My front suspension findings...*pics* (Long, but hopefully informative)
03-26-2007, 01:22 AM
#1
Wax On, Wax Off
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My front suspension findings...*pics* (Long, but hopefully informative)
alrighty... these were the symptoms...
and the suspension as it is...
Pics are in order of left, then right. The left front ball joint is the one Travis built. boot on nicely, but the zirk fitting and cover are greasy as hell underneath. cleaned it, added a touch more grease, and called it good. Left castor block looks great. sway bar mount, it was dry. I greased it.
Right front ball joint looks good from underneath... clean, capped, all was well... until I looked by the boot... grease was everywhere. boot not attached to the control arm at all. cleaned liberally, re-attached boot, greased, called good. Right castor block, looks greasy for some reason. do those have grease in them? is that bad? Right front sway, also dry. I greased that. the last pic is what I saw from the front right ball joint around the boot...
after all that work, on the test drive, I parked it like, 10 times, and backed out each at a different angle, different speeds, and at different directions. no reversing noise. I hit that patch of highway where I get the "washboard" feeling, at 80 MPH, and it was solid. no washboard. as for starting foward movement, no tap. no clunk. hit a bump, the clunk is still there, seeming like it's from the RF, but it's a hell of a lot more muffled than before...
Definately an improvement but, I'm keeping an eye on it. The jury is in deliberations for a month before I'll call it good. Anyone have any input?
Originally Posted by me
Now... starting movement from a stand, I hear a quiet tap that sounds like it's coming from the suspension.... hit a bump, it's a knock... GOING 80 MPH ON THE FREEWAY on a left hand sweeper, it feels like the right side of the car is going over a washboard type dirt road. doesn't do it on right hand turns at all. feels damn solid. Also, when backing up and turning, no matter the direction, I hear and feel in the steering wheel, a sort of thunk... twice, then a pause, twice, pause... if I'm backing straight out, I'm good.
Originally Posted by me
it has Delrin sway bar bushings, 968 castor blocks, M030, and those sway bar braces that Paragon sells... also has new balljoints from Rennbay, one of which Travis installed... (smash up job, and travis is a great guy). Tires are Toyo Proxes RA/1 with the tread on the front tires being damn near gone (saving for a set... them f*ckers ain't cheap) but with plenty of rubber before they're unsafe. both front tires are wearing evenly...
Right front ball joint looks good from underneath... clean, capped, all was well... until I looked by the boot... grease was everywhere. boot not attached to the control arm at all. cleaned liberally, re-attached boot, greased, called good. Right castor block, looks greasy for some reason. do those have grease in them? is that bad? Right front sway, also dry. I greased that. the last pic is what I saw from the front right ball joint around the boot...
after all that work, on the test drive, I parked it like, 10 times, and backed out each at a different angle, different speeds, and at different directions. no reversing noise. I hit that patch of highway where I get the "washboard" feeling, at 80 MPH, and it was solid. no washboard. as for starting foward movement, no tap. no clunk. hit a bump, the clunk is still there, seeming like it's from the RF, but it's a hell of a lot more muffled than before...
Definately an improvement but, I'm keeping an eye on it. The jury is in deliberations for a month before I'll call it good. Anyone have any input?
03-26-2007, 02:34 AM
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Burning Brakes
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I think this gets rid of the idea of wheel bearing issues since whatever greasing you did has quieted down the linkages. I guess the real test will be if the problem doesnt come back anytime soon, or if it returns in a week or so.
