donbrew, thanks for your reply,
I'm positive it's an SS with the LNF 2.0 Turbo. Multiple VIN checks before I bought it. Been around cars for a little while at being a 66 year old car guy. I'm not always the sharpest tool in the shed, but I get by with a little help from my friends.
VIN: 3gnda73x98s649226.
What you have circled there is not a crack, it's the slit for the crimp bolt that holds the ball joint stud to the knuckle. On the SS FE5, the inside dia. of the hole in the knuckle should be a slip fit to accept the 20.5mm (.807") ball joint stud from the LCA, until tightened to spec. The FE1 and FE3 LCA ball joint studs, from what I have read, are 20.0mm (.787"). So in this case the possibility of a crack is there but I'm not sure that .020" would actually be enough to damage the knuckle if over tightened to meet the smaller 20.0mm stud. Sheeesh, I hope not! What a learning experience all in one day of ownership!

 

Don Brew, after reading more yet, I can see that you well know about the LCA to steering knuckle saga. Please pardon the newbies redundant info.
Is the FE5 Steering knuckle aluminum too?

 

That circled photo in Dobrew's post is the pinch bolt relief cut, but in another picture there is a white looking line above the pinch bolt that could be a crack , please have a closer look !

 

I never heard of a steel knuckle on anything. Did you mean cast? I don't know the alloy used.

I think the geometry is different LT-SS.

Anyway, what I was getting at is: The ball joints are riveted on new LCAs. Somebody may have got a FE3 control arm and matched up ball joints to bolt on.

I am betting that the bushings are bad. And the sway bar links and bushing. Who knows about struts, they could be FE3 too.

I think King Kong might be able to tighten the clamp enough to actually crack the knuckle. The actual work of keeping the stud in the knuckle is done by the pin, there is a groove in the stub, the torqueing is to keep the nut on not to hold the stud in. In other words; they are a friction fit.

 

Looks like the person before you spent his time at a local parts store like auto zone and failed to do research into proper replacement parts and they may have use a high strength impact gun to tighten that pinch Bolt. Yeouch! At least the ss is in good hands now! You are gonna have to get a full oem control arm STAT with bushings pre-installed. It's the only way for an ss if I'm not mistaken!

 

Thanks guys, I am very grateful for your help. I really like this car and it will be put back the way Chevy intended. I'm not a real mechanic, I'm just the shade tree type. Although, I am an old retired machinist and ready to give it a go.

 

Thanks donbrew, I didn't know that. Great info!

 

2008 HHR SS Front Suspension Shopping List:

 

If you're doing struts, you should get the "little" parts that go with them.
Bearings, top mounts, bellows, etc.

 

Yes, and I'd throw on a set of axle bearing hubs.