Just a note, our instructor tought us a face shield is not a replacement to safety glasses. It's only supposed to be a suppliment. But I too am loving the new way you edited this video. Keep up the good work, Joe T
Eric. Being a mechanic like you I worked on other peoples equipment for decades. When I got a chance to do my jeep build I enjoyed the challenge and the ability to put all the job knowledge into my own build while also learning a ton. Rebuilding a manual transmission running custom fuel system etc... Granted I wasn't doing it on TH-cam like yourself but I really appreciate viewing your take on a build. Not a tv show take where there a cuts with no real educational value. Your videos are quality and I really enjoy them. I was sad to hear tat others aren't appreciating the Fairmont build but I am glad that you are doing it. From a guy who watched builds in magazines and forums I don't think some people understand the value of watching a in-depth build like you are doing. The details that make all the difference that you are unaware of at the beginning. The uncertainty of the direction it is going and the joy of driving something you put together. I do though so thank you! Also if you run dedicated grounds you will thank yourself later! j/k
Love this video series. Brings back so many child hood memories of my mom's red Fairmont with its decaying viral top, and my dad's Fairmont wagon. I kept trying to get them to let me do these kind of things to their cars. Mom always called the her car the boring mustang.
Of course the fairmont build was/is a long process for eric and us he explained that things were gonna go wrong regardless at the beginning of the build. It's definitely rewarding if you learn from it, there are things you wouldn't learn from repair videos from this and vice versa.
Is there any reason you can't pivot the bar brackets on the axle so it sits just below the drain plug instead of blocking it? The bar would be just a touch lower, but probably not as low as your torque arm, and it would leave you better access - but it may require repositioning the body mounts a little further forward to compensate for the different position. Btw, not bad with those welds...I'm no expert, but they're certainly looking a lot better, both aesthetically and in terms of penetration.
Yea, the brackets are welded in. ;) That said, I messed around with it off camera quite a bit to get what I got. It really was the best option. I'm not really worried. It's not like I'll be changing the diff fluid every week.
aussiebloke609 That would cause trouble, he's using a pre-made kit not building it from scratch. To change things would alter the geometry of the suspension and cause problems with the motion of other components. When you build yourself you can plan around these things. The kit he's using is a good quality, it should give him good service.
Eric I must say you handled the last week very well. It was smart to air your concerns, you took the feedback and adjusted and I think came out on the other side better.
Man I just found your channel like last week and will say I've probly watched 75 videos within the past week, just the way you work is so relateable to a young technician like myself and watching you work is addicting and an incredible amount of knowledge. One question I have watching all of your videos is I cannot believe you do not use a quarter inch electric impact, I simply cannot imagine myself removing a 10 or 12 mm fastener if it's accessible without my electric impact, it has to be my number one used tool and yet I see you taking off all of these easy bolts with a hand tool, regardless love the channel and your work
Eric love the Video, Nice change in pace. Much more describable and good explanations. Welds don't look bad at all and for a stabilizer bar that's sufficient. From an experienced point of view, slightly wider pattern with a bit faster wire feed will definitely get better penetration on more crucial items. Great Key Reminder- Rapid Buzz Sound, with little to no STUTTER. Look forward to future Video's!
I can't wait for Friday's to get here fast enough because it's a long stretch to a new Fairmont video. I personally like every one of the 'mont videos because it reminds me of the one I built years ago...and makes me want to build another one.
That45guy You are not alone. Those of us who are happy for Eric and partly share his patience are very pleased. I find myself checking in every Friday and am over joyed to find any new video, build or repair.
Loving the Fairmont videos :3 please keep them coming, as I'm sure I speak for most of us when I say we want to see this project car through to the end as much (ok, maybe not *quite* as much as you- but close perhaps?) as you do, Eric ^_^ PS, I can't remember if it was this or another recent video (I'm posting this a few weeks after watching this video) but the tip about WD-40 as a cutting oil for drilling was a lifesaver (and somewhat a time-saver) for me today while I was working on a project that required me to drill through some thick aluminum several times and I had no other kind of oil on hand- thank you for the always helpful shop tips and tricks :)
You may want to make a center punch mark on each bracket bolted to the axle tubes and corresponding marks on the axle tubes, you'll find over time after some hard launches with slicks they will possibly move and the marks will give you an easy reference. Personally I'd add some welds but I've been doing this a long time. Just my thoughts.
When I built my first car I had adjustable anti (sway) roll bars both front and rear. What I learnt was that the effect of the anti roll bar was independent of the body mounting, and that little or no stress is carried to the body via the mounts. If you find that the roll bar inhibits access to the drain plug on your diff then it should be OK to shim the mounts. In my case I used layers of 1/4" thick high density plastic blocks (Delrin).
Eric, I have been BINGE watching the Fairmont Series since EPISODE ONE!! (I'm a Disabled Veteran and Retired with lots of time on my hands) Some of this Maximum Motorsports rear Suspension stuff looks REALLY Bulky! (Especially the Pinion Track Arm - although the effectiveness is OBVIOUS) 😲 But the Rear Stabilizer might be the trickest Swaybar Kit I've ever seen!! Being planted to the Body, it's way more effective than any other Fox/SN95 kit I've ever seen! - $420.00 tho!!!
1. Never owned a Ford 2. Never heard of a fairmont 3. Don't even like Fords. All that being said. I love the Fairmont vids because you truly see the enthusiasm when it comes to turning a wrench. Fixing cars is one thing. Modifying/ personalizing a car is something entirely different.
Your videos and information is very invaluable. Thanks again for the learning! People talking crap about hair probably have none....How juvenile! That would be like talking crap about a hole on one finger of your glove.....WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!
Smashing install eric, looks fidderly, oh there is bugger all wrong with your welding. Dropping the ratchet is the professional way, keeps the grease moving :).
I would love to go with this setup for my foxbody, can't wait to see the results when you get done. The only thing i would be worried about as you mentioned in the video is the stabilizer bar limiting suspension travel and resulting in less grip on the street which is where i will be driving my car 9 times out of 10.
My OCD would be so bad I'd take a grinder or sander to take off all the dirty and rustiness and repaint! I know you were on a time schedule and just want it done
Looking good Eric. I have a question in regards to suspension. Have you ever done an air ride conversion on a mopar with torsion bar front suspension? If not, could you do one?
Eric, for the Driver side attaching the bar to the brackets on the frame. Did you account for the extra weight of when you will be sitting in the car? That might account for the differences in hight on each side.
What is the reason for the thick differential cover? The bolt pattern on the back seems to indicate some other pieces of suspension are meant to bolt on to it. Maybe a simpler diffrential cover may provide more clearance. I haven't watched all the Fairmont project videos but want to checkout the modern suspension setup for live axle like the Mustang.
I bet you'll be spending so much time tweaking suspension settings ;). Absolutely love the Fairmont vids, I swear I'm more excited for it than you are haha
It's interesting how the designations of parts differ between English and German. While I was surprised to find translations for "torque arm" and "panhard bar", I also found that the panhard bar is sometime called a "Querlenker", which in English is usually referred to as a control arm (or wishbone), like in front wheel drive vehicles where it's a roughly triangular shaped piece of metal that connects to the body/frame and to the axle via the ball joint. If that makes any sense...?
Hey Eric what are the WFS and the voltage you use on the mig welder. Also from my experience in mig welding holding a shorter stickout will make those intermittent arc go away. Your welds sure have gotten better. When I started mig welding, they gave me a 16" x 10" x 1/2" plate and I welding beads on it all day. The start of the plate looked like a slug and by the end of the plate I was welding dimes.
At 29:04 Could you have done an adjustment by removing the pinch bolt from the bad side and rotate the arm a notch or two in the spline? Or would that cause issues?
eric good work. one question are you running rear spring isolators? it's hard to tell on video but that will get rid of vibration and noise and also make it ride height more aligned just something to think about if not. good stuff though I plan on doing the grip in a box by MMS on my fox
Fox was 79-93 actually. In case nobody already pointed that out. And the fox chassis continued through 2004 under the SN95 (94-98) and the New Edge (99-04). Ford didn't retire the chassis until the S197s in 05
If both ends were neutral on the ground at ride height and they didn't line up, it would to be logical as you're not sitting in the car. Did you account for that or was there even a need to account for that?
Hey Eric, why do you not trust toque wrenches? Iv always not trusted them as soon as I first used them. I find it hard to believe when you hardly turn it and it clicks its at toque especially when you do it tight by hand before using it.
Eric is there any reason why you did not use packing where the sub frame was off and left a gap? Wouldn't metal packing be stronger then just weld beads around the outside of the torsion bar mounting bracket? In other words, metal pack it and then weld the bracket to the sub frame. Regards Stewart, Australia.
It's not a torsion bar, it's a stabilizer bar. Torsion bars hold up the weight of the vehicle. Stabilizer bars just equalize the suspension. At least that's the way the terminology is in the US. That said, I don't think it'll be an issue. After all, that same bracket was holding the old upper control arm. If it was an issue I would think it would have gotten more stressed by the upper control arm.
EricTheCarGuy No you are right, I meant to say stabilizer bar, but a torsion bar here in Oz is use to limit body roll or rotational movement in the suspension , so I still think we are on the same page but our US /Oz language may differ. Thanks for the reply, Stewart.
hey eric, i looked as if you could have put a c-clamp on that factory metal where you had your gaps and pulled them back into position, is there some reason you didnt? just curious
"Welcome to my rear end" never thought I'd be so interested in your rear end Eric! Great video!
Just a note, our instructor tought us a face shield is not a replacement to safety glasses. It's only supposed to be a suppliment. But I too am loving the new way you edited this video.
Keep up the good work,
Joe T
Eric. Being a mechanic like you I worked on other peoples equipment for decades. When I got a chance to do my jeep build I enjoyed the challenge and the ability to put all the job knowledge into my own build while also learning a ton. Rebuilding a manual transmission running custom fuel system etc... Granted I wasn't doing it on TH-cam like yourself but I really appreciate viewing your take on a build. Not a tv show take where there a cuts with no real educational value. Your videos are quality and I really enjoy them. I was sad to hear tat others aren't appreciating the Fairmont build but I am glad that you are doing it. From a guy who watched builds in magazines and forums I don't think some people understand the value of watching a in-depth build like you are doing. The details that make all the difference that you are unaware of at the beginning. The uncertainty of the direction it is going and the joy of driving something you put together. I do though so thank you! Also if you run dedicated grounds you will thank yourself later! j/k
Thank you for that comment. I really appreciate it.
You are welcome.
Love this video series. Brings back so many child hood memories of my mom's red Fairmont with its decaying viral top, and my dad's Fairmont wagon. I kept trying to get them to let me do these kind of things to their cars. Mom always called the her car the boring mustang.
Of course the fairmont build was/is a long process for eric and us he explained that things were gonna go wrong regardless at the beginning of the build. It's definitely rewarding if you learn from it, there are things you wouldn't learn from repair videos from this and vice versa.
I enjoy the fairmont build and repair videos etc. it's something different.
Thanks.
Eric, I think you need a couple of more bars covering the rear dif lol.
At least it has a drain plug. ;)
some good welds there Eric . keep these Fairmont project clips coming. great work you do . #fordman #Aussie ford man ;)
Is there any reason you can't pivot the bar brackets on the axle so it sits just below the drain plug instead of blocking it? The bar would be just a touch lower, but probably not as low as your torque arm, and it would leave you better access - but it may require repositioning the body mounts a little further forward to compensate for the different position. Btw, not bad with those welds...I'm no expert, but they're certainly looking a lot better, both aesthetically and in terms of penetration.
Yea, the brackets are welded in. ;) That said, I messed around with it off camera quite a bit to get what I got. It really was the best option. I'm not really worried. It's not like I'll be changing the diff fluid every week.
aussiebloke609 That would cause trouble, he's using a pre-made kit not building it from scratch. To change things would alter the geometry of the suspension and cause problems with the motion of other components. When you build yourself you can plan around these things. The kit he's using is a good quality, it should give him good service.
I like the new introduction, short and gets people up to speed. Keep up the good work!
Eric I must say you handled the last week very well. It was smart to air your concerns, you took the feedback and adjusted and I think came out on the other side better.
Thanks. I think you'll see it even more in next weeks video. Thanks again for the feedback.
Dude, with every vid i get more excited to see this old ford bucket on the road.
I've never seen a fairmont in real life.
Man I just found your channel like last week and will say I've probly watched 75 videos within the past week, just the way you work is so relateable to a young technician like myself and watching you work is addicting and an incredible amount of knowledge. One question I have watching all of your videos is I cannot believe you do not use a quarter inch electric impact, I simply cannot imagine myself removing a 10 or 12 mm fastener if it's accessible without my electric impact, it has to be my number one used tool and yet I see you taking off all of these easy bolts with a hand tool, regardless love the channel and your work
Eric love the Video, Nice change in pace. Much more describable and good explanations. Welds don't look bad at all and for a stabilizer bar that's sufficient. From an experienced point of view, slightly wider pattern with a bit faster wire feed will definitely get better penetration on more crucial items. Great Key Reminder- Rapid Buzz Sound, with little to no STUTTER.
Look forward to future Video's!
I love this Fairmont build, it is nice to see something being modded that isn't a JDM rice rocket.
JDM Fanboy Triggered.
Welds are getting so much beter Eric! Nice job!
lovin the Fairmont vids keep up the good work.
I absolutely love the fairmont project and I cannot wait to see it done. It's going to be one badass car!!
Eric is certainly raising the bar on his Fairmont mods.
Nice!
I can't wait for Friday's to get here fast enough because it's a long stretch to a new Fairmont video. I personally like every one of the 'mont videos because it reminds me of the one I built years ago...and makes me want to build another one.
leemer1 well said! I agree about TGIF
Im not even a Ford fan but I have watched from the start. Be Proud!
that rear end is looking tasty eric, i love the fairmont bro!
I like the new employee, seems competent...but get him a hat.
The sound of your videos has improved a lot Sir!
I'm really loving this series Eric!
I Liked the format you did for this video, laying everything out in the beginning.
Love the new intro screen, text, and colour scheme. Yes, I said COLOUR. (Hello from Toronto, ON)
Am I the only one who gets excited for fairmont vids? Really dont understand the mass whining
YEP, people don't care about his lavish project. Don't ask me for any money for your channel or whatever.
lavish? LOL, jealous much?
Sure sounds like it.
yea, those are the only ones I really watch...
That45guy
You are not alone. Those of us who are happy for Eric and partly share his patience are very pleased. I find myself checking in every Friday and am over joyed to find any new video, build or repair.
I love the energy, and the project is looking great. Keep up the great work
Loving the new format Eric. I watched this one and thought - I can do that!
Nice rear end. Now that its set up, you're gonna find that your rear end doesn't "twerk" around near as much as before.
Great video and explanations!
Love your new video title convention! Also, Eric without a hat - nice!
Loving the Fairmont videos :3 please keep them coming, as I'm sure I speak for most of us when I say we want to see this project car through to the end as much (ok, maybe not *quite* as much as you- but close perhaps?) as you do, Eric ^_^
PS, I can't remember if it was this or another recent video (I'm posting this a few weeks after watching this video) but the tip about WD-40 as a cutting oil for drilling was a lifesaver (and somewhat a time-saver) for me today while I was working on a project that required me to drill through some thick aluminum several times and I had no other kind of oil on hand- thank you for the always helpful shop tips and tricks :)
thank you for for sharing Thais complete and awesome series. Neverl see this before on internet! Tânia alot.
You may want to make a center punch mark on each bracket bolted to the axle tubes and corresponding marks on the axle tubes, you'll find over time after some hard launches with slicks they will possibly move and the marks will give you an easy reference. Personally I'd add some welds but I've been doing this a long time. Just my thoughts.
When I built my first car I had adjustable anti (sway) roll bars both front and rear. What I learnt was that the effect of the anti roll bar was independent of the body mounting, and that little or no stress is carried to the body via the mounts. If you find that the roll bar inhibits access to the drain plug on your diff then it should be OK to shim the mounts. In my case I used layers of 1/4" thick high density plastic blocks (Delrin).
I like the project car work along with working on the costumer cars, I find them enjoyable.
Eric, I have been BINGE watching the Fairmont Series since EPISODE ONE!! (I'm a Disabled Veteran and Retired with lots of time on my hands)
Some of this Maximum Motorsports rear Suspension stuff looks REALLY Bulky! (Especially the Pinion Track Arm - although the effectiveness is OBVIOUS) 😲
But the Rear Stabilizer might be the trickest Swaybar Kit I've ever seen!! Being planted to the Body, it's way more effective than any other Fox/SN95 kit I've ever seen!
- $420.00 tho!!!
You mean there's such thing as mig welding that isn't covered in splattery goodness?
Lookin' good Eric!
the suspension is looking awesome!!! that cae is going to be a beast
1. Never owned a Ford
2. Never heard of a fairmont
3. Don't even like Fords.
All that being said. I love the Fairmont vids because you truly see the enthusiasm when it comes to turning a wrench. Fixing cars is one thing. Modifying/ personalizing a car is something entirely different.
Is this one of the "new" editing format? If so I'm only 1/4 into it and enjoying it immensely better. Keep up the good work!
It's the first, yes. I'm still dialing it in but I like it better too. Glad you like it. Thanks for the feedback.
Happy to, it definitely flows better, a lot more lively.
It really looks fresh, and a bit more engaging I think is the word I'm looking for. More like Eric is hanging out with us.
Your videos and information is very invaluable. Thanks again for the learning! People talking crap about hair probably have none....How juvenile! That would be like talking crap about a hole on one finger of your glove.....WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!
There are is a lot going on with that rear suspension. I like seeing this and learning about this.
holy crap eric that suspension is looking beautiful
That bite out of the washer is for clearance there Clarence
I keep staring at you without a hat, its memorizing.
Smashing install eric, looks fidderly, oh there is bugger all wrong with your welding.
Dropping the ratchet is the professional way, keeps the grease moving :).
"Dropping the ratchet is the professional way, keeps the grease moving :)" I like that.
I thought that Eric's hat was a part of his skull... didn't know it can be removed.
I would love to go with this setup for my foxbody, can't wait to see the results when you get done. The only thing i would be worried about as you mentioned in the video is the stabilizer bar limiting suspension travel and resulting in less grip on the street which is where i will be driving my car 9 times out of 10.
The good part is it's adjustable. You can set it up for the street or the track. You can also change bars since everything else is already in place.
Hey Eric I noticed that one of the links isn't exactly straight. Maybe removing some of the washers on the bottom of the link will correct the issue
Eric your welds look so much better... nice!
My OCD would be so bad I'd take a grinder or sander to take off all the dirty and rustiness and repaint! I know you were on a time schedule and just want it done
Fix Or Repair Daily = Ford, keep the videos coming!
i love watching some build a race car as much seeing it in action
"Take it away, Eric without a hat" This will be one of the great moments in TH-cam history.
Hey Eric, seeing how there are so many U-bolts involved, perhaps you could mention once or twice what's the best way to tighten them down? ;)
Good looking welds. nicely done.
hey Eric, before you installed the ford 8.8 solid live axle. have you ever thought about installing a independent rear suspension?
Yes, but it's twice, or sometimes 3 times as expensive and from what I read, the improvements weren't all that great.
Love these videos Eric!
Damn dood your welds look pretty good!
Looking good Eric. I have a question in regards to suspension. Have you ever done an air ride conversion on a mopar with torsion bar front suspension? If not, could you do one?
Very nice and clear video, thanks! Waiting for the next one....
nice weld Erik
Eric, for the Driver side attaching the bar to the brackets on the frame. Did you account for the extra weight of when you will be sitting in the car? That might account for the differences in hight on each side.
Thanks for another vid and keep up the great work
You did a pretty good installation video. Having a hoist sure makes the job easier.When will you doing a test drive?
What is the reason for the thick differential cover? The bolt pattern on the back seems to indicate some other pieces of suspension are meant to bolt on to it. Maybe a simpler diffrential cover may provide more clearance. I haven't watched all the Fairmont project videos but want to checkout the modern suspension setup for live axle like the Mustang.
Another great video! Thanks Eric! :)
I started watching and realized it was about the Fairmont and I'm still going through the Fairmont Playlist!! #spoileralert
I've caught up!
Great video Eric. Thanks.
Eric without a hat? SOMEONE ALERT THE POPE!
I bet you'll be spending so much time tweaking suspension settings ;). Absolutely love the Fairmont vids, I swear I'm more excited for it than you are haha
Yes, I will.
The washer "bites" are to accomodate the radius of the bracket.
It's interesting how the designations of parts differ between English and German. While I was surprised to find translations for "torque arm" and "panhard bar", I also found that the panhard bar is sometime called a "Querlenker", which in English is usually referred to as a control arm (or wishbone), like in front wheel drive vehicles where it's a roughly triangular shaped piece of metal that connects to the body/frame and to the axle via the ball joint. If that makes any sense...?
Nice job, Eric!
I want to ask something: is this a ballast beneath the axle at 0:27?
30:50, sorry if I missed something, but why is one side that far off? Differences in spring tower height when made?
Hey Eric what are the WFS and the voltage you use on the mig welder. Also from my experience in mig welding holding a shorter stickout will make those intermittent arc go away. Your welds sure have gotten better. When I started mig welding, they gave me a 16" x 10" x 1/2" plate and I welding beads on it all day. The start of the plate looked like a slug and by the end of the plate I was welding dimes.
yeah!!Nice edit,great format!love it
Video quality is outstanding, what camera do you use?
At 29:04 Could you have done an adjustment by removing the pinch bolt from the bad side and rotate the arm a notch or two in the spline? Or would that cause issues?
Ah just answered myself..It wouldn't be level anymore..dumb moment
Good Morning ETCG. What magic do you for us today?
Eric yet another well done and very cool Fairmont vid. I liked it a lot
eric good work. one question are you running rear spring isolators? it's hard to tell on video but that will get rid of vibration and noise and also make it ride height more aligned just something to think about if not. good stuff though I plan on doing the grip in a box by MMS on my fox
nice rear end :)
Kevin Adkins gay
Fox was 79-93 actually. In case nobody already pointed that out. And the fox chassis continued through 2004 under the SN95 (94-98) and the New Edge (99-04). Ford didn't retire the chassis until the S197s in 05
If both ends were neutral on the ground at ride height and they didn't line up, it would to be logical as you're not sitting in the car. Did you account for that or was there even a need to account for that?
Hey eric, could you post a video with a gopro or something to film the suspension while driving. I want to see all that work in action!
I've done it! Well, not with the new suspension yet, but I will! th-cam.com/video/L22GsHQi7tU/w-d-xo.html
Awesome! Can't wait!
All good. Thanks for sharing.
Rad install, nice welds!!!
Hey Eric, why do you not trust toque wrenches? Iv always not trusted them as soon as I first used them. I find it hard to believe when you hardly turn it and it clicks its at toque especially when you do it tight by hand before using it.
I never said I didn't trust torque wrenches, I said I was nervous about using them since this. th-cam.com/video/b8E4XV4cUWc/w-d-xo.html
Wouldn't the rear sway from Maximum motorsports eliminate the need for a pan hard bar and torque arm?
Eric are you going to hit the underside of the car with some undercoating?
How do you like the Astra light?? Did Eric O get you hooked? Looks super bright...
th-cam.com/video/QpyXz73mCc4/w-d-xo.html
Eric is there any reason why you did not use packing where the sub frame was off and left a gap? Wouldn't metal packing be stronger then just weld beads around the outside of the torsion bar mounting bracket? In other words, metal pack it and then weld the bracket to the sub frame. Regards Stewart, Australia.
It's not a torsion bar, it's a stabilizer bar. Torsion bars hold up the weight of the vehicle. Stabilizer bars just equalize the suspension. At least that's the way the terminology is in the US. That said, I don't think it'll be an issue. After all, that same bracket was holding the old upper control arm. If it was an issue I would think it would have gotten more stressed by the upper control arm.
EricTheCarGuy No you are right, I meant to say stabilizer bar, but a torsion bar here in Oz is use to limit body roll or rotational movement in the suspension , so I still think we are on the same page but our US /Oz language may differ. Thanks for the reply, Stewart.
Awesome video Eric!!!!!
You're the best Eric
I'm jealous of all those new nuts and bolts...coming out so easy...*cries*
It's looking good!
hey eric, i looked as if you could have put a c-clamp on that factory metal where you had your gaps and pulled them back into position, is there some reason you didnt? just curious
Was it off on the one side because of the missing driver weight?
Did you weigh the car before all the mods? I'd be interested in knowing the final weight.
Loved this one!