Springs for an 88 - Help me find some!

HCF · 02-12-2009, 11:11 AM

I am the proud owner of an '88 Fiero. Bought it with a bum clutch for a steal. With a fresh clutch/flywheel and a tune up - I'm ready to hit the street with this car.

It needed an alignment pretty bad - so I took it to several shops. All of them got it perfect no problem - it just wouldnt last more than a day or 2. Finally one shop pointed out how badly the passenger side is sagging. I can fit 3 fingers in the wheel well of the driver side comfortably, and barely two in the passenger.

Well, I'm on a budget, but no problem, I wanted to do struts anyways, why not new springs?

Here is where I need help: I cannot find springs for my 88. The 84-87 use a different spring and suspension layout from my understanding. So I do not believe these to be interchangeable. Wish they were.. they are easy to find! I am searching for new springs, I really don't want to gamble on used springs unless I absolutely have to. The only springs I have found are on fierostore.com.. and they are pretty costly. Plus, I am really looking for a OE replacement, no real interest in lowering. If anyone knows where I can purchase some/ or another model GM that this car shared springs with(long shot I know) please advise.

Help me get this thing on the road as it deserves to be! Thanks!

Ragtop_Renegade · 02-12-2009, 01:46 PM

http://www.kickhill.com/fiero.html

Call these people, they have everything. FYI, if it's not on the website, it DOES NOT mean they don't have it. Make the call!

Old Lar · 02-16-2009, 05:51 PM

www.thefierofactory.com also may be a parts source.

HCF · 02-19-2009, 01:53 PM

After several calls/emails.. kickhill has yet to get back to me. Thank you for the response though.

I have just sent a message to fierofactory, so we'll see.

Either way, I'm looking at used ones?

Too bad that no one manufactures OE replacements for the '88's

Thanks again for the pointers.

Ragtop_Renegade · 02-22-2009, 11:35 PM

The 88 front end was all new and designed specially for the fiero, as compared to the Chevette parts on the 84-87. That makes demand low, and it seems when someone does want 88 springs they want lowering springs. I am still a bit surprised nobody makes a stock height pair, though. Have you tried the usual hot rod supply companies, I.E. Summit, Jeggs?

HCF · 02-26-2009, 12:21 PM

Checked every performance gm/pontiac mag/ store i could find. Nothing for the 88's. All of the used springs I found by the time they were shipped were 150+, and lets face it, are 21 years old.

I finally broke down and ordered the set from fierostore that gives ~ 1 inch lowering. A little more than i wanted to pay, but hopefully this will make the car "align-able."

I also figured, the sagging side is lowered about that much already, and didnt have any major camber/alignment issues, so what the heck.

The springs and struts/shocks/ mounts/ all that good stuff should arrive this weekend, so i'll let everyone know what I think of them once they are installed.

Thanks for everyones help.

HCF · 02-28-2009, 06:52 PM

Springs/struts/shocks/mounts installed friday night. Got the thing to a trusted alignment shop first thing this morning, still cant get it aligned.

The passenger front has -2.8* camber, andit has over 3 degrees of cross-caster.
They were clueless, and so am i. Anyone have any ideas what would cause this?

I mean, bent crossmember/subframe, or a lower control arm would cause positive caster, correct? I have nearly 5x the spec limit of negative camber, so is it the upper A-arm that has an issue?

I'm trying to get this car road worty so my other car can go under surgery, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ragtop_Renegade · 03-02-2009, 10:54 AM

OW! That's not a good alignment reading for anything with four wheels, period. I haven't had the pleasure of personally owning an 88 so I can't rightly tell you exactly where something would need to be bent out of whack to allow such a wide out of spec reading. Typical oops-like moves of a past owner, like hitting a curb, are going to cause the tire to tip OUT, not in! Do look over the control arm bushings VERY carefully and make sure you don't have any that are slopped out. Inspect ALL the suspension mounts and look for anything that could be bent. What killed my 86 was a engine cradle mount that pulled away from the spaceframe and ended up putting a twist in the entire car. The resulting damage caused ride height to differ almost 3 inches corner to corner! I couldn't justify the few thousand dollars it would have cost to have the little car tweaked on a frame machine (and nobody would guarantee the results on a 20 year old vehicle) so it was eventually junked.

While I doubt you have anything that serious, it's a good example of how one little component can impact the whole vehicle. Be aware that the slightly lower springs are going to effect geometry somewhat, so it could very well be that the right front camber is normal (or close, needing a few adjustments) with that spring height, and it's the left side that has a bent control arm. It wouldn't hurt to contact Eibach or whoever made the springs and ask them if they have figures on how much factory alignment is altered. Chances are they do, since they are probably used to getting numerous phone calls from "installed them myself, what the bleep is an alignment!" people asking why the new springs make the edge of the tires scrub off within 2500 miles.

Don't focus on that corner! the opposite side or the diagonal rear wheel could be the culprit, too!

mr. lambo · 07-13-2010, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HCF

I am the proud owner of an '88 Fiero. Bought it with a bum clutch for a steal. With a fresh clutch/flywheel and a tune up - I'm ready to hit the street with this car.

It needed an alignment pretty bad - so I took it to several shops. All of them got it perfect no problem - it just wouldnt last more than a day or 2. Finally one shop pointed out how badly the passenger side is sagging. I can fit 3 fingers in the wheel well of the driver side comfortably, and barely two in the passenger.

Well, I'm on a budget, but no problem, I wanted to do struts anyways, why not new springs?

Here is where I need help: I cannot find springs for my 88. The 84-87 use a different spring and suspension layout from my understanding. So I do not believe these to be interchangeable. Wish they were.. they are easy to find! I am searching for new springs, I really don't want to gamble on used springs unless I absolutely have to. The only springs I have found are on fierostore.com.. and they are pretty costly. Plus, I am really looking for a OE replacement, no real interest in lowering. If anyone knows where I can purchase some/ or another model GM that this car shared springs with(long shot I know) please advise.

Help me get this thing on the road as it deserves to be! Thanks!

i have a set of oem springs for sale. i have the fronts and the rears. it's from a 1988 gt that is in excel shape. what is your offer? i can send them to you. i take visa, master, disc and debit.

mr. lambo · 07-13-2010, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. lambo

i have a set of oem springs for sale. i have the fronts and the rears. it's from a 1988 gt that is in excel shape. what is your offer? i can send them to you. i take visa, master, disc and debit.

my cell is 4159908877

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