Suspension Package FE1, FE2, FE3

[pokesmot]

Hey, was wondering the difference between the different suspension packages that came with the 92-95 Generation grand ams.


one thing I know for sure is that the diameter of the sway bar increases based on the suspension option, but I was wonderign what other components might be different, from lets say FE1 to FE2?

I ask this because my GM service manaul states only FE2 and FE3 suspension packages can handle a 16" rim... but I found out I have FE1, so I need to know if I need to upgrade my sway bar or something if I want to keep my 16" rims.

[goredsox]

well i have FE2 on my baby, i know that 15's came stock and if you got the package for 16" Alloys (which i have) they beefed up the suspension in some way i'm really not too sure... Did yours come stock with 15's???

[pokesmot]

Not sure what they came stock with. When I bought the car it had 14" steel rims on it :(

[MantaGreen97]

I think it is more an issue that 16" wheels never came with a car unless it had FE2 or FE3, rather than it being a case of the FE1 package not being able to handle the larger wheel. I.e. those options of 16" wheels and the more upgraded suspension were always together.

I think you'll be fine with the wheels on the car now :)

As for the differences in the packages, I'm unsure about your year of GA. I know on 95-98 GAs there is barely any difference at all. I don't think there was an FE1 on 95-98 cars and the difference between FE2 and FE3 was merely the shocks and struts used and nothing else. Contrary to popular belief the 95-98 FE3 did not have a rear sway bar that FE2 did not get--neither had one at all, lol. (See the thread about the anti-sway bar for 96-98 cars for more.)

In any case the size of your front anti-sway bar (even if different than the FE2 and FE3 cars) has little bearing on what size of wheels you can use. I don't see how a smaller anti-roll bar would change the ability for a car to "handle" different wheel sizes/tyre widths. Certainly the better bars will handle better, but it shouldn't affect what tyres you can put on the car.

[Matt95GT]

FE1's steering had a longer lock-to-lock... almost 1 whole turn. The reason no 16" wheel packages came with FE1 was to avoid tire rub.

Originally posted by MantaGreen97
the difference between FE2 and FE3 was merely the shocks and struts used and nothing else.

Actually the manual trans FE3's got different front sway bars.

[DSMMAN]

I have a 93 with the 3.3 and a 16 inch wheel on my car (stock) and I have the Fe1 according to the dealer. My suspension sucks. Im actually going to try to upgrade to some Eibach or something if I can find something in my year.

[pokesmot]

you have the exact same car as me pretty much then...

if you ever need sway bar bushings they are 26mm.

I agree the suspension does suck, despite replacing coils, struts, bushing, sway links, ball joints, tie rod ends (everything)

[Matt95GT]

Originally posted by DSMMAN
I have a 93 with the 3.3 and a 16 inch wheel on my car (stock) and I have the Fe1 according to the dealer.

Check the RPO codes on the underside of the spare tire cover. If I had to count the number of times dealers / parts shops were wrong, it would prolly require fingers and toes to do so.

[DSMMAN]

I just checked the Spare Tire cover and I read the codes on there. It says FE2. So yeah , I guess they were wrong. Im thinking of getting some Sprint Springs to lower it. I have Eibach on my Eclipse but the sprint are only 250 for the set of 4