I second that.

Good thread. Currently setting up a car for CSP.

Jason

I have a power steering box and column available if you are still looking.

Jason

I am still looking, steering box is low on my priorities. but shoot me a pm with a price, and approx weight. I do need one, just not as bad as I need new struts. and the noise my rear end makes is getting on my nerves more than my collapsed shaft, and lack of turn signal returns. But if the price is right I might just get it.

yeah, I want that book

Quick LSD question. Can I take an 84-85 GSL rear end, and use GSL-SE axles for the 114.3x4 Bolt patten. I understand the GSL is the better rear end due to it having 2 clutches on either side and beefier components, but the SE wheel pattern is easier to find rims.

Also I'm going to rebuild the rear end and put in a speedy gear ratio. Where do I find rebuild parts this way when I swap out I'm not having worse problems with noise,slipping,etc. I'd prefer new clutches, maybe some lightweight axles.
Also what gear ratio should I use. I want to go turbo someday, so 4.77 are out, I was thinking 4.30:1. Or should I just get the 4.77 and swap back to stock when I go turbo? I think I may of just answered my own question, but I'll throw it out there and see what you guys think.

the gsl rear is considered beefier primarily because it is a 3.9 ratio compared to the 4.1 in most -se's. the 3.9 has larger teeth. You should have no problem using your -se axles.

I currently run a gsl pumpkin, with -se housing and axles. I like short gearing, but the 1st gear in these cars is so pathetically low geared, I had to shift to 2nd at like 15mph. Not to mention that I am turbo'd and traction is a waste of time in 1st, even with only stock turbos at 250whp. Given that, I quite like the 3.9's over the 4.1's and I know I'll enjoy it even more when I up the boost.

shifting at 15 in first? yea first sucks. i usually shift at about 20 - 25.

I am going to swap for a 2nd gen tranny, is the gearing in first gear any longer? my gears now are long. im pulling at least 25mph in 1st, 52mph in secound, 80mph in 3rd. iirc

ok so admittedly I was exaggerating, but the drop from 1st to 2nd is SAD. there is no way I was faster than 25 before my 3.9 swap. But then again, that's beating on it. When driving sane, no sooner did the clutch come up i was shifting to 2nd.

The 2nd gen turbo has a fair bit higher 1st gear, the difference is 3.6 stock to 3.4 TII IIRC.

I haven't installed my tII tranny yet, but with the 3.9 I can actually USE 1st gear while moving (slow corners). I couldn't believe it.

I can deal with that. I'm not looking for a stoplight dragster, I looking for fast acceleration out of corners. I'm a back roads freeway driver. I do my best to stay out of inner city traffic. You could just use second gear to start if its that big of a difference.

So update on my suspension list

*New tierods, Moog Idler arm, pitman arm
*tokio illumnas
*poly-graphite bushings
*rebuilt GSL LSD later on swapping out to SE axles + SE front spindles 2nd Gen big break kit
*Depowered ps box
*Aftermarket swaybars front and adj rear
*respeed race coilovers
*Respeed Adj strut tower bar
*Subframe and R&P (stage 2)
*GForce Trilink & Panhard


Also I'm going to hold off on flashy rims until I can swap axles and spindles, and buy some ultra light CF rims

I saw a set once and each rim was like 2 or 3 pounds maybe less.

I'm into the same kind of driving. I honestly think I am actually quicker in a drag as I have some time to use 1st and the tires hook better. Sure I loose some chutzpah in 3rd and 4th but that's the price you pay.

Might look into some new ball joints too, and if you're that serious about spending cash (CF rims=$$$$) look into an OS giken differential or an 8.8 rear end swap instead of just the stock LSD. I'm going the OS giken route and hoping everything else out back will hold up ( though I am looking into metal treatment for the rear end gears).

I'm on the fence about the trilink and panhard as the heim joints are supposed to blow for street use. I don't see why a creative individual couldn't mod it to use bushings though.

Also forgot to mention
*Bearings
*ss brake lines
*hawk pads drilled rotors
*cromealloy subframe conectors
*roll bar, 5 point harness, racing seats

Also I have a grant stearing wheel, with a hub adaptor for a 90 VW golf MK5 Will this hub adaptor fit??

you might want to just start off with springs and shocks, and sway bars

Its all going on one piece at a time. Woman would kill me if i spent all that money at one time. I'm replacing whats broke/on its last leg first. I'll also be adding go fast parts between suspention upgrades. Thats just my list of what I'd like to have when alls said and done. Well Who knows if it will ever be truely finished.

I have a SE rear for sale as well, too bad you're on the other side of the country, shipping won't be cheap. I'll PM price for steering stuff once I weigh it.

Jason

To use SE axles I'm pretty sure you need the rear end as well. SE axles are longer than GSL axles. You can get Moser axles to fit the GSL rear end from RE-Speed for about $300. They're strong enough to take whatever abuse your plan to throw at them. Also why swap in a depowered steering box and then again swap in the RE-Speed kit? Why not just replace the idler arm and tighten up the box you already have? Seems like a waste of time and money to mod the steering setup twice. Also the 8.8 rearend is supposed to be heavy as hell, so unless your gong for an all out drag car the stock GSL LSD will work very well.

I would advise you to move the panhard bar/trilink and the drilled rotors to the bottom of your list.

By the time you install springs/shocks/swaybars, you might find that the trilink benefits are not enough to justify the expense/installation.

When you put on the Hawk pads, you might find the same thing with the drilled rotors. I'm currently using the cheapest rotors available from Rockauto, and even with the stock cheap pads they were more than enough. Adding the Hawk pads reduced fade, but it was never much of an issue to begin with.

On my GS, with a GSL rear end, I have no problem with my gearing. The gearing is a bit short, but I don't have a top speed of 150 anyway, so why add taller gearing that I'm never going to use?

For axles, I believe Respeed can hook you up with either bolt pattern no matter what rear end you end up running.

If you can afford to, then save your pennies up and get the Respeed front swaybar. It is well worth the extra money. So much lighter and stronger than the Racing Beat bar.

Definitely swap out the ball joints when you do the strut install. Spend the money for some high quality units, so you won't have to mess with it again for a few years.

Another good book on suspension is "How to make your car handle". http://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Your-...9113420&sr=1-3 It is very detailed, and only costs 13 bucks. :)

The tri-link/panhard can help a lot on your handling. You no longer have to run soft springs in the back to compensate for the poor rear suspension design. Just having the panhard alone is already much better than stock, you can easily control any slides you have with the car even with higher spring rate.

Kentetsu, I always read that rear bars and rear bushings were a no-no, interesting to see different here. Still trying to decide what to do with my 85 GSl that I'm gonna use for CSP. Working on the engine prep/body now, then tackling the suspension/brakes.

Good thread.

An interesting point of view, and probably correct. All I can comment on is the results of taking the path I took (coilovers, springs, shocks, swaybars first). Also, I always figured I was running higher spring rates to solve the rear end geometry problem (less movement = less binding potential). I was not aware that there was an issue running high rate springs in the rear that was caused by geometry. Interesting.

Maybe another option would be to install the trilink/panhard first, then see how it feels. But I can't imagine just that mod being able to take the place of coilovers/shocks/springs/or swaybar. I think you would still need all of those pieces to have a car that handles nicely. But since I feel that I've reached that point without the need for the tri/pan I'm still not convinced that it is a necessary item. One of these days I'll install mine and see what kind of a difference it makes... :)

I tried running without the rear bar back when I was using Racing Beat suspension parts, but I ended up spinning the inside rear wheel so badly on corner exiting that I put it right back on the next day.

As far as using urethane bushings on the rear end, all I can say is that it worked well for me. However, if you were to install them on a car that had stock springs, you might still get enough movement in the rear end to hit that "binding point". I wouldn't recommend it unless you have aftermarket springs on the rear at the very least.

The binding is only an issue if your suspension is moving far enough to hit the binding point. Once you add springs and some good shocks, and maybe a good rear swaybar, then you don't get that kind of movement anymore. Even Racing Beat springs seem to be enough to do away with this issue. ;)

Yeah, I'm gonna run Re-speed coilovers, haven't decided rates yet. Definitely runnign their front bar and coilovers as well.

Jason

The mods will be put in as I get the money. I have no problem spending extra doe and time on my car. I want to have it all eventually. If the SE axles are longer could I just shorten them to fit in the GSL rear? I also want to fix all thats broke before I start upgrading other parts that arn't.

Would the R&P not work with a depowered box? I'm replacing the steering box and column because its broke. I just figure I'd upgrade as long as I had to replace the part anyway. I guess I could just fix mine, since I'm getting 5 point harness I could just replace the collapse pin with a metal set screw, and fix the leak. just deal with turn signal returns

Also I want the shorter gearing. I don't need more than 120mph. I thought 4.30:1 was shorter than 3.90:1, am I wrong?

*New tierods, Moog Idler arm, pitman arm
*Bearings
*tokio illumnas w/ new ball joints
*rebuilt GSL LSD
*ss brake lines
*hawk pads
*Depowered ps box
*respeed race coilovers + camber plates
*poly-graphite bushings
*Respeed Adj strut tower bar
*Aftermarket swaybars front and adj rear
*roll bar, 5 point harness, racing seats
*Subframe and R&P (stage 2)
*GForce Trilink & Panhard
*cromealloy subframe conectors



later on swapping out to SE axles + SE front spindles 2nd Gen big break kit, Or what kentetsu said getting axles from respeed in 114.3x4.