Front Strut Tower Brace

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Raising the Bar.....And Rebushing it

The only Eighty Eights or Ninety Eights from the '86 to '90 body style that came with rear bars were the FE-3 or F-41 suspended cars. A load leveler, different final drive ratio, 15" rims, NC6 "Sporty" exhaust, different rack and pinion, and a leather steering wheel were also part of the package.

I concur that you do not have to remove the strut from the knuckle in the rear, in fact, the idea is NOT to let the strut move on the knuckle or you will loose your alignment. But, you have to remove both of the strut to knuckle bolts at the same time to put the seay bar mounting bracket on the strut/knuckle assembly. I did not have to retain the setting because I was installing new struts at the same time and was getting an alignment anyway. One way to retain the struts position on the knuckle during removal of the bolts may be to squeeze the strut together with a C clamp while the bolts are removed, but I have not tried this. I used this gauge to mark my alignment before I took the strut apart:

Check out this link, I expained it in detail:

http://www.lesabret.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3558&highlight=

The FE3 cars leather steering wheel and load leveler make the cars easier to identify in salvage yards or classifieds. The Ninety Eights with the Brougham option (4th and 5th digits in the VIN are CW, not CX) came standard with a load leveler, but if you see an Eighty Eight with one it is an FE-3 car.

Far Out jfmc! Thanks for the FE-2/year/fitment info, and the picture :thumbsup:

I need to get one of those front and rear bars. How did you identify your front bar? By the FE2 on the trunk sticker?

 

[thejmfc]

The strut/knuckle issue: So you're saying that the cars without bars actually don't have a place on the knuckle to connect the sway bar, and you have to mount a bracket? If so, then I understand. For some reason, I thought it was all one casting.

My bars: I found my bars in the yard first by seeing the Bonneville SSE (not sure of the year, but the newer, rounded style), then by verifying that it was a FE2 car by the RPO sticker. Finally, when I got them home, I double checked by measuring them. I don't have a caliper yet, but there are ways around that. And I know it's the solid bar, because the thing actually weighs 20 lb. It's amazing how heavy it is.

Eventually, I hope to get them on the LeSabre, and then put the 18mm FE1 rear bar from the LeSabre on the Bonneville, which has the ultra-wimpy 14mm bar on it now. That way all cars win. But right now, the LeSabre is sitting in the garage with a severe transmission failure. I figure I'll do the front bar while the subframe is on the ground. Easier that way.

 

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Here, Hold this......

That is correct. The cars that came without bars did not have the mounting brackets in the rear on the strut nor on the trunk floor. If you ad a bar you have to ad the brackets. It is kind of a whimpy stamped steel bracket at the strut really, and I have heard of an instance where one broke off!

Thanks for the info on the bars. The SSEs have more than one piece to donate to us lesser equipped guys

BTW, I have a couple of those inexpensive plastic calipers available at ACO or similar stores. Only cost a couple bucks and gets you by with a lot of stuff. I got one hot and melted it once, but for that amount of money who cares if you loose one at a JY or something.

 

[thejmfc]

You know, I was sure that the sway bar mount on the newer cars was not a stamped steel add-on. I went to the garage for a look though, and it's exactly as you described. I have an excuse though: I was working on the front bar while my brother was at the back.

Yeah, I've seen those plastic calipers. I know they're far better than nothing, but I'm really anal about my tools. I'd almost rather not have a tool until or unless I can get a good one...