Don 79 TA

well....
ok technically they are wrong according to their instructions
it was about 5-7 minutes for the install
and about 1.5 hrs looking for my F'n tools that someone took from me LOL

all in all, it went in so easily on her 88 formula 350

unfortunately, the distributor is broken
new one on order

LON is the MANNNnnnnnnnnnnnn

perfect fit
i mean perfect, espcecially compare to the piece of crap BMR bar that Thunder Racing Screwed me on last year by not taking it back.

ohhh well
it fit beyond perfectly with the dual fans and all

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

sweet good to hear! i got one and have yet to install it.. i'm gonna throw it on this weekend hopefully.

u been driving the car with it on? hows the feel?

roughskinjrz

i did mine with the motor out of the vehicle, took about 5 minutes or so also.

fireturd350

iTrader: (8)

What did you not like about the BMR? I bought one had fitment issues on one bolt so I had to dremel it out a little wider. Was yours a simliar problem? My powdercoating was also chipping too. I went head and painted it with Por-15... all fixed up now.

Xlr8torZ28

iTrader: (19)

I got my TDS wonderbar a few months ago.... I had my car on a lift... If I had used some PB penetrating lube I might have been able to get it on in less than 10 minutes.... But if I did it all over again with air tools, lift, and some PB... 5 minutes or less fo sho...

Don 79 TA

the BMR bar to me is a piece of crap, especially for the dual fan setup
the TDS one is no comparison
the BMR didn't even come close to fitting, thats why i ditched it
maybe the firebirds with dual fans are different?

She drive the car today, and was impressed at how better it felt
pretty amazing

Lon's bar installs so easily and fits absolutely perfectly

Bull

iTrader: (5)

Ok, this is the last straw! I have been hearing such awesome things about the TDS Wonderbar and Lon's service...I am going to order one this very evening! If it goes on so easy, makes such a big difference, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I have to ask myself what I've been waiting for!

Don 79 TA

you know, those were the exact words i said
and like i said, it's a nice piece
and he's a nice guy, although i only emailed him. he was responsive and helpful
and shipped immediately
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i'll also add that i didn't jack the car up or anything, amazingly enough i got my fat a$$ under the car and did it
so, if it were jacked up having easier access, i'd say less then 5mins
unless you have to hunt for that 15mm

1/2 drive to remove it comes in handy
as well as wd40 << didn't do that though

Bull

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the tips. I have some nice car ramps I plan on using during the install. Just placed my order 5 minutes ago

Xlr8torZ28

iTrader: (19)

Get you a can of PB and spray the bolts 5 minutes before you start.... will go way faster....

Dr G

I've always found Lon at TDS a pleasure to deal with. His wonderbar is great, fits without any problems.

Furthermore, shipping to the UK was no problem for him and everything went very smoothly.

wgripp

iTrader: (1)

What is PB and where can I get some?

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

PB Blaster (or PB Penetrating Catalyst if you want to get technically correct).

PB Penetrating Catalyst

Aero KROIL is an excellent product also.

KanoLabs.com

Both are much better than WD40 for loosening rusted parts.

Lon

RevItUpZ28

iTrader: (1)

A wonderbar is one of the mods I've been meaning to do for quite a while, but kept putting it on the backburner. Seeing this thread got me looking into Lon's TDS bar and I checked out a few other brands. I must say, I really think this wonderbar looks exceptional to the others, especially with how it uses 3 bolts on each side instead of the usual 2. (Not to mention the TDS price was cheaper than the others I looked into) I'll be ordering mine this coming week!

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

i definately recommend a can of PB blaster and a breaker bar!

my car is rarely driven in the rain anymore and has NO rust underneath and i couldnt break the bolts loose!!! so no wonder bar install for me yet...

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

This is what I use. I got mine at Pep Boys on sale. I see they are also listed on eBay for far less that what I paid.

Lon

Xlr8torZ28

iTrader: (19)

There is only one thing I dont like about the TDS bar is that the ends of the tube are open. I think they should be welded shut on the ends of the tube. I used some black silicone to seal mine to keep water and rust out. But I still like the bar and think it is an awesome product.

RevItUpZ28

iTrader: (1)

I can't tell from the picture of the bar what area of the tube you are referring to. Have any pics?

EDIT: Found a pic in another thread...I see what you're talking about from the bottom view. Hmmm...good idea on using the silicone, just in case.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Small freeze plugs work fine also. Mist alittle oil or WD in there, seal it up, shouldnt corrode anytime soon. Not that its going to rust apart anytime soon anyways. Ive ALWAYS had awsome luck with Lon. Especially with the hatch pull down, headlight pop-up, and soon to be upper door hinges.

Justin

Xlr8torZ28

iTrader: (19)

you cant use freeze plugs... the tube is split by the bracket... open on both sides of the mounting plate...

wgripp

iTrader: (1)

Should I get Aero Kroil or Sili Kroil?
----------
Oh snap, the ends of the bar are open? I was about to get one. Is there anyway to paint the inside with POR 15? I was thinking about getting the zinc plated one and painting over it with POR. Or maybe I should just get the regular one, and save like 8 bucks?

P.S. Will PORing insize of the screw holes be too much for the screws to fit?

-Bill

Bull

iTrader: (5)

Bill, I wouldn't even sweat the idea of trying to POR the inside of the bar. You'd have to stick a small funnel in the end and pour the POR in.

If the holes bother you, another method for filling them besides silicone is to get some of that epoxy putty that looks like a tube of silver play-doh and that you mix together and apply to holes. Dries rock-hard, can be sanded or filed for looks, then dabbed with some paint.

I'm just going to thrown mine on as-is.

wgripp

iTrader: (1)

Bull,

Thanks for the heads up! I'm just insanely rust-a-phobic. Maybe if I get the zinc plated one, it'll have the zinc on the inside, so I dont need to worry about rust! My concern about the zinc on the outside is that it will scratch off. =/ Any product reccomendations for epoxy putty? Anything I should put in there to prevent trapped moisture from going ape on the inside fo the bar?

Bull

iTrader: (5)

Hi Bill,

I understand rustaphobia well as a fellow northerner.

I have used the putty that the makers of POR sell in their catalog. But, my local NAPA has tubes of a similar product on the counter, and I plan on buying this stuff next time I need any and giving it a try. They are probably all pretty similar.

I guess if you wanted to be real safe, you could use the epoxy putty to plug up one end of the bar, then funnel some heavier-weight oil into it and turn it around to try and distribute it in the inside of the bar. Then, seal-up the other end of the bar.

I am willing to bet that whatever you do, that bar is going to last a long time!

Dave

fireturd350

iTrader: (8)

I just poured some Por-15 down the center of mine. I did use marine clean and metal etcher first.

Don't forget to get your new bushings too when you do it, mine were nearly worn in 1/2! I just installed Lon's 36mm greaseable zincs and the 1LE zinc plated end links. Both extremely nice pieces, well worth the money if you live in the rust belt. I had to remove my old end links with an impact and vice grips. The washers actually rusted solid to the bolt.

wgripp

iTrader: (1)

EDIT: Rendundant post deleted

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

How does the car feel after the install? I thought about getting one but my friend told me that it wouldn't be any better than the stock one, and he is a pretty experienced road racing instructor.

Bull

iTrader: (5)

I just installed mine about 15 minutes ago...will know later tonight how the car feels after the install.

I am not positive, but I think that Lon's version is superior than stock, perhaps in part because it utilizes two extra mounting points over the stock piece (three on each side rather than two. Of course, this equates to the bar being able to resist flexing more successfully.

Stevo

iTrader: (45)

front end is so tight, that the back end of my car feels loose. I also did a lot more suspension work, but im gonna be messing with tire pressures first.

Bull

iTrader: (5)

Ok, the car definitely feels tighter.

What a great upgrade...wish they were all this easy and reasonable.

wgripp

iTrader: (1)

I was going to get new bolts, are the new bushings included with them? What are the 36mm greaseable zincs and 1le zinc plated ends?

Should I POR15 over the zinc plating? (will the por15 stick to it?) I heard that zinc is a very soft metal and will wear off easily. Or should I just get a bare metal bar and degrease it, etch it, and paint it?

Thanks,
Bill

Don 79 TA

Well I drove her car last night and i can tell you this bar was a nice addition. you can feel the front end being tighter.

very well worth it

fireturd350

iTrader: (8)

The ones I bought had bolts, zinc brackets, and bushings ($41 for the pair). The 36mm greaseable zincs are the bushings kit made for the 1LE or WS6 bars. Energy Suspension does not offer a bushing that big. They'll tell you they do but it's supposedly only 34mm. Spohn reams his out to 36mm, but Lon buys them direct from another company.

The 1LE end links are the for the sway bar to A arm connection. Once again my WS6 had nylon bushings on it, so I didn't want to replace it with poly. For $15.25 each you can get GM pieces that have been zinc plated.

You can por-15 over zinc. I did on my motor mounts. I used marine clean and metal ready first to make sure I got a good bonding surface.

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

I am holding a one day sale on my Steering Braces, today May 1. Actually, to put it in prespective, I've raised the price of the Steering Brace for the first time in nearly 3 years to $55. Consider this one day sale as your last opportunity to get one at the old price of $50. Thanks for your continued support and patronage.

Thanks,

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

wgripp

iTrader: (1)

Allright, I'm ordering. Quick question, on my 1991 TA, what size is my front and rear sway bar?

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

You tell me. If your car has the WS6 RPO option code, then the front bar is 36mm, the rear is 24mm. Otherwise you could have a 34/23 combo. Unlike the Formula TA's didn't all have the WS6 performance Suspension. To be sure you'll need to measure. A 36mm sway bar is approximately 1.42", a 34mm is 1.34". Both are hollow and have the small vent hole on either end where it necks down, so you can't distinguish them by just that. Be sure to clean off any dirt, grease, etc. I've been fooled inot thinking I was getting a 36mm sway bar at the Pick-a-part yard by very rusty 34mm bars. Of course there is no guarantee that a car in our Southern California PAP yards didn't spend part of its life either in the Rust Belt or beach climate.

Lon

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Coming from someone who did NOT have a wonder bar before installation and after it made a huge difference.

My friend has the spohn brace, and I have the TDS brace.

Both work awesome and its a big difference if you are without one.

Over a stock bar I don't know how much better it would be.

Mine was about 5 minutes too. Drive up on ramps. Unbolt 4 bolts. hold sway bar, fit wonder bar, install bolts. enjoy.

taman86

iTrader: (4)

Has any body upgraded from a stock GM Wonderbar, to the legendary TDS one, on a car with a 36mm swaybar? I'm wondering, if the smaller the swaybar, the more improvement to be gained with a "wonderbar".

Anyhow I got a stock Iroc Wondurbar, at the bone yard, and I am trying to decide weather or not to install it, of just go with the TDS.

Guess I could try both, and then report back.

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

Yes I have several customers I'm aware of that have upgraded from their stock GM wonderbars to my version. The GM wonderbars end up on eBay afterward.

Lon

flyitlikustolit

I upgraded the suspension all at once. I ordered everything from Spohn.... except the wonderbar i got from Lon. not only was it a night/day difference better, but the service was fast and great, and his wonderbar even fit with all of steve's components. I love Spohn's stuff, and i swear by it... i waited 2 years for him to finally come out with a tubular k-member (it goes on sale in july!!!!!!) so i could buy his a-arms too. And i still wouldn't recommend any other bar than Lon's. it's hands-down the best one.




I like the fact that i can see inside it because i can check for cracks or rust.