G28 - Simple Mans, Simple REDO of an G28 LP640

[Simple Man]

I had a friend who owns a fabrication shop come by and look at the Arruat parts and the car.   After measuring the Drivers and passenger side brackets the passenger side Arruat bracket is off by between 3/16" & 1/8".

the drivers side is doable with very minor modification & Murci Me suggested bolts.

He took the replacement bracket that Arruat sent and is going to fix it and have it back to me Monday.

The basturdized bracket will be a paper weigh.

Onward!!

[Simple Man]

I'm sorry to hear all the problems you are having with these parts. I once considered buying a system from them for my friends car, now I'm glad I didn't!
I remember having a similar problem with bolt holes lining up properly with the NAERC widetrack system I bought, much the same as you are having. I to had to modify the parts to get them to fit correctly, and then ended up trashing both upper control arms they supplied and building a set of my own along with modifying the lowers as well.

Thanks MM!

I just hoping that this is the only issue I have with the Arruat Set up     Had I known then, what I know now, I would have gone in a different direction. Or maybe not even started    But I actually enjoy working on this POS... I mean REDO 

At this juncture, just want to get the car on  four wheels, so I can work on the A-pillar issue and drivers door,  outside, before the weather turns.

[Simple Man]

I mentioned prior that you might loosen the 4 lower attachment bolts to see if that would help with the alignment and I still think that a thin washer inserted between the crossmember and the frame on the front bolts will help with the hole alignment.
(I drool every time I see how nice a job you did on your clean up of the Fiero parts.  Mine were so rusty )

01

thanks 01!!  Every bolt is  loosley bolted. 

For the two washers, not sure how that would help, but I will give it a try... you never know

Richard picked up the phone this morning and he thinks he has a solution. 
I am heading out of town with truck an trailer to get my daughter into he apt as she will be starting and internship.  Sooooo, with a 4 hour drive each way I will have time to ponder an think about this problem 

I do like the idea of cutting the bracket, as suggested by 01.  I will also make the bottom piece thicker to get rid of the gap that is there.

Here is the OEM vs the Arruat .

[01Lambiero]

I mentioned prior that you might loosen the 4 lower attachment bolts to see if that would help with the alignment and I still think that a thin washer inserted between the crossmember and the frame on the front bolts will help with the hole alignment.
(I drool every time I see how nice a job you did on your clean up of the Fiero parts.  Mine were so rusty )

01

[★Murci-Me★]

I'm sorry to hear all the problems you are having with these parts. I once considered buying a system from them for my friends car, now I'm glad I didn't!
I remember having a similar problem with bolt holes lining up properly with the NAERC widetrack system I bought, much the same as you are having. I to had to modify the parts to get them to fit correctly, and then ended up trashing both upper control arms they supplied and building a set of my own along with modifying the lowers as well.

[01Lambiero]

What a mess.  You could cut the bottom plate off and weld in a new redrilled plate or make two little plates to be welded on top.  Definitely weld the shock brackets on the inside.  My son purchased a Strange spool and a Richmond gearset for his '92 Firebird drag car and the ring gear wouldn't sit flat against the spool because of lack of sufficient chamfer on the back side.  Stuff like this just happens in our league.
01

[Simple Man]

For kicks here is the basturdized part that will fit.  Drivers side not as bad. 

Also the OEM piece re-installs nicely. 

since originally only one side of the Strut arm is welded, I might be able to weld on the inside of the arm, as the weld on the outside has been compromised/weakened by grinding to get the Arruat part to fit 

Then add material on the rear side and fill in the hole. This would save me moving the forward arm back an 1/8"

When the bracket is mounted there is also at least a 1/8" inch gap between the cross member and the Arruat part.

[Simple Man]

Just to back-track a bit...if you take the Arraut bracket off and reinstall your original bracket, do all five hole line up?

yes

[01Lambiero]

Just to back-track a bit...if you take the Arraut bracket off and reinstall your original bracket, do all five hole line up?

[Simple Man]

The new brackets came in from Arruat, and they are a REDO .  Hindsight 20 20 I should have gone a completely different route since it has been 7 months when I was told my order would be ready to ship in 6 weeks.

Live and learn.

Richard sent me new brackets and the bolts that Murci-Me suggested, but actually they are to long to work, but I purchased ones that are the right size 

When the upper strut bracket, Richard made, is bolted to the crossmember, the 3 frame bolt holes are 1/2 a bolt off.

Since the frame and cross member bolts are fixed, The vertical bolt holes in the Arruat bracket will have to be relocated.

Since I have two sets of Arruat bracket I have basturdized one set.
The rear hole, if enlarged, Will leave only about 1/8" of metal left on the bracket. 
The front hole, if widened and Murci-Me bolt used,  will cause one of the welds to be weakened as it has to be ground completely off.  There are no welds on the inside of arm.

Sooooo!  going to move the forward arm 1/8" back, It appears this adjustment will work.  Adding material to the rear portion of the bracket should work as it looks to be 1/4" before the edge of the cross member. 

 

[01Lambiero]

Hang in there, Simple Man.  A custom made part sometimes is a "modification may be necessary" part.  They just don't tell you that.  It's just a "speed bump" on your way to the 3% Club. 

01

[Simple Man]

Simple Man, it was a joke. I know sometimes my humor is too dry. I was asking if it did not fit a Fiero, then what car was it designed for? Best wishes with your endeavor.

 It hard to convey humor via the written word.  Use an emoji like this  or

The suspension kit was built for a Fiero.   You can read about other quality control issues people have had on Pennocks.

It will all work out in the end but what a PITA 

[76mx]

Simple Man, it was a joke. I know sometimes my humor is too dry. I was asking if it did not fit a Fiero, then what car was it designed for? Best wishes with your endeavor.

[Simple Man]

So what model of car was the kit that they sold you for?

hmmm, not sure what your are asking  , but the car is a fiero with a G28 body.

[76mx]

So what model of car was the kit that they sold you for?