Firm Feel Products

Camtron said:
Good luck separating the end shafts from your old torsion bars. Might want to start soaking them in penetrating oil now or get ready to carefully cut the end shafts out of your torsion bars...
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I won't have to do that because I have a set of NOS assemblies in a box...so that is the easy part. However, what you suggested as far as the soaking part goes was exactly my plan for the pivot section.

Camtron said:
...If your car doesn’t have a big block and your not hitting the auto cross tracks, I can’t imagine most guys wanting the larger bars on their car unless their looking for a real stiff ride...
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Well, to each his own, as they say. My coupe is getting the Borgeson PS box to improve the steering response, that's sitting in the box and just needs to be installed. All other parts already are the HD stuff, so once it's all buttoned-up I'm sure I'll have some good remarks to present back to our forum.

In the meantime...I hear my unfinished W2s calling me...LOL, better get back to that "thankless" task!
 
Wonderful, you never mentioned having a NOS set; that’s very well and nice for you and likely no one else thinking about buying them…which is why people should know what they’re buying, getting and the work involved. Edit: Because people won’t be buying a full/complete kit.
I bring up the stiff ride with the larger bars because, I have done about everything to my front steering/suspension that you can on these cars, aside the steering box, and that’s the end result of chasing performance handling, a ridged ride that handles rock solid; with factory bars.

Enjoy the garage time.
 
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Camtron said:
Wonderful, you never mentioned having a NOS set; ...
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Umm...yeah, I did, see => Firm Feel Products

Regardless, I gather by your feedback that you are not enthused about these, and that's fine. Like I said earlier: to each his own!

Bottom Line for me (unchanged): the aftermarket has NEVER explicitely pandered to us (F / M / J), and in that sense I am happy to pick up what aftermarket is producing TODAY and close out the gaps on my own, even if that means a little "elbow grease" is needed!

Everyone: the key points have been raised in this discussion and hopefully that has provided some insights as to what extent this is a "bolt-in". I do NOT speak for Frank/FF, nor am I a sales man for their product, my updates here were meant to keep the information (as it became available) flowing.

Enough said...
 
M_Body_Coupe said:
Umm...yeah, I did, see => Firm Feel Products

Regardless, I gather by your feedback that you are not enthused about these, and that's fine. Like I said earlier: to each his own!

Bottom Line for me (unchanged): the aftermarket has NEVER explicitely pandered to us (F / M / J), and in that sense I am happy to pick up what aftermarket is producing TODAY and close out the gaps on my own, even if that means a little "elbow grease" is needed!

Everyone: the key points have been raised in this discussion and hopefully that has provided some insights as to what extent this is a "bolt-in". I do NOT speak for Frank/FF, nor am I a sales man for their product, my updates here were meant to keep the information (as it became available) flowing.

Enough said...
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You’re right, I did miss you mention you having the ends.
It’s not that I’m not enthused, as I mentioned, I want their larger 300wr set and have quite a few of their parts on my car.
My questions started to clarify what is included with the purchase. Because people who own these cars, come here for information and to learn things. So when they see someone posting about a full/complete torsion bar kit being available when, no, it’s not really a full/complete kit, they deserve to have that information before they spend the $1,200 on parts that they might not be able to get installed like they thought/planned. That’s all. Because if you don’t have NOS bar ends put away, it’s quite a bit of work that a number of guys wouldn’t be able to get done in their garage at home.

Edit, to be fair, you said you have “end point bushings” in your post; and I took it as just that, the bushings themselves, not the entire end shaft assembly. My bad.
 
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Camtron said:
Good luck separating the end shafts from your old torsion bars. Might want to start soaking them in penetrating oil now or get ready to carefully cut the end shafts out of your torsion bars.
If your car doesn’t have a big block and your not hitting the auto cross tracks, I can’t imagine most guys wanting the larger bars on their car unless their looking for a real stiff ride.
Tubular control arms, and new torsion bar bushing made my steering and handling rock solid (steering box slop aside) coupled with cop front and rear sway bars. I only want the larger bars because I have a big block swap planned for my car and need to be able to handle the extra weight up front.
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Aluminum heads, intake, and water pump and housing will get you very near stock small block weight. Put the battery in the trunk, even better.
 
jasperjacko said:
Aluminum heads, intake, and water pump and housing will get you very near stock small block weight. Put the battery in the trunk, even better.
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Crazy, I have aluminum heads, intake and water pump for my 383. thanks for the advice. Are you running a big block in your car?
 
I want a "smooth" ride. It's why I kept the rubber control arm bushings and the rear isolator pads. But I don't want wallowing.

The factory front bars seem VERY under-sprung (or they age poorly). With 5 leafs in the back I'm forced to run my rear rebound damping at jack-down levels and my front compression damping high trying to "catch" the porpoising front end before the bump stops on highway bridge transitions or large dip in the road... and I'm still on the bump stops hard in most cases.

I ordered a set of these big bars. They'll better match the weight of this car and compliment the FFI sway bars and Vi-King dual adjustable shocks. I'll be able to back off the strange damping profile and enjoy evenly matched springs front to rear.
 
Quick update: heard from Frank yesterday (phone call), they ran into some issues with the materials, this will delay things by a few weeks.

We chatted very briefly (as I was on a way to a meeting), but he basically said: we want to do this right, going through additional testing now given that we modified some of the production processes and want to make sure the bars are GOOD!!!
 
80mirada said:
Mine are now on a UPS truck!!!!!
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Nice!

Mine got delivered already, but they are sitting at buddy's place (US) so I need to get out there to pick these gems up...

For what it's worth: when Frank and I chatted (right before he sent the bars out) he mentioned that the next run of bars will most likely be the even larger 1-3/8" bars, which they did NOT make before, but which folks who had previously bought their stuff did inquire about.

He was going through some QA testing on his end when we spoke.
 
My 300# t-bars are en route

TBKFMJ14 F,M,J-Body Torsion Bar Kit w/ Urethane Bushings 1-1/4"
Subtotal 1,200.00
SHIP Shipping and Handling 110.00

$1,310.00
 
LSM360 said:
My 300# t-bars are en route

TBKFMJ14 F,M,J-Body Torsion Bar Kit w/ Urethane Bushings 1-1/4"
Subtotal 1,200.00
SHIP Shipping and Handling 110.00

$1,310.00
Click to expand...
Larry let us know your opinion of them when your done. Thanks Charlie
 
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