| PARTS |
| PART |
PART NUMBER |
PRICE |
| Lovells Crossmember Bushings |
N92350 |
$160 |
| Lovells Rear Control Arm Bushing |
N61483 |
$48 |
| Lovells Camber Adjustable Rear Control Arm Bushings |
X63109 |
$100 |
| KW Varient 3 Coilover Kit |
35262002 |
$2,295 |
| TORQUE SPECS |
| Control Arm to Cradle |
74 ft-lb |
| (Support Brace) |
| Rear Cradle to Body |
52 ft-lb |
| (Support Brace) |
| Inner Adjustment Link |
46 ft-lb |
| Outer Adjustment Link |
46 ft-lb |
| Shock to Control Arm |
85 ft-lb |
| Shock to Body |
10 ft-lb |
Then he came up with this...
Then he came up with this tool to remove the bushing that made the job very easy. By combining a large, deep socket and a bolt with a washer to pull the bushing into the socket, he was able to use an impact gun to remove the bushing. In this photo, Greg is using the tool with a control arm out of the car (for photographic purposes), but he was able to position the control arm and remove the bushing without having to take out the arm. This makes the removal much easier. The new bushings were installed like the camber/toe adjustable bushings and the control arm was bolted back up.
To install the new springs...
To install the new springs and shocks, we started by removing the lower shock-to-control-arm nut, which is 19 mm. We monitored the brake lines to make sure they weren't stressed.
This freed up the control...
This freed up the control arm and Greg twisted the spring out.
The KW springs are noticeably...
The KW springs are noticeably shorter and firmer than the factory springs. According to Jay, their progressive rate, which is proprietary, was selected for this application as the best performance solution. Some companies that offer lowering springs don't provide a sufficient spring rate.
As per KW's suggestion, Greg...
As per KW's suggestion, Greg cleaned the surface where the adjustable perch will be placed. We left it bottomed out to reduce tension while we were installing the spring.
We reused the soft rubber...
We reused the soft rubber pad from the factory springs up top. The spring went in easily since there was so much slack in the suspension from the shock being unbolted.
Initial Driving Impressions
With all of the parts we've selected for the Goat and a proper wheel alignment, it feels ready for open-course service and has been transformed into one hell of a street car. The Lovells bushings eliminated all of the play the factory bushings are notorious for, and allow the KW suspension to work to its full potential. There has been an improvement not only in steering feel and brake-pedal feel, but also in cornering stability and turning response.
This has transformed our little Goat into a totally different car that has almost endless adjustability. That can also pose a problem though. With this much adjustment, it's hard to know where to start. In the next installment, we'll discuss how to properly adjust an adjustable coilover for the street and road course, and explain alignment setups. We'll head out to the track and identify how the suspension characteristics change with each adjustment.
Now that we had the spring...
Now that we had the spring in place, Greg ballparked the camber setting so we could move the GTO around before having it aligned. Here he is adjusting the offset bushing using wood to leverage the bushing out of place so he could easily rotate it. He then torqued the crossmember fasteners.
The final step was to install...
The final step was to install the new rear shocks. With the bottom bolts detached, the only things holding the shocks in the car were the top fasteners. We had to remove the carpeting....
... to reveal the top 17mm...
... to reveal the top 17mm bolts (driver's side shown).
The passenger side is hidden...
The passenger side is hidden around the fuel-filler line, but it's easy to reach behind and remove it by feel. Greg positioned himself under the car to catch the shock once I removed the fastener.
The KW shocks have their own...
The KW shocks have their own dust shields and bump stops, making them a simple swap. The KW has a shorter shock stroke due to the lower ride height, as indicated by the shorter dust shield.
Since it's hard to see inside...
Since it's hard to see inside the car, we mocked up how the shock is to be installed. The factory rubber insulators were in terrific shape, so we reused them. The short nut on top is a locking nut that KW supplies to prevent the nut from backing out. With the shock in, we moved to the cradle.
Here is a crucial element...
Here is a crucial element in the entire install-bolting the cradle back in using the cradle alignment tool. This ensures that the rear cradle we were just playing with is perfectly aligned from front to back and left to right. Without this tool, the cradle could be a little off and the tires won't be centered in the wheelwell. Once done and with the tires back on, Greg lowered the GTO to the ground and tightened the control arm bolts and other fasteners to the proper torque specs.
Lastly, the swaybar was reattached...
Lastly, the swaybar was reattached via its endlinks. We set the bar to the #2 position for a baseline for track testing.
With everything bolted in,...
With everything bolted in, our GTO already looks meaner. The stainless-steel bodies of the KW shocks are sure to take the punishment of weather and withstand the open course abuse, while the Lovells bushings tighten things up and make the car perform more effectively. The dust on the parts is a hint that this photo was taken after track testing. We'll cover that in the next issue.