Clunking-Loose suspension feeling...

[tdaye]

1989 Cutlass International. The past 2 weeks it has felt as if something is loose and clunking, it just feels like loose suspension. First I thought a bad ball joint, BUT I'm getting the same feeling from the back of the car over bumps. NO vibrations, no pulling, nothing else seems wrong at all at any speeds. What has been replaced in the past 4 months: ALL Struts, strut mounts, strut boots, front springs, both ball joints, 3 wheel bearings. Nothing seems loose i.e.: exhaust. ANY Ideas??

[Crazy K]

I've had two lateral links break loose from the bushings on the rear axle assembly. inspect them!

[tdaye]

I'll look at lunch, but as I said I am also getting a loose feeling and some slight noise from the front over bumps.

[slick]

Check your swaybar mounts and bushings as well. I've had a swaybar mount brake, causing a popping sound in the front end.

[Brian P]

swaybar bushings if heavily worn can cause that. I must ask though what brand struts did you use?

[tdaye]

KYB everything

[tdaye]

Just checked, lateral links look good, all swaybar bushings look good as well.

[Brian P]

hmm... if it were me I'd probably double check the torque of all bolts and nuts removed from when all the work was done. Usually KYB's are good as far as longetivity and lack of defects, but it's always possible a strut went bad. What type of front upper strut mount did you use? The big rubber one, or the stock 2-piece deal like your OEM ones?

[slick]

I would check what Brian said, plus I would do the ball joint and tie rod test as well.

[tdaye]

 

hmm... if it were me I'd probably double check the torque of all bolts and nuts removed from when all the work was done. Usually KYB's are good as far as longetivity and lack of defects, but it's always possible a strut went bad. What type of front upper strut mount did you use? The big rubber one, or the stock 2-piece deal like your OEM ones?

 

All the suspension parts were KYB, not sure if 1 or 2 piece. I'll check all the bolts, thanks.

[Brian P]

Do you have the original front strut assemblies in there? I saw on your car domain you switched the whole powertrain with another Olds. If you used your parts car's struts, and it was a '90 or newer, then it uses the different 1-piece upper strut mount. In this case if you used parts meant for a '88-89 strut housing, that may cause a problem. Just a heads up. I love that car BTW.

[mdelorie]

I still vote lateral links.... I had one of eight bushings go bad, and that was what was causing the clunk. Check again, and give it a good shake. There shouldn't be any movement at all. On mine, the outer steel bushing actually came uncrimped from the hole in the folded steel arm.

[tdaye]

Do you have the original front strut assemblies in there? I saw on your car domain you switched the whole powertrain with another Olds. If you used your parts car's struts, and it was a '90 or newer, then it uses the different 1-piece upper strut mount. In this case if you used parts meant for a '88-89 strut housing, that may cause a problem. Just a heads up. I love that car BTW.

 

Thanks. The other car was also a 1989, the front end was changed about 3 years ago and I had all the strut parts changed about 4 months ago.

[tdaye]

I still vote lateral links.... I had one of eight bushings go bad, and that was what was causing the clunk. Check again, and give it a good shake. There shouldn't be any movement at all. On mine, the outer steel bushing actually came uncrimped from the hole in the folded steel arm.

I'll check again but it seems that it's all 4 ends of the car that the "loose" feeling comes from.

[mdelorie]

failing that, it's time to take the wheels off the ground and start shaking each one. Again, your suspension isn't supposed to move or wiggle in any way.