~95 Cavalier

Hi all

My daughter's 95 Cavalier makes a banging sound in the rear right of the suspension. I drove over a series of the type speed bump that they remove in the winter for snow plowing. There are gaps in the way they are laid out across the road which will allow you a smooth path for either your right side wheels or your left side wheels depending on the path you choose.

All that to say the bumps allow you to accurately tell right from left and front from rear so I do know exactly where the noise comes from.

So ..... she intends to give the car away to a person who needs a car rather then use it as a trade for her next car. And because the recipient is more a friend of mine then hers I would like to replace the strut and I would like to do it myself to keep the cost down.

Now in my younger days I removed lots an lots of shocks but I am wondering what's involved in replacing a strut. ( I am among the dying breed that still knows what a $2.00 tire is.)

Can someone do a paint by numbers of what is involved on swapping out the strut for me.

Thanks all!

Reply to
Lowell Cummings
Loading thread data ...

Sounds like you should pick up a Haynes manual. Cheap and highly effective for someone like yourself. Replacing a strut can easily be done in the driveway in a couple of hours.

Steve

Reply to
Steve Mackie

On these vehicles, it's usually the upper strut mount that makes the noise. I have run across some that also have a noisy strut, but the majority of the time it's the upper mount. Almost every older J body car that comes in the shop exhibits this noise if it hasn't already been fixed.

The rear struts are easy on these cars, two nuts at the top, one bolt at the bottom, support the vehicle by the body, slide the strut assembly out. The spring tension is so low that you can remove and install the spring without a compressor. But don't take my word for that, use something to hold the spring in place when you remove the strut shaft nut. Once it's apart, you will see how little tension there is.

Ian

Reply to
shiden_kai

Thanks Ian

I have a set of spring compressors so the spring should be no problem. Not quite sure what's going on with this strut mount. I can only assume that the strut mount bolts to the body and the strut bolts to the strut mount. In any case I'll see when I get in there.

Thanks again Lowell

PS ,,,,, thanks also to Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shiden_kai wrote:

Reply to
Lowell Cummings

You are correct. I'd just hate to see you put a strut in there and have the same noise. Of course, the opposite can happen too, you put the mount in only, and the noise turns out to be the strut. Often, you can actually see where the top strut mount has broken or cracked around where the strut shaft comes up thru the mount.

Ian

Reply to
shiden_kai

Shoot!! I can understand the operating component (the strut) failing after negotiating a gazillion bumps but having a piece of attachment hardware fail does not speak well of the engineering that went into the system.

Thanks again Ian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Reply to
Lowell Cummings

Reply to
Shep

Yeah, but you know as well as I do that these rear strut mounts failed well before 10 years....like within the first year on many of those cars from that era.

On the other hand, your point is well taken, you have to replace some struts or upper mounts after 10 years, you aren't doing too bad.

Ian

Reply to
shiden_kai

I am driving a 79 Chev 9 passenger G20 window van w 350 engine ($8500 new) and it has never failed me. Not one of the shock mounts ever broke. Shocks yes, and it did need a cam shaft but they were all components that functioned and were subject to wear movement. I just did not expect something like a mount to fail.

But you are right. Shit happens.

Shep wrote:

Reply to
Lowell Cummings

Thanks Ian

The little car owes us nothing. Between both my daughter and I, we've owned three Cavaliers and except for replacing heads they were great little machines. Most big cars depreciate more then the full value of a Cavalier on the day you buy them. So they are pretty reasonable transportation. Basic, but reasonable!

Lowell

Reply to
Lowell Cummings

Of course, a "shock mount" on a 79 Chev van is completely different from a "upper strut mount" on a 95 Cavalier. One is metal with the shock itself having the bushing at one end or the other or both ends, the other is a rubber bushing the serves the purpose as both the rubber bushing for the strut shaft, and as a place for the rear spring to be seated.

Ian

Reply to
shiden_kai

Hi again Ian

I didn't quite get that, but no harm.

All I know about the strut mount is what you've told me. IE: Quote

You are correct. I'd just hate to see you put a strut in there and have the same noise. Of course, the opposite can happen too, you put the mount in only, and the noise turns out to be the strut. Often, you can actually see where the top strut mount has broken or cracked around where the strut shaft comes up thru the mount.

Ian Unquote

But again no sweat! I simply made a comment on what I thought I knew and someone was kind enough to make me eat my words. No harm done. He feels better, and I will live on.

Will know better once I actually see the part.

Thanks again Lowell

Reply to
Lowell Cummings

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.