R CA HHR

I have developed a mean vibration and some clunky noises in the front end of our HHR. It is very much like badly warped rotors or on a rummble strips while coming to a stop from a speed of more than 50 or so.

I recently had the tie rods replaced, new tires put on, the essentric bolt installed and an alingment done to try and remedy this but it continues.

While it was on the rack I got to see how badly the control arm bushing are worn, they are gone!

I am planning on doing this myself and have the ability to do so, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips or could let me know if there will be any unecpected snags or tools needed, beside needing another alingment afterwards.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. It will be a month or so before I can afford to purchase the parts but I figure I'll start my homework now.

843de

Here's a nice "How To" thread that should cover most of your questions, just click the link below.

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-tutorial-library-21/replacing-lower-control-arms-44378/

R CA HHR

Thanks, I'll read through it. How long did it take to do the swap? I have techs at work that I can have do it for me, but $80 bucks an hour is a lot just so I can stay clean....

whopper

It took me, in cold weather working in the car port about 2-3 hrs per side (I work slow). If done in a nicer environment, one should do the lower control arm swap in about an hour for each side.

I did it the easy way - replaced each lower control arm that came complete with the front and rear bushings, and lower ball joint pre-installed,, rather than press out the old bushing and replacing it (I don't easy access to a press - replacing just the rear bushings would save major $'s)

Be aware that the bolt through the rear bushing is a bear to re and re - you need a good size torque wrench and a breaker bar to tighten it up the last bit. Also, one of the members here had a real problem getting one of the bolts threaded back in for some reason.

But overall - not that big a job. I didn't do an alignment afterwards - and it shows no abnormal tire wear at all after several thousands of miles on well worn tires.

hhrnewbe

I have a shudder mostly on the drivers side when I brake hard but the rotors and pads were done recently so that's not the issue. I put my snow tires on today (you need them up here in the great white north) and noticed that the rear bushing on the lower control arm is gone thus creating tons of movement. It goes against everything in me to have it done at a dealership but my question is, should I use an original lower control arm from GM or aftermarket like Napa Auto etc..? I only have 150,000kms on it, can't believe there gone already!
Thanks for any tips.

donbrew

By completely gone, do you mean shredded or there are holes in them? New ones have holes.

A complete LCA including bushings and ball joint runs $80, check eBay for CA sellers, I have bought from Prime Choice. Labor will cost less, it can be a DIY job if you are up to it and tools can be borrowed from some stores, the only special tool would be the socket and a long 1/2 breaker bar + torque wrench and angle gauge (if you want). If I'm counting right 5 bolts each side, the big bolt is 180 degrees past (I think) 90 LB-Ft.

I suggest you do both sides. Make sure you get ones like you have. There are solid cast aluminium (Canadian talk) and welded steel ones as well as differences in the SS and LT/LS.

Check your PM.

hhrnewbe

Yeah, if there was a rubber bushing on the drivers side LCA, its shredded now.

Thanks for the great info, if I get the ones that are on it now, I should hopefully get another 150,000kms out of them and then this vehicle will be ready to retire ( wish I could retire).

Oldblue

I did the bushing and ball joint separate big error in judgment, the new LCA from GM includes the rear and front bushing and the lower ball joint, easy peasey swap, check your torque after a 100 klm drive to ensure nothing moved, then have the front end realigned and your good to go.

whopper

hhrnewbe is in Canada, and here we get ripped on the prices big time - our local GM dealer wanted $80 for just a single replacement bushing!!!! So I slipped over the line and picked up complete Lower control arms complete with bushings and lower ball joint from autozone for something like $110 or so each. I didn't dare ask the local dealer what the price was for the complete GM LCA.

Oldblue

yeah, Canada, I know, I'm in Southern Ontario, Canada, my GM dealer quoted me $255.00 for the LS/LT LCA, From Parts Source the ball joint with grease zerks from TRW was $65.00 each and each bushing for the rear was $60.00 CDN, and the grunt work to swap the bushing and drill out the ball joint rivets was priceless, old time fun, so price wise change the bushing and ball joints, but for easy peasey albeit more expensive go with the LCA, which still does not give you grease zerks for the ball joints!!