We're still at the beginning of the saga of this car, but I have a couple questions on the front suspension and what we might do next. (the front brake upgrade is still high on our list...but junior needs to earn a few more paychecks to buy them)
We replaced the rod and bushings that connect the lower arm to the sway bar. That was a good, easy fix that my son did himself. (How do we know how far to tighten this?) However, the car still bangs pretty hard over gaps in the pavement.
Looks to me like the ball joints need replaced, based on the Chilton's diagrams that show the grease fitting position as it relates to wear. I don't have any experience to draw from here... would old ball joints make a rough ride? Any tips on replacing them, and favorite places to buy the parts?
I'm also thinking we need to do some easy stuff, such as replace the sway bar mounts and any other rubber in there.
How do I check if the springs are sprung? The previous owner stuck a piece of 2x4 in the rear springs. I'm not sure what he was going for, but I can compress those (just a little) with my hand. What's a good price for new non-performance springs? (I'm not building a hot-rod.)
Last q...where do I get a throttle cable assembly?
Just a point of interest, it looks like we have the 2.8 V-6, which was never used again in this car. What's the consensus on this engine? Junk? Solid? Just OK?
-John O