to reinstall the bracket (and not use 4 rivets), I welded some 1/4" nuts to the backside of the bracket. The bolts need to be 1/2" or less to clear the motion of the scissor cam.
I still need to install the interior harness, but with some jumper wires you get to see the window in motion!
I have been dropping off and picking up the girls for school the past couple of days, but still making some progress. The interior harness is installed and the driver door disassembled and ready for cleaning and installation of the new motor assembly.
I got side tracked today fixing another issue with the DS door... door hinges. They were severely worn and the detent mechanism snapped off a few months ago. So i decided to just pull the whole door and remove the hinges to make the work easier.
Replacing the pins and bushings wasn't enough, I had to weld up the elongated holes in the half of the hinge w/o the bushings. Once welded, then I used a round file to open it back up so the pin barely fits through.
Here is the busted detent pin next the the closest match the local parts store had in stock. It is clearly too long, but the top portion is the right size:
So I cut the new one to be about 3/8" longer than the old one, marked where the stepped profile needed to be, then chucked it in the lathe:
The end result:
Pressing it back into place. Notice I added some adjustable spacers to support the ears of the bracket during this process. Once it was pressed into place, I used a grinder the shorten the stub shaft so it only sticks out about 1/8" and then used a cold chisel to "X" the bottom like the factory install.
Door installed to the chassis once more:
Then a new striker was installed to finish the install:
The DS door shouldn't rattle any more!
Also still plugging away at ridding the interior of warped/peeling surfaces. Here is the HVAC/radio surround. The sides are done except removing the excess glue. The only surface not started it the top one. This is a tedious process and I let the glue take set for 24 hrs before removing the clamps to ensure it is fully cured and done expanding.
The bottom surfaces have been done as well:
Also have the two arm rests taking set:
On Saturday I should clamp the last surface of the HVAC/Radio surround as well as get started on the center console/glove box area.
... with 13' a bit of trimming needs to be done to the 88 caliper for it to sit properly ... not a big modification..
... aint worth my time trying to explain my back and forth direction for wanting desperately a kit. for I wasnt happy with the look of the 12inch kit I bought.. I'll just go ahead and build my own brackets (will post pics in my thread) so I can bolt my 88 calipers to my BUICK rear rotors and ENJOY MY VERT.... ... as for your brackets that have been sitting on a shelf ...many members want a set ... GLWYS ...... and get out of your thread? F'N yess ... no problemo .... 
