Well, I finally got some time to work on the GP today and got at least some of the work done that I wanted to. So I swapped out the rear sway bar with the GMPP, and also installed Moog greasable endlinks. Pretty straightforward. I also installed the rear strut tower brace, although without drilling....the install instructions called for using one of the existing strut mount bolts on each side and then removing the strut assemblies to drill the body and add a second stud on each side. I didn't have the time/desire to remove the rear struts to add the extra studs for the STB, so I installed using only the existing studs, one on each side. Depending on how the strut towers flex in relation to each other, it's either almost as good with one stud or damn near worthless.
On the front, I was surprised to find that I already had the GMPP 34mm sway bar. You may ask why I didn't measure the bar when I had it up in the air to change the struts or the brakes....wondered that myself. The rubber endlinks were shot so I replaced with Moog poly sets.
For those who suggested the Don Ross mounting plates, you win. I copied the GM supplied templates onto card stock, trimmed per instructions, only to find that they didn't fit on my strut towers. The bolt holes in the template didn't line up with the struts, and the location of where you were supposed to drill didn't look right. With daylight waning, I decided to button it up and get it on the road to see how it rode, So no front STB today.
So the net of today's efforts are a new GMPP rear sway bar with new Moog endlinks, new Moog endlinks on the existing GMPP front swaybar, a half-assed install on the rear STB and no front STB.
The result....1000% improvement in handling and ride. The vertical travel in the suspension is a lot more linear, and the car isn't tossing me side-to-side in my seat anymore. The car feels tighter, nimbler, and much more controllable over uneven roads at high speeds. The bump/dip combo on a curve didn't make me feel like I was going to leave the roadway at 80 mph....I took it up to 90 and it felt as solid as you could want it. That's not to say it handles like it's on rails....I need to get that front STB in, and upgrade round 2 will include front LCAs and rear trailing arms.
Anyway a good day all in all and very pleased with the results.
