Long time, no Bonnie Club. It'* been a while! (my son was born a month ago and has pretty well changed my time-lineup during the day)...

Anyhew, I blew out a strut the other day, so I figured this was a good time to do the F41 changeup that I'd been eyeing since I got the lesabre.

Most of the 'yards around me are of the pre-pulled variety, I had to go off of the measurements provided in the everything we know about suspension post.

Got a bit of a surprise once I got back and tore into my suspension.

What did I find??

Plenty. Common knowledge around the BC is that the FE2/F41 front sway is 32mm, solid, and the FE1 bar is 30mm, hollow. Also, F41 spec springs are around 16-16.25 mm diameter on the coils.

What did I find? Well, my FE1 coils? 16mm. A little larger, actually. I'll have the exact measurement tomorrow. Rear coils? 16mm. A little larger, again. Front sway (FE1 sway)? 32mm, hollow.

Needless to say, it was pretty surprising. And a bit saddening, as I bought 135 bucks of suspension gear (25 for sways, 25 for each front coil, 2/35 on the rear)... all based on measurement specs. Oops. They assured me the new springs / sways were from an SSEi, but they're measuring just like my FE1 coils. Exactly like my FE1 coils. Seriously. They've even got the same part number and spring code on them.

Sooooo, any way you slice it, there'* a need for revision of our suspension info. And probably a need to find a new 'yard. I've got my official build sheet from GM, and my car is definitely an FE1 car. And it doesn't look like the suspension has ever been torn down for new sways or springs.

So yeah. Coils for my FE1 setup are 16+ mm. Exact dimensions tomorrow. Just thought I'd point that out (and that my FE1 front sway is 32mm)... as the current 'everything we know' page says
Anyone else feel like making some quick measurements on their coils who have FE1 and F41 to verify what size the coils really are? 'Cause I'm really confused right now (and ticked at myself for buying the same suspension parts that I've already got on my car)....

Thanks!

It'* not just the coil diameter, as we've learned since then. It'* the number of coils and the coil spacing as well.

Yes, there were two front bars made for FE1 cars. Early production in 92, and perhaps overlapping into 93 were hollow (larger diamter though). Later bars were smaller and solid.

Bottom line? Ignore diameter unless comparing two springs with the same code. Get components from a car that is known to have the components, and pray they're stock and were never replaced.

Well that'* good to know. I suppose it would have been better to know about 12 hours ago, but that'* life. What'* 135 bucks here and there, right?

Well, actually, quite a bit on a tight budget. Bummer. Well, lesson learned. I'll have to go to a u-pull sometime when I get the chance and pick up the real parts.

F41, I hardly new thee. Well, never knew thee, actually.

I was talking to Jrs3800 and he says that sosme of the C body cars might have a 34mm front sway