From: wil4ds@ix.netcom.com
Time and Money:
About 1 to 3 hours, depending on ability. $125.00 +/- for parts, plus
$60.00 +/- for additional parts if car has no front bar.
Difficulty:
If you can change your oil, you can do this.
This protocol is intended to improve handling of street-driven Neons. We have found it to make a world of improvement in the cornering of our Neon due to flatter cornering stance and reduced front end plow. You must upgrade the front bar before installing new rear bar to avoid creating oversteer under hard driving conditions. Autocrossers have their own opinions about this, however.
There are 3 different sets of struts for Neons: Base, Touring (Hilines and Sports) and Competition (very stiff - ACR). There are various OEM spring sets, but these vary more by equipment level than model to keep ride height consistent as weight changes.
These are coupled with 3 different sway bar sets: Base (no swaybars), Touring (19mm front, no rear) and Competition (22mm front, 16mm rear). Note that Sport Sedans have the straight Touring suspension while Sport Coupes have the Touring struts and the Competition swaybars.
Parts list first followed by procedure short and clear as possible. Be sure to point out quantity to parts clerk so that you get all parts in first trip. Requires 13mm, 15mm (x2), and 18mm wrenches.
Part No Description Qty Price ea
-----------------------------------------------------
4626 777 Front sway bar 22mm 1 $31.50
Items below are required for Base cars with no front bar:
4626 762 Bracket, FSB 2 $2.42
6503 292 Screw 2 $1.21
6503 937 Nut 2 $1.67
4626 368 Cushion, FSB (bushing) 2 $5.00
4762 137 Link package 2 $20.65
(contains clamps, bushings, links, washers etc.)
4626 763 Rear sway bar 16mm 1 $51.00
4626 767 Cushion, RSB (bushing) 2 $2.20
4626 768 Bracket, RSB (right) 1 $2.25
4626 769 Bracket, RSB (left) 1 $2.25
6502 810 Screw/washer m12x1.5x40 2 $0.85
4626 766 Link, RSB 2 $13.50
6502 803 Screw/washer m10x1.5x55 4 $1.10
6502 696 Nut m10x1.5 2 $0.95
4626 764 Bracket, link (right) 1 $3.60
4626 765 Bracket, link (left) 1 $3.60
REPLACING FRONT BAR:
Jack car up and place on stands at jackpoint behind front wheels.
Change oil while under there anyway. Remove nut from bar end links
where attached to control arms, being careful to note assembly of
various bushings/washers, and back out long bolt. All bushings appear
to be same but safest to put back in original order. Bar is retained by
stamped steel clamp (one end bolted, one end slotted into frame) holding
split bushing which squeezes bar. Remove bolts and drop bar, noting
which side is up. Peel retainer bushing off old bar and place in same
position on new bar. Split goes toward front on front bar. Put bar in
position (there are guide beads in frame member to align retainer
bushings) with retainer clamps *loosely* tightened in so bar is free to
rotate. Reassemble link ends with all washers bushings spacers etc and
tighten to 21 ft/lbs (tight but not brutally so) and leave retainers
loose. Drop car and crawl back under (no mean trick w/ suspension
compressed to curb height) to tighten retainers also to 21 ft/lbs.
INSTALLING REAR BAR:
Jack car and place on stands. Remove rear wheels. Brackets (L/R are
different) are a stamped plate w/ two bolt holes. Remove nuts on back
of rear knuckle at base of strut, place bracket over studs, and replace
nuts. Links look like barbell with captive bushing at each end. Bolt
one end of link to bracket plate, tight but movable. Pass sway bar over
exhaust pipe (offset in middle of bar goes down to clear gas tank) and
bolt to other end of each link and move into place. Bar is retained by
clamp/bushing same as front (holes and captive nuts are there already)
except that this time split faces *rear*. Barbell links should be
vertical with sway bar at top end. Tighten all link bolts but leave
retainer clamps loose. Reinstall rear wheels and drop car. Again with
weight on wheels, crawl under and tighten retainer bolts.
Have a coke and some chips, then go out and drive car. You will find it remarkably improved, if not exactly race prepped. But it only cost about $120, and took maybe two hours. Not a bad investment. Thanks to Brendon Macaraeg for the information concerning the additional front end parts for Base cars.