padgett for your squeaking front struts

[Guest EDBS0]

padgett, you recently said "Just be glad you do not have a squeaking front strut top bearing. Most irritating sound I ever heard from a car." Am I to assume that yours is squeaking. I just might have a temporary fix for you.<P>Reminds me of my 2,000 mile drive from Dallas to Ottawa. The seller in a phone conversation assured me the struts were working perfectly and in writing assured that "Never had a problem with the struts per my maintenance records. Still don't."<P>You may recall from previous posts that they were completely shot, squeaked constantly and the car was an Olympic porposing champion on the highway. This is what happens when you purchase a car over the internet. Didn't get the two factory stock remote door openers either and would love to take the jerk to Small Claims Court but like Swimmster with his recent problems also with a <I>"gentleman"</I> from Texas it is just too far away, but still I just might.<P>Any how on with the "fix" I opened the hood, took off the plastic cap protectors and using the supplied red spray straw sprayed Rust Check in and around the squeak. It has fantastic capillary action and the squeaking stopped.<P>Before you razz me, 4 new struts have been ordered. With a squeak will I have to replace the strut mount or only the top insulator? Opinions?<p>[ 06-13-2002: Message edited by: Easily Distracted by Blondes ]

[padgett]

Was on the Bonne & replaced the mount (mine came with the insulator), cured problem. Need to mark lower bolts very carefully (or have a nice level garage 8*) since they set camber.<P>Is (should be ?) a ball bearing swivel (and expensive) since must turn with steering.<P>Hard part was figuring out *what* was squeaking - usually only occured over 60 mph and sounded like was in dash. Finally got bad enough that could hear on jounce & feel vroughness in tower.<p>[ 06-14-2002: Message edited by: padgett ]

[Guest]

Just my opinion, but if you already had the squeek, and the struts will be removed, replace the upper mount kits too. They come out with the struts and the labor to do it later would more than pay for the kits, which are more expensive than the struts themselves. The upper bearings on mine seemed just like new at 95k but I feel better that all is now new.

[padgett]

Seems to be two types of people here, those who do their own work and those who don't. If you need to hire someone to do it, the cost of the parts gets lost in the price of labor and an alignment so you might as well replace everything.

[Guest EDBS0]

I am "Type A" and do as much work as I can. When I do the front struts I will rotate and test the bearings for smoothness and replace if gritty, rough or otherwise not moving freeely. You can feel and hear bad bearings in your hands. Time will tell and I can't even think of having the time until July.