Fixing a strut on a 94 grand prix.

[Red Nightmare]

So for a while I have been having noises coming from the passenger front.

Everything looks OK on the bottom - ball joints, tie rods, control arms, sway bar mounts...

 

Well the other day was once again trying to find this problem and I am convinced it is a bad strut. sometimes when I shake the car side to side I hear noises from the passenger strut, up inside the strut tower.

When I bounce the front end, it doesn't bounce much, maybe a time or two before regaining it's normal position. Also, with the strut cover plate under the hood removed, it doesn't look like the strut is moving when i rock the car.

 

I am thinking it might be time to remove the entire thing to find what is bad. I don't want to replace the entire thing if just part of it is bad. I am guessing maybe upper strut mounts. How would I know those are bad once I have the strut out of the car?

 

When I go to put this back together though, is there anything that would mess up the alignment? I know some struts have a cammed bolt to adjust camber. Mine doesn't seem to have such bolts.

 

Also despite the noises and it getting worse, the steering is just as shitty, er, good as it has always been pre-noise. I mean steering at a stand-still does not make any suspension noise.

 

Also what is the story about the strut cartridges?

[jman093]

So for a while I have been having noises coming from the passenger front.

Everything looks OK on the bottom - ball joints, tie rods, control arms, sway bar mounts...

 

Well the other day was once again trying to find this problem and I am convinced it is a bad strut. sometimes when I shake the car side to side I hear noises from the passenger strut, up inside the strut tower.

When I bounce the front end, it doesn't bounce much, maybe a time or two before regaining it's normal position. Also, with the strut cover plate under the hood removed, it doesn't look like the strut is moving when i rock the car.

 

I am thinking it might be time to remove the entire thing to find what is bad. I don't want to replace the entire thing if just part of it is bad. I am guessing maybe upper strut mounts. How would I know those are bad once I have the strut out of the car?

 

When I go to put this back together though, is there anything that would mess up the alignment? I know some struts have a cammed bolt to adjust camber. Mine doesn't seem to have such bolts.

 

Also despite the noises and it getting worse, the steering is just as shitty, er, good as it has always been pre-noise. I mean steering at a stand-still does not make any suspension noise.

 

Also what is the story about the strut cartridges?

 

I don't know how to help with a noise I can't really hear. It very well could be a strut along with anything else. As far as the the strut mount goes, I'd be more apt to believe the strut bearing is making noise before the mount would. The cartridge story is that it is a cartridge that can be removed without removing the strut/knuckle assembly. It makes it easier and you won't need to align the car. There is a tool than can be rented to remove it.