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Car Suspension Sway Bar and Sway Bar Links Questions
Question: 2001 Chevrolet Astro Van, mileage: 86,000. Hello. A driver-side
ball joint broke and the mechanic replaced both low and up ball joints and the idler
arm. There hasn’t been any problem with the same parts on the drivers side,
the mechanic wants to replace these as well. Is this repair necessary without
some test of these parts? (This repair is very expensive for me.) Thank
you.
Answer: With the proper equipment, the amount of wear
in the ball joints can be measured. If they are warn beyond the tolerance
(limits), they should be replaced.
Question: 2001 Ford Explorer, mileage: 80,000. Took my truck to dealer
for recall on front sway bars. Was informed that my ball joints were loose. Had
them replace lower ball joints, for $516. One week later took truck back because
of noise in front end. Was told my front bearings were bad. Charge $284. Should
the mechanic have been able to tell the bearings were bad on the first visit? Also,
I asked for the old ball joints and never got them. Just a little curious, seems
60,000 is a little early for ball joints?
Answer: When replacing ball joints, the front wheel bearings
should have been checked and during the alignment they should have caught that.
Question: 2001 Lincoln Town Car, mileage: 100,000. I jacked up the car
and did not turn off the switch in the trunk. Now the suspension bag still will
not inflate; the bag is good. Now what?
Answer: Driving the car should activate the system to level the car back
up again. While driving the car, stopping and starting causes the car to rock back
and forth which activates the system.
Question: 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, mileage: 44,000.
I have a 2WD short wide bed. Is there any way to make it ride smoother, w/o putting
lots of weight in the bed? The freeway is pretty punishing. I'm wondering if there
is something I can adjust...similar to the "tow-haul" mode button on the gear shifter.
I had a '95 SWB, but it did not ride as hard as this one. The local dealership doesn't
seem too interested in giving me any ideas. Could you guys?
Answer: The stiff ride you are experiencing with your truck is not uncommon.
They only suggestion we can make is to adjust your tire pressure to the lowest recommended
pressure.
Question: 1999 Ford Explorer 4WD 4.0L V6 mileage: 105,000. When
I last took in my explorer to have the suspension checked out, I was told that I
needed new shocks and something had to be done to the lower ball joints. Would
you please enlighten me as to what this might be, and why it needs to be done?
Thanks.
Answer: With the amount of mileage on your car, it is expected that some
parts will have wear. It is not surprising that the shocks and ball joints
may need replacing.
Question: 1999 Ford Crown Victoria, mileage: 90,000.
If a Crown Victoria was put in the air on a rack without turning the air suspension
switch off will this damage anything. The car is sagging in the rear.
Will it return to normal ride height? What should I do?
Answer: The car will correct itself to the normal ride height. All
you need to do is drive the car. Tapping the brake pedal to get the car to
rock forward activates the leveling system. Placing the car on the rack without
the air suspension switch off should not cause any damage.
Question: 1998 Oldsmobile Ciera 3.3 mileage: 130,000. Need to rebuild
front suspension; have good mechanical abilities and most common tools.
I was a commission auto mechanic in the seventies. Have never worked on McPherson
struts. Can they be changed safely in my garage without many special tools?
I plan to replace the rack with a long rack, put new outer tie rod ends on, and
get this car ready to go to 200,000+.
Answer: Changing the McPherson struts in your car requires
a special spring compressor. To attempt this repair will take everyday tools
and a realignment when completed.
Question: 1999 Chevrolet Camaro, mileage: 126,000. When I go over a bump,
my rear tires are hitting the wheel wells causing deep cuts in my tires. What part
of my rear suspension would cause this? Is anything else I should be looking for
that would be a tell tale sign of any problems.Answer: We are assuming
your car has standard tires and rims – inspect rear suspension "track locator."
It is a long bar with rubber bushings on both ends that attach to the frame on one
end and to the rear end housing on the other end.
Question: 1999 Lincoln Continental, mileage: 120,000. Our front air shocks
are leaking and we have been told you can repair them instead of replacing them.
They inject a liquid that slowing gels and seals the leaks. Do you have any idea
what type of product they use to do this?
Answer: The correct way to repair this problem is to replace the
air bags with new.
Question: 1999 Nissan Maxima, mileage: 135,000. The rear end of the car
feels loose when I drive over bumps in the road. It often feels like I could lose
control of the car. The tires are in good shape and I cannot see anything else that
would be wrong. I was wondering if the rear stabilizer bar could be broken or damaged.
Answer: We do not think the stabilizer bar is your problem. It only "works"
when cornering not going over bumps. A more likely cause would be the rear struts.
Also, check suspension for damaged or bent parts. Check rubber bushings on suspension
components.
MORE: Suspension questions
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