I'm sure there is a thread on this somewhere in this forum and I apologize for starting another thread if there is. About two years ago the rear control arm bushing on my hhr tore. I opted just to get the whole control arm beings there were new ball joints AND horizontal bushings as well. I bought the MOOG aluminum control arms and put them on. They were terrible from day one. The car creaked and rattled over every slight bump I hit and I experience bump steer even after having it aligned at two different places.

I ended up buying the OEM bushings and had them pressed into the old control arms and put them back on. the car was much better. So here we are about two years later and i'm having bump steer and alignment issues again. Car drives straight, no pulling but as soon as i get on uneven roads (patched asphalt, dips, etc.) my steering changes. Also shaking and vibrating at 60-70mph. Had an alignment and tires balanced. Brakes and rotors are new. No uneven wear on tires and all in good shape. I checked the control arm bushings and to me they are both intact but the arm seems to move up quite easily with a pry bar. When I tap on the hub with a mallet (tapping towards firewall) I can feel the control arm slightly move. I would assume hitting a bump is very similar. Again, when visually looking at these bushings, they look brand new.

I explained to the alignment shop what is going on. he showed me the alignment specs and swears up and down the alignment is in. I am not satisfied with my steering being wonky every time i hit a bump. I decided to throw the MOOGs I had in storage back on. These did in fact tighten the steering up and much softer ride. BUT still have the slight bump steer happening. The bushings in these are not solid all the way through whereas the OEM are solid.

Aside from the MOOG problem solvers, are all the bushings they make for this car junk? My last ditch attempt to solve this will be getting the MOOG problem solvers and pressing the ones in the MOOG control arms out and replacing.

Am I wasting my time doing this? Seems like ANY bushing I put in there is going to be junk.

 

Have you ever replaced the struts?
This is how to test the Bushings:

 

yes, struts replaced last year along with OEM springs and strut mounts. New rack a couple years ago. New tie rods last year and inner tie rods good. Hub bearings about a year ago. caliper pins are greased and no hanging. new rotors and pads about 2 months ago.

I have the original control arms. Maybe i'll just put the Problem Solvers on those then I won't have any downtime with the car. Those still have the original horizontal bushing though. Don't know the likelihood of them being bad or if they cause any problems. That would be the only disadvantage of using them again. They also have new ball joints.

Just trying to get a general consensus as to whether I should waste my time or money.

something else I was thinking tonight. Might be settling with the idea of crappy tires. By crappy, I mean Falken tires. Dont know the series off the top of my head but they were about $100 each. I'm not a big fan of them after a year. The traction is terrible and they are noisy. But visibly, there is nothing wrong with them and the tread is like new yet. I've swapped back to front, left to right, etc.

I have checked the control arms using the method in the video and can not roll the tire but I can not see the bushing while i'm doing that. I will have to get someone else to watch to see if the arm moves up or down but it does not move front to back.

 

Moog K201285 bushings!have a pair pressed into your LCA’s

I’ve never had to change the horizontal bushings , always the rear bushings. I’ve installed OEM FE3 hinged bushings and FE5 solid bushings and replaced those with the Moog K201285 bushings, problem solved!!

 

Tire pressure set to what the placard on the driver door jamb says? I found that even 1-2 PSI too much made for bouncey. Tires the correct size?
Horizontal bushings don't do much, I would not worry about them.

 

I have owned 5 of these cars, have done much suspension research, and have several thoughts. But first, a few questions (please answer all) -

• Not an SS, right?
• Miles?
• What new struts were installed exactly, brand and p/n?
• New rear shocks? What exactly?
• Have rear torsion beam bushing been checked?
• Have rear springs been checked for breaks and intact insulators?
• OEM springs? Skeptical. From where? If not OEM, what?
• Have you checked the sway bar bushings and links?
• Original wheels, or what? Precise tire model and size? Pressure setting?

 

PulpFriction-
1. Not an SS model
2. 197000 miles
3. KYB Excel-G struts (339084) and KYB Excel-G shocks (349043)
4. Rear torsion beam bushings have NOT been checked. What is the procedure for that?
5. Checked rear springs today and both are intact. The insulators are toast though.
6. By OEM springs, I meant its' the original spring. I did not use a strut assembly with an included spring.
7. Sway bar bushings and links replaced last year
8. Yes, original wheels which are steel rims with hubcap. It has 215/55r16 tires and I inflate them to 30 psi cold. Brand is Falken Sincera. Any more than that and it rides like a brick. Does anyone inflate lower like 28psi?

 

When you changed the front struts , did you replace the top bearing plates?

 

Good choice with the KYB’s, because most other options have a poor reputation for durability. They do tend to be quite firm, but I love ‘em for the performance and control in cornering, RR tracks, lumpy roads, etc. If I were prioritizing soft ride, I would go with Monroe black “OESpectrum” (but definitely not the Blue Monroe Matics.)

Good move keeping the springs. GM OE springs seem to be consistently better for durability and corrosion resistance than aftermarkets. Definitely more labor. Like Oldblue said, gotta do the bearings on top, too.

I don’t know the best way to check the rear suspension bushings other than just a hard look and a good yank. Trouble with them is far less common than with the fronts, but can be a source of noise. A PITA to replace, by all accounts.

The rear springs are prone to breaking off very low at the pigtail, hard to see. The insulators help both with reducing noise and surely with reducing galvanic corrosion. Hard to source, have heard of substitutions, googling needed.

I’ve had so-so experience w/ Falken, bought on price. That’s always a mistake with tires, because nothing more influences your driving satisfaction.

I couldn’t find specs on your particular size, pretty medium grade, just an H rating, and have really poor customer ratings. But they’re 51 psi tire, so if SL rated, probably close to HL capability. Bet they have 2-ply sidewalls (just look.) Stiff sidewall give cornering response but stiffride. Probably tough enough, even tho a low life rating. You could just run them as soft as you can stand and watch for an underinflation wear pattern. I would try 26 psi. Just ignore the alarmist who say that you’ll skitter of the road, roll over, and burn to death.

Double check the sway bar bushings. Sometimes they’re the wrong size and sloppy. Also check the the links; sometimes cheapies fail quickly, sometimes they’re the wrong length and bump.

Does the steering wheel have play? Sometimes a u-joint in the shaft wears out.

Tighten all your lug nuts. 100 ft-lbs.

Prolly should go over everything and make sure it all tight. Double check where the ball joints get clamped into the spindles.

 

yes, new strut mounts