Thanks for all the warnings on the strut spring issue. I have done those before on a 91 VW Fox, wasn't too hard, but did rent a spring compressor and kept all my fingers :)

Mac c21 mentioned the right vertical stabilizer bar, and then the sway bar bushings. Can't quite visualize the bushings. I think we have had the vertical stabilizer bar replaced on the pass side, looks to be an easy job if I have the part correctly id'ed. Bushings??? is this the female part that the stabilizer bar fits into?

Thanks

 

I have a 2006 HHR LT with 2.2L ! I presently have just went over 146,000 miles and have a clunking noise when going over med to hard bumps. At 110,000 miles I had struts and MOOG endlinks installed. This noise isn't as bad as the struts, but does anoying. My question is if the links weren't greased properly when I got an oil change, would this be the result?

Thank You,
Jeff

 

Ask the shop teacher at my old high school what happens when you assume you can remove a spring without compressing it.

 

I just had my HHR in for a clunking noise in the front end and they replaced both of the links on both sides. I have 27,000 miles so it was covered under warranty.

 

Jeff, the electric assist steering can "clunk" away with the best of them. One of our clunks ended up being that very thing. Mind you with 140,000 miles on yours and without you being able to list a suspension catalogue as part of your overall fixes, you've done much better than we have! We experienced problems all along, the first being at 10K KM (6,200 miles) and continuing right up to now, another linkage, at what would be roughly 36,000 miles.

Ours is the Daytona Blue `06 LT 2.4L

 

How do I diagnose the Electric assit steering being the problem?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

Hi, I have the black 06 2.2 base model LS purchased new March 2006 and it's now up to 160K and it's been rattle banging around for the last 60k and is getting unbearable. It started first on the right front, and is now on both sides... I can make it pop bang and NOT be IN the car at all. I open the door and make the car bounce by rocking the body by pushing against the roof line, and it clunks right along with the rocking... Which indicates nothing is wrong with any steering links as I'm only bouncing the car. It's gotta be the struts period. I'll get around to having them replaced eventually "by Professionals" even though I am fairly handy with a wrench. So that's my 2 cents worth...
The suspension is sooo bad it will rattle now if I run over a dime! All in all it's served me WELL though!!

 

^^^ Sounds to me like the stabilizer end links.

 

FWIW, today I replaced both my struts and the strut mounts/bearings, pulled out of my driveway with high hopes that the annoying clunk had disappeared, and wouldn't ya know it, STILL THERE. 115k on my 2006 2.2L, and I hate it more and more every single day. Now I'm going to pursue the sway bar bushings per a previous post, and will get under the car in the daylight to check those out. My sway bar links appear fine. I wish a bus would find this POS parked on the street and take it out of my misery. I have never hated a Chevrolet product more than this damn thing.

 

well I replace both end links with moog links and both struts and the knock is still there. Inner sway bar bushings are next.If you want to pinpoint the noise unhook the end links from the sway bar and drive the vehicle and see if the noise is gone then you will know if it is from sway bar assy