ELECMAN

Every time I go over a bump the front of the car shakes just replaced upper control arm bushings,inner and outter tire rod ends upper ball joints.what could be the problem thanks for the info.

70 cutlass s

Sounds like the only left would be a shock or spring.

Lady72nRob71

Pop the hood and verify the safety catch has it. do a quick drive to see if it went away. I have had many noisy hood mounts / bumper squauks.

Verify everything you had loosened is still tight. Get the car on ramps and with a buddy bouncing the car from above, look for the cause below.

Grab each of the front wheels from the top and shake the heck out of it - maybe the wheel bearings need a tightening.

Olds64

Why didn't you replace the lower ball joints? After replacing all of the other suspension and steering parts it seems that about $100 in lower ball joints would be money well spent.

BOOWAH

I had a 1980 Cutlass Supreme that rattled every time I went over a bounce. Drove me crazy. I sprayed silicone on the control arm bushings and all the suspension parts. Nothing helped. Then one day I failed to latch the hood all the way down and the rattle stopped. The rubber hood support below the windshield was the problem. I adjusted it down but the rattle wouldnt stop. Finally I stuck a small adhesive felt pad atop the rubber support and then....quiet as a mouse. It wore out after about 6 months but the're cheap enough. The're called picture mounting squares. I stick the felt on one side and place them atop the rubber support.

ELECMAN

the mechanic said that to do the lower ball joints you would have to remove the springs and it was going to run into money.could body bushings make the whole front of the car shake when you hit over a bump.

joe_padavano

Find a new mechanic who has a clue.

First, replacing the lower ball joints is easily done without removing the springs by using one of the large C-clamp tools. I've done this myself. Second, since the lower ball joint carries the majority of the load in the suspension, it usually goes bad before the upper. Third, rent a spring compressor, remove the spring, and replace the lower control arm bushings in addition to the lower ball joints. Again, the lower arm sees the majority of the load on these cars. Replacing just the uppers is unlikely to fix a problem.

70 cutlass s

If you have already replaced the top than you would want to replace the lower ball joints and control arm bushings. Yeah hind another mechanic, sounds like that one wants to rip you off. Not that hard of a job.

ELECMAN

ok guys thanks one other think how do you know if you springs in the car my car sits 25 inches of the ground to the wheel trim and the back sits 27 inches of the ground.but looking at the car from the back to the front it looks likes the rear left leans a little to the left any clues on that and what are a good set of springs for the front and rear

OLD SKL 69

Did your mechanic also check the sway bar bushings? If your bushings have never been replaced, they are dried up and maybe even missing. A simple thing to replace as well.

Many companies make springs but I like Eaton springs in Michigan. I bought rear springs for my 63 Riviera from them about 12 years ago and they are still excellent. A little more expensive but they will make them to your specs and right here in the US.

OLD SKL 69

Was the car parked on level pavement? I used to park my 67 Impala on one side of my driveway and it would look like it was leaning to one side. If I moved it out to the street, it sat fine.

joe_padavano

Measuring to the wheel arch is not very accurate. The factory recommends measuring to the flat spot on the underside of the rocker panels, at the front of the door and just in front of the rear wheels.

Olds64

Interesting... I thought you had to remove the spring reagrdless of which ball joint/control arm bushing you replaced (never thought of compressing the spring and leaving it in the car). Once you compress the spring it is only a few more bolts to completely remove the front suspension. It is one of those "might as well" things.

ELECMAN

my car measures 10 inches from the bottom in both places does that mean the springs are okay but that doesn,t mean the springs are good enough for the ride.

joe_padavano

You don't have to compress the spring. If you leave the shock in place, the spring can't come out. The upper arm can be completely removed at that point. The lower ball joint can be replaced with the "C-clamp" tool. Use the weight of the car to compress the spring far enough to get the ball joints bolted back up. Of course, the problem is that you can't replace the lower control arm bushings this way.

Olds64

I've never done it that way before. I always remove the shock, compress the spring, detach the lower control arm from the spindle, remove the lower control arm. Then once the lower control arm and spring are out I remove the upper control arm.

Bluevista

I have an upper control arm bushing and pressed-in ball joint service set tool and you don't even have to remove the upper control arm to do the bushings if you want. It looks like a large "C" clamp and has several press and receiver pieces in the carrying case.

I've never done them on the car with it, I just took mine completely apart like Olds64's technique and replaced everything.
I removed and replaced all my control arm and rear end housing bushings and the two lower ball joints with the tool, large pipe hunks, old sockets, wood hunks, bench vise and a BFH.

In the service manual they do the lower ball joints the way Joe said if you aren't replacing the springs or lower bushings, need that tool though.

joe_padavano

Fortunately, I have one. I did the lower ball joints on my 86 wagon this way. Went very fast.

jensenracing77

how are your end links and sway bar bushings? i had some rattling on my rallye 350 and this is what it was. well, mine was the bushing that mounts on the frame.

Nilsson

A lower on the left stance was a no charge factory option.

agtw31

i bet it's a broken sway bar end link.

it is stuck in the frame,that's what is making the noise when you hit a bump

your mechanic should have checked your front end out a little more thoroughly

ELECMAN

Going tommorrow for a full check up of the whole under carriage I'll keep you guys informed

ELECMAN

Alright guys went underneath the car with the mechanic the front end is fine no broken rubbers found out that the rear bumper bolts were loose the body bushings are okay.the car is sitting at the right height 10 inches off the ground rom the bottom of the rockers the shocks are fine no leaks, missing bolts on the grill, front bumper loose.Holy cow took it for a drive feels good so far.But noticed that the engine is sitting low hitting the center link on the steering.The motor mounts are good engine was rebuit about 2600 miles ago 455ci from the old owner.originally had a 350 engine was told it could be aftermarket mounts ordering the correct ones for a 455 engine today. Any other advice that you can think it is would be will be helpfull thanks

Jamesbo

Well, it's time for Joe to splain motor mounts one more time. But I know he's got it saved in a file.

joe_padavano

Nope, sorry. It's finals time. YOU explain it...

Jamesbo

I hate it when I'm called on in class. Let me check my crib sheet

http://www.442.com/infowanted2/index.html

Can I go to recess now. P-l-E-A-S-E ?

citcapp

Need a note from Joe before you can leave

Jamesbo

The Hall Monitor

cutlassgal

70 cutlass s

I still think your mechanic trying to rip you off. Sounds like you need to get your hands dirty learn to do some of your own work. The engine mounts if you order the 455 mounts they won't work unless you change the frame mount too. That just a waste of time. The engine will still be sitting in the same place same height nothing changed, but you will have less money for no reason.

joe_padavano

A+