Aaron's build thread.

[Aaron]

Frame is straight, the new door is on and fits good. It has a rattle in it, so I am going to start randomly welding shit until it doesn't rattle anymore. Coincidentally, they drove the car exactly .2 miles, so that's good.

Also, one weird thing, seems they jacked up the E-brake somehow. It has like a lot more slack in it now (Won't start engaging until halfway up), and the BRAKE lamp is on all of the time. I'm going to bring it back next week.

I also started putting the rear swaybar back in. What a pain in the ass that is. I had to undo the strut and brake line on one side. And the end links they sent me, the bolt is too short since the sway bar's mount sits at a slight angle. So I'm going to find a longer bolt in town, and return the ones they sent me. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the car drives with the swaybar.

[MstangsBware]

Also, one weird thing, seems they jacked up the E-brake somehow. It has like a lot more slack in it now (Won't start engaging until halfway up), and the BRAKE lamp is on all of the time. I'm going to bring it back next week.

.

This is cause they drove the car around with the E-brake on for .2 miles. I am willing to bet this is what happened. Not many know where the E-brake handle is on a Fiero.

[Aaron]

I didn't even think about that, good point.

[CincinnatiFiero]

As for your door rattle I remember reading about the door strikers in fieros wearing down/being too small. People were using bigger ford HELP! strikers from auto parts stores. Make sure the striker is good before you weld your shit together.

[Aaron]

What the fuck is a door striker? Where on the door is it?

Here are some pics of the damage. The frame has been pulled back, and the new door is on, straight, and working.

[MstangsBware]

What the fuck is a door striker? Where on the door is it?

Here are some pics of the damage. The frame has been pulled back, and the new door is on, straight, and working.

The striker is what the door latches onto. Open the door and look where the door meets the car, you will see it. I hate to say it but once a car is wrecked it has all kinds of new rattles. The frame has been tweaked and it will never be the same.

[Aaron]

You're right, there's no doubt about that.

But have some faith. I have an angle grinder. I have a plasma cutter. I have a welder. And I have a nailgun. A bigass motherfucking nailgun.

[Aaron]

Also, meant to give my reaction on the swaybar being reattached, with poly bushings.

In the case that you take a 135hp engine out of a perfectly stable, and good handling, Fiero, and replace it with one kickass turbocharged, intercooled, 24 valve, 7200rpm V6, and think it will still be a perfectly stable, good handling, Fiero, you've got issues with being in another reality. Fact is, the Fiero is not stable with the aforementioned monstrosity of a powerplant. It is, instead, scary, and should be illegal.

And in the case that you were told to remove your swaybar, and you did, and then you noticed your Fiero was not stable and good handling, replacing said swaybar, albeit with upgraded polyurethane bushings, still does not make it a stable, good handling, Fiero.

So. The car tracks much better on the highway, however, the frame twisting, directional changing, front end lifting torque was not tamed or otherwise controlled by the swaybar, at all.

[The Dark Side of Will]

So. The car tracks much better on the highway, however, the frame twisting, directional changing, front end lifting torque was not tamed or otherwise controlled by the swaybar, at all.

No reason it should be.

Your car doesn't go straight when you nail the gas?

Are the outer pivot bolts for your lateral links tight?

[Aaron]

So. The car tracks much better on the highway, however, the frame twisting, directional changing, front end lifting torque was not tamed or otherwise controlled by the swaybar, at all.

No reason it should be.

Your car doesn't go straight when you nail the gas?

Are the outer pivot bolts for your lateral links tight?

I was just hoping it would. There isn't anything wrong with the car, just that I'm putting way more power through it than I should be.

Yes they are. With locktite. And two nuts. I've had them loose before, and it isn't that drastic, I can hold it in my lane no problem, it just doesn't inspire confidence I guess. It feels too loose, too minivan like under full power. It really needs stiffer springs, and a drop. But I'm still unsure if I want to keep working on it, or move on to a new project.

[crzyone]

Better put it on a dyno and see what it puts down before another friend wrecks it even more than last time. :blah5:

[jelly2m81]

I was just hoping it would. There isn't anything wrong with the car, just that I'm putting way more power through it than I should be.

Yes they are. With locktite. And two nuts. I've had them loose before, and it isn't that drastic, I can hold it in my lane no problem, it just doesn't inspire confidence I guess. It feels too loose, too minivan like under full power. It really needs stiffer springs, and a drop. But I'm still unsure if I want to keep working on it, or move on to a new project.

Have you had the alignment checked since the accident and installing the rear sway bar?

Without the alignment pretty much dead on, or at least spec, Fieros are fucking scary with even just a duke to drive hard.

You'll also want to get some decent rubber on it, I see you cheap ass Comp TA's on the front, what's on back? Even so you aren't gonna get much grip with most any tire you can properly fit on the stock wheels.

[The Dark Side of Will]

it just doesn't inspire confidence I guess. It feels too loose, too minivan like under full power. It really needs stiffer springs, and a drop. But I'm still unsure if I want to keep working on it, or move on to a new project.

That just means you need to start addressing your chassis. You've put a lot of power into a chassis that is not only stock... It isn't straight anymore. You NEED an alignment, first off.

What kind of struts do you have?
Shocks?
How are your wheel bearings?
Have you checked your outer pivot bolts *recently*? The inner sleeves of stock and poly bushings can collapse under the compression load of that bolt. The only real way to be sure they stay tight is to use rod ends.

With the pro-squat of the early rear suspension, my cars lifts the nose a LOT under power. My aviation-oriented friends used to joke that it was an airplane going down the runway rotating for takeoff.

But it stilll goes straight under power, even in 1st gear.

I'm sure you've heard before that a car is a system. Since most people don't really get that, I'll say that a car is an organism. All the processes have to be in balance for it to work right.
If you pay attention only to one aspect of the car, you end up like a bodybuilder who does only bench presses. Not only do you risk damage (rotator cuff injury or inability of the chassis to cope with the power), but the overall effectiveness of the vehicle is reduced (inability to do deadlifts or slow lap times due to lack of cornering or braking).

Even a drag race car needs chassis work... not just to get out of the hole, but to go straight. If you can't keep the car off the wall, then you can't run a pass with it. The aforementioned bodybuilder, due to asymmetric development across his shoulder, increases his risk of shoulder injury from bench pressing, even though bench pressing is all he does and he's good at it.

[Series8217]

I've advocated removing the stock rear swaybar from '88s for years now. They just feel too damn unstable with it. I had to disconnect mine when I went to the road course just to be able to hang with the lead car during low-speed "track orientation".
The stock swaybar is oversized.. stiffening it up with poly bushings makes it worse.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I've advocated removing the stock rear swaybar from '88s for years now. They just feel too damn unstable with it. I had to disconnect mine when I went to the road course just to be able to hang with the lead car during low-speed "track orientation".
The stock swaybar is oversized.. stiffening it up with poly bushings makes it worse.

Was that with your TDC? Stock springs? Porsche wheels + sticky tires?

Stock springs and bar with Konis seems fine with the stock V6.

With a top-heavy engine like the TDC, you're adding a good bit of roll moment to the car, which would make the mismatch between roll stiffness and compression stiffness that much more pronounced. Greater grip from sticky tires just gets you that much further out on the curve...

[Series8217]

I've advocated removing the stock rear swaybar from '88s for years now. They just feel too damn unstable with it. I had to disconnect mine when I went to the road course just to be able to hang with the lead car during low-speed "track orientation".
The stock swaybar is oversized.. stiffening it up with poly bushings makes it worse.

Was that with your TDC? Stock springs? Porsche wheels + sticky tires?

It was in my silver car with the 3.4 DOHC, Isuzu tranny, 14x6" wheels with 195s up front (just mid-range street tires). The rears were 15x7" with 225 performance street tires (BF Goodrich Traction T/As I think?). They hooked up pretty well. The car would feel like it was getting ready to spin out just at low speed. Pretty scary. I disconnected one side of the swaybar so it was just dead weight. That fixed everything. I haven't tried putting the rear swaybar on now with the new 17x7 and 17x8 rims. I'm running 205 front 255 rear. Might be okay; It does tend to push a bit when I get on the gas now through a turn.

[Aaron]

I'm not sure what to say, I don't want to question Steven, but the car around town and on the highway is pretty bad without it. It sways in the lane, over 100mph was terrifying, and when I let off the gas or braked the front end would dive to one side, seemingly randomly which side. With the bar it is much more stable in daily driving conditions.

This is with completely stock suspension, except poly bushings on the rear. Stock size, decent street tires, and a 3.4 DOHC turbo (So heavier than the 2.8l).

[Series8217]

when I let off the gas or braked the front end would dive to one side, seemingly randomly which side

That has absolutely nothing to do with the rear swaybar. Your car has something else wrong with it.
Did you ONLY add the rear swaybar, or did you do your poly bushings at the same time?

[Aaron]

I only added the swaybar, the poly bushings went with the swap. The close throttle/decel swaying definitely was cut down, although is still present. My front bushings need replacing, but other than that, the suspension components are all good. Too much engine.

[Series8217]

The only thing I've noticed that severely affects on/off throttle behavior on the 88 is the loooooong bolt that holds the lateral links to the rear knuckle.