Finally had a little time this week to get some work done. It seems like I spent the entire week on those dumb control arms.....oh yeah that and work.

New arms painted, new STS Machining delrin bushings and sleeves installed, Delrin rear bushings and welded cups put back in. I noticed that the fasteners on these rear cups had come loose so I installed a thick grade 8 washer, lock tite and torqued them down.

For a stock setup its damn good looking

https://i.imgur.com/zO9yZ3Gh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gDx5Mb9h.jpg


Straightforward install surprisingly enough they went right on. I have messed with the front suspension so many times that I know exactly what I need to swap these out....if you recall I had lots of issues when I first put the car together with the front end.

So with the new arms on, we had a couple issues, fenders needed more work to clear the tires with an extra .75" of width. Drivers fender got rolled a bunch passenger a little bit.

Then onto figuring how to make it steer. I adjusted the outer tie rods and they probably would have been ok as far as thread engagement but I just wasnt comfortable with the minimum thread engagement I was getting. Checked with some folks and they said 2002 focus outers work...the ones I got were no longer.

So I started digging. Turns out that the 740 inner tie rods are 30mm longer than the stock 240 inner tie rods, this was gonna be close and they use the same outer. I had bought some new inner and outer tie rods for the 940 and they happen to be the same rack.....surely this wouldnt work.

https://i.imgur.com/q6PgSGKh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mx0OFSFh.jpg

Sure as ****, these bolted right in, 30mm longer, same boot and everything worked. Stoked. I have full engagement of the tie rod and an OEM product on there with the right taper.

I buttoned that all up, adjusted the coilovers, sway bar ends and got the car at ride height and set the camber at 3.9......best I could get before was 2.5 so I am heading in the right direction.

https://i.imgur.com/P0QgtAJh.jpg

Got the slam panel on, adjusted the hood latch, grille back on and buttoned up all of my loose ends on the frontend work including drilling and tapping the UHMW air dam so its fastened to both the lower air dam and the skid plate. Should have no problem staying on at 150+

https://i.imgur.com/8mROun3h.jpg

Its hard to see it, but before there was nothing to stop the air from going under the car, now all the air going through the speed holes and the air dam opening should get directed into the coolers and radiator.

https://i.imgur.com/L5BAgNrh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TmKefmWh.jpg

Very much needed garage cleaning session with the old turd out enjoying some daylight.

https://i.imgur.com/eocx9Nsh.jpg

Its rowdy, doesnt sound like a truck anymore as my buddy Asher says about all my ls swapped cars =)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2tMnyMK0PHo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Very base tune on it, drove around my neighborhood it dies once and throttle needs some sensitivity adjustment but its a whole new animal thats for sure.

:-P

Cool stuff, Sean. It's hysterical how much utterly useless information we come across in the perpetual building of these things. If only Jeopardy had questions regarding obscure Volvo part fitment or C4 Corvette frame components . . .

On a fun note, one of my new neighbors is a pipefitter with a Dynasty in his garage. Maybe one day I'll have some welding on my car that looks like you did it . . . Another interesting change is that the Cars & Coffee here is so big that they put it on TV on some NBC cable channel (less obscure than MavTV, so I'm told).

Here's to a bit less rain going forward.:bur2:

Here you go...

Thats awesome!!! Gotta watch out for those pipefitters (Thats what I am by the way) Appreciate the props but I am a total rookie at best.

I still cannot believed that you moved across the country, so crazy. Is all your stuff out there?

Very much hoping for less rain and the car stuff to pickup again, up here in the PNW it pretty much goes dormant from September to May or June. Lame.

Thanks man, not sure why it didnt work, posted up just fine on my Volvo forum. Appreciate the help.

:drive:

Tone of Volvo idling is absolutely perfect; it's not at all what one would expect, even with the hellaflush wheels. Then again, it's kind of like the prostitute with the adam's apple and a strangely deep voice, if you've had enough alcohol to appreciate the uniqueness . . .

All of our stuff is indeed out here; I think I did the drive (2500 miles) three times between Nov. and Jan. I could do without another hotel stay for the next year or two. The old 12-valve hauled Fritz the 524 out without an issue, aside from the headlights not working after Phoenix . . .

Things are astoundingly cool here, from beer to mountain bike-specific parks to three road courses within two hours of driving (Road Atlanta, Atlanta Motorsports Park, and Barber Motorsports Park). You also get a bit more house for your dollar.

Gratuitous threadjacking pictures follow.

Pushed the ****box volvo to the side of the shop and started on this little project. Started out as a something to just get seat time in and snowballed a little bit. Nothing major but should be fun.

Basher started on it a while back and had a great start going, I picked up where he left off and ran with it.

http://i.imgur.com/HPjbLGWh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/yElCRAdh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vkfRDxUh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TJsLDyZh.jpg

Plan is boosted 4 cylinder.

I dont think it really fits in with the big dollar cars on this forum but thought I would update the thread with what I have been up to.

Cheers and hope everyone is going well with this Covid Crap

What??? :D

All is well here, except a sick car and a sick pooch.

Hopefully both are back on the mend again soon.

When are we going wheeling?

Awesome on the Fox. Love it. Glad Basher let you have it so something could actually get done on it. :poke:

turbo 4 banger huh....... :D

Been following along with your Fox body build on Instagram. Love the attention to detail on all of your builds! Thanks for keepin up updated.

Yeah, kind of eyeballing the GTC Class, car could be 2595 lbs, boosted 4 cylinder and proper suspension. Car would be a riot.

Sorry about the doggo man, what the story? My schnauzer got Cancer, broke me and have not been able to get another one.

Let me know when and Ill be there......after the BS is settled down. On a side note, my mother in law just retired and moved to Goodyear, how far is that from you? Ill be down there often....

Thanks man, its been fun, started out easy and like everything I went too far. I dont blame him, life stuff happens and he is doing what he should spending time with the boys while they still enjoy hanging with dad =)

Thanks dude, your car is outstanding I have really grown to love the 3rd gens. I got to see the Detroit Speed one at SEMA and Optima and was blown away, I would love to check yours out in person some day. This one is definitely going to be less pretty than the others though. I want to beat on it and not worry about chipping engine bay paint.

Good to hear from you guys, glad people are doing well.

Sean