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Rear Struts?


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I have an 1989 reatta that needs rear struts. A guy at the Buick parts counter told me that I should have them put on at a frame shop. I have 152,000 miles on the car. He said that after so many miles that the rear end needs to be pulled together. Is this correct. If anyone knows please email me at jfrimming@yahoo.com And if I can put them on myself what brand would be the best and what model number is the strut. Thanks

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A frame shop? That sounds odd. I did mine myself last month. Took about an hour. Bought them at the dealer. My car still rides rough, maybe that is why?

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You guys don't know what you are talking about!<P>Mufflers don't stretch; all that hot air going through them makes them SHRINK faster than a sweater washed in hot water or one of Bill Clinton's promises. <P>Now, you probably DO need new accumanightors replaced and your chokeamatics adjusted. That will be $499.95 please. As Click and Clack would say, my boat payment is due....<P>Joe

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....i must love abuse. But on a more serious note....maybe the guy was trying to hint that the toe adjustment bolt on your car is so rusted and the camber adjustment cannot be brought into specs. As the fiberglass torsion bar begins to sag....the tops of the tires start to tilt inward(negative camber)also. This isn't, i believe, adjusted by pulling but i may be mistaken. In the manual it appears that shims can be inserted under the torsion bar contact points to "trim" the car(section 3D2 reatta/riviera manual). ..whatever that means...remember this is just speculation. Are you with me...? Good 'cuz now it gets complicated. Now if you don't want to install tapered shims between the knuckle and rotor assembly to turn the rears inward or outward to at least get close to specs then you'll have to risk loosening that toe adjustment bolt on the rear of the lower control arm(it's slotted). Now if i'm not mistaken most alignment machines like the "Hunter" use rim attached gimbles with mirrors and sight glasses to line the front with the back wheels. The operator will probably spin your rear tires in case your wheel is bent and take an average measurement between the two extremes as the sight glass will detect a wobble. Now i'm suspicious about the rear wheel being out of toe with the frame initially before the alignment as i've heard some post mention continuous problems. I would like to know if there is a way to first align the rear wheels with the frame and then be assured that the fronts are lining up properly(this is the toe i'm talking about). In other words is it possible in error, to align the wheels through absolute coordinates within themselves and still have the frame offset to the left or right ...maybe even pulling or giving the illusion of pulling to one side or another while the vehical is in motion...? i can't remember who it was but one of you does alot of alignments. i imagine a frame shop that does accident repair would my guess do the best alignment...for what it's worth....happy hunting....cheerio and all that...>>>>>>>>>>>>

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....ok ....after you've installed the struts then if it's still out of line....post an ad in the classifieds as a "Marty Feldmen Edition Reatta" and dial 999 running stark naked down the street shouting, "Death to the evil trouser worm and his wicked accomplises"......>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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HHHMMMMMMMMMM? Whaditellya about all this alignment stuff? Gets messy. I have the camber/rear strut/rough ride problem on mine(89). Will update you when winter is over and the car is fixed, but I don't expect that I'll like it, much less you guys that have to pay someone else to do this stuff.

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