PTAaron Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 I'm more or less a complete newbie to these cars - so bear with me if this is remedial. I have a '94 Cutlass Supreme that I am borrowing from my inlaws. Since we got it it has had a clunk in the right rear - I assumed it was a strut bushing wearing out and was planning to replace it this coming weekend. Today on the way home from work there was a new noise - sounded like something falling apart in the rear of the car, the clunking changed... and I knew something new had happened. I got home - popped the trunk and noticed I could no longer feel the top of the strut in the strut tower. Looking into the wheel well I see this: Clearly this means my strut mount is broken. Question is - am I screwed here, or is this a part that can be replaced? It looks like there are 2 bolts in there, will they remove the whole mount? Google is not very helpful - my google-fu is not very strong today. Easy fix, or am I in for a big ordeal? I just got the engine running perfectly... I was hoping to give this car back in much better condition than I got it - not in "junk yard" condition! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 yeah thats easy... provided the 2 bolts that hold the mount to the body don't break, if you live in a place that gets snow and salt a lot, soak the top of the bolts down in penetrant, but once those are out, just remove the strut and put a new mount on. Probably best to 2 both rear struts and mounts though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTAaron Posted May 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 yeah thats easy... provided the 2 bolts that hold the mount to the body don't break, if you live in a place that gets snow and salt a lot, soak the top of the bolts down in penetrant, but once those are out, just remove the strut and put a new mount on. Probably best to 2 both rear struts and mounts though. Thanks! That is what I was kind of gathering from searching around... I was hoping that it really was that simple. I ordered a pair of mounts with bushings, bearings, and bolts included - they should arrive Friday. I've also started soaking the bolts with PB blaster from inside the trunk - I'll reapply it every night this week, then the father in-law and I will do the replacement of both of the mounts Saturday morning (keeps fingers crossed that the bolts don't break). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTAaron Posted May 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Is there a "How To" on replacing the rear struts on here anywhere? I really don't want to go out and buy the repair manual unless I absolutely have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cutlass350 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 (edited) Chevrolet Lumina Remove & Replace Rear Struts I watched part of the video. IMHO, use another jack or back-power to release the tension on the last bolt holding the rear spindle to the strut. I use another jack, or jack stand. Also, Autozone has repair manuals on line. You need to sign up as a member (free) to get the links. Also, How To Install Rear Strut Shock Chevy Cavalier Sunfire 95-05 1AAuto.com Good Luck! Edited May 15, 2013 by Cutlass350 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cutlass350 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Does the '94 Cutlass Supreme have leaf springs or coils in the back? If it has leaf springs, you don't have to worry about the coil spring install in the first video, just replace the strut assembly as shown in the 2nd video. If it has coil springs in the rear, you're likely better off getting a full assembly. Amazon shows the assembly below as compatible with the '94 Cutlass Supreme http://www.amazon.com/Monroe-171831-Quick-Strut-Complete-Assembly/dp/B000CD36D8/ Monroe 171831 Quick-Strut Complete Strut Assembly Price: $92.76 Contains: Bearing Plate Upper Spring Isolator Upper Spring Seat Coil Spring Boot Kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white4d96 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 All 1G W's have a transverse leaf. He won't need to worry about compressing springs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTAaron Posted May 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Awesome, thanks for the info guys! Great to know about the manuals on Autozone's site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 heres a old post on it http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/15744-W-Body-Rear-Strut-Replacement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTAaron Posted May 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2013 Replaced some parts today... For reasons mostly related to money and the fact that I'm trying to keep the car running long enough to save up for something else - I only replaced the mounts, not the struts. The Passenger side - the one that fell apart - went pretty well, the mount came right off with no trouble. PB Blastering it 3 times over the course of the week seemed to have helped Once I got the mount off it was interesting to see just how damaged it was: Getting the nut off the top of the strut was a bit of a challenge because the threads were destroyed from bouncing around, but we fixed them with a file. Put it back together without a hitch. Switching to the Driver side was a whole different story... the mount there was only a little bit broken. We got it off the car very easily - but getting the nut off the strut turned into a nightmare. The allen hole at the top stripped out right away, so we tried slotting it to use a screwdriver... that stripped out. We ended up having to put the car back together and drive it over to my in-law's house to get out the "big boy tools": The rest went pretty easily... Kind of nice to drive a car that doesn't bump, clunk, and squeal every time it hits a bump! It had apparently been like that for at least a year before I borrowed it! Thanks for the help guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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