Bonneville Club :: Bonneville FE1 supsension upgrade to FE2

FE2: How to Guide Step by Step.

In the next few minutes, I, Bandit, will show you how to change your FE1 suspension over to FE2.

Things you’re going to NEED!
1: Big ½” Breaker Bar (at least 28” long)
2: Good Quality 3/8” and ½” Socket set with SAE and Metric. (Need up to 24mm)
3: Sawzall or Hacksaw
4: Good Floor Jack
5: Two Jack Stands
6: Air Tools (Impact Wrench & Air Hammer)
7: Spring Compressors (the ones that go on the outside of a Coil Spring)
8: Allen Keys (for doing the strut mounts)
9: PB Blaster (or any other good penetrating oil)

Things that it helps to have.
1: 1-2 other people. (You “need” one other person to help with the front spring/strut install)
2: BIG Impact Wrench. (like 500+ Foot Pounds, for those dam strut bolts)
3: Bench Grinder (in case you mess up the end thread on the strut bolts)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*WARNING*
Always use caution when dealing with coil springs and struts as injury could occur while replacing the springs.
If you do not feel confident about doing the swap, please take it to a pro. I don't want to see anyone injured.

OK, on to the pics and the instructions.

So, first you have to get all the parts.

Next, bring the car into the work area.

We’re going to start with the front, since it’s harder.

Step 1: Jack up car; support it on jack stands, and take off wheels.

Step 2: Mark the location of the strut so your alignment is not too far off and you can make it to the alignment shop without hurting your tires.

Step 3: Now take that big breaker bar and break the bottom strut bolts loose.

Step 4: Use the impact wrench to take off the nut.

Step 4.5: Now, I did not get pics of me doing this, but what you’re going to have to do next is the hard part. You have to now take the big breaker bar, change the socket on it and then try to break the bolt loose. Then you will be able to take the air hammer and pound the bolt out. What I have found out is that if you get the top bolt out first, it makes it easier to get the bottom one out. Also, putting some PB Blaster on the bolt while doing this will help it loosen up. If you put the nut back on until the bolt end is counter sunk just a bit, your air hammer will stay on the end of the bolt and will have less chance of messing up the bolt end. Some of the Bolts are a real PITA, but you will get them out. You just have to keep working them back and forth, taking a break from time to time to let the PB Blaster work in, and then it will snap loose and come out.

Step 5: After you get the bottom bolts out, then you need to take the top 3 nuts off. They’re cake. (Make sure you support the rotor/axle with something, to keep it from falling out. lol)

There – it’s out. Congrats!

Step 6: Take the spring compressors and put them on the spring. You’re going to have to find which location works the best, because as you tighten them down, if they’re in the wrong spot, they will get caught on the strut mount or the strut and you won’t be able to go any farther. (MAKE SURE that you have it compressed enough, because if you don’t, when you loosen the strut mount nut, the mount and /or spring can and will go flying off and can kill someone.) Just keep going until it looks like the spring is pulling away from the top or bottom.

Here is the height difference between the FE1 and FE2 springs:

Repeat these steps for the other side before you do the sway bar.

Step 7: Remove the sway bar end links. Then unbolt the inner sway bracket. It’s not too hard to get to. One bolt you can get to from the top, and the other you have to crawl under to get. That is where an air ratchet helps out. Also, you can see the bolts on the driver’s side through the inside of the sub frame. You might need to spray some PB Blaster on them to get them out.

Step 7.5: Now to play the maze game with getting the sway bar out. lol. It’s not fun but it can be done. What I had to do to get mine out is to drop the rear of the sub frame about 1-2”. You will need to jack the front of the sub frame up to let the back drop down. And I also had to unbolt the exhaust from the rear manifold, which is easy - two bolts. Then you have to take it out on the driver’s side of the car. You turn it so that the ends are pointing down, and then you have to keep wiggling and pushing and pulling on it and it will just pop out.

Front sway bar bushings: Old/New

As far as putting the front struts back in and reinstalling the sway bar, repeat steps 1 through 7.5 backwards.

There - all in and done.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Now to do the back. The back is much easier as far as the sway bar goes and the springs. lol. But the rear strut bolts are just as hard as those in front.

Step 0.1!: You have to support the rear control arm with a jack before you start to remove the strut bolts. The spring has a load on it and makes it hard to remove the bolts. It will go easier if you jack it up just a hair to take the load off the bolts, and also undo the top strut bolts after you support the control arm.

Step1: Remove the rear strut just like the front. The top bolts are a little harder to access, but are just as easy to take off.

Step 2: Now that the strut is out you can remove the spring. SLOWLY lower down the jack, Don’t worry - the spring will not go flying out, by the time it’s at the point that the stop might not hold it in anymore, there isn’t enough pressure to make the spring go flying out. Now, as far as removing the spring, you will have to press down on the control arm to yank the spring out. Make sure you aren’t pulling on the brake line too much so you don’t hurt it.

Step 3: Now to remove the rear sway bar…. Yawn…. Ok, is it out yet? … lol This is easy to do. You just need to cut the old end links off because most of the time you can’t unbolt them and they snap. But that’s easy to do. Grab that Sawzall and cut away. Now to remove the inner mount/bushing - that is sooooo easy, you’re going to laugh. Just undo one bolt with the air impact wrench, then pry the metal band apart and it pops right out.

Rear sway and spring difference:

Step 4: Put everything back in. That’s easy as well - sort of. The new FE2 springs may be shorter, but they are stiffer, so it makes it a little hard to push back in. A little grease can help with doing this. Also with the front and back springs, make sure you put them back in facing the same direction. They may not match up 100% the same, but get them as close as you can. One last thing, put the top end of the rear strut in first. Makes it much easier to do that first than to have to fight with jacking the control arm up and trying to line up the two top strut bolt/holes.

There - Done!

For torque specs, see the article in Techinfo.
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/kb.php?mode=article&k=18

After you go for a test drive and check to see if anything feels funny or loose/knocking, go get an alignment. You’re going to need it!!! lol.

Part List and Specs:

Bonneville FE2 Parts.

Front Strut: 71822 -Monroe
Front Spring: CC658 -TRW
Front Sway Bushings: HB1804 -TRW

Back Strut: 71798 -Monroe
Back Spring: CC653 -TRW
Back Strut Mount: 901953 -Monroe
Back Sway Bushings: 25558129 -GM
Back Sway In-Link: 25602320 -GM
Back Sway End-Link: 18152 -TRW

Measurements

NEW-
Front Spring Height: 14.5"
Front Spring Thickness: T: 15.9mm / M: 15.9mm / B: 15.9mm
Rear Spring Height: 13.5"
Rear Spring Thickness: T: 16.1mm / M: 16.1mm / B: 16.1mm

OLD-
Front Spring Height: 15.5"
Front Spring Thickness: T: 15.1mm / M: 15.1mm / B: 15.1mm
Rear Spring Height: 14.25"
Rear Spring Thickness: T: 15.4mm / M: 15.4mm / B: 15.1mm Wink