Maxxdd

I have been looking at threads about issues with the front end.. Most talk about clunks and bangs. I do have the clunks which seem to be the swaybar bushings- I don't care about sounds as long as car is safe to drive. Can the shudder be caused by these or is it just a noise maker?

The issue I want to resolve is the shudder. The car seems fine for the first few minutes of driving. Then shudder starts on braking. It gets worse and you can even feel a rock in steering even when off the brakes. I replaced the passenger side LCA due to this and also the fact I hit a snow bank a few weeks ago. The one I took out looked fine. As normal when anything done, issue goes away for awhile..

Replaced the brakes and rotors with Napa better parts about 3 months ago. Rotors seem fine and don't drag on pads when spun by hand.

As a side note the steering rack was replaced along with tie rods a year ago. Both hubs replaced with Timken units within the last year.

Money is very very tight, work has been extremely slow since the first of the year. The car has 162k and even thou the car rides fine, I know the struts should be changed(no leaks), but right now if they are not causing the shudder, I would like to put them off for now.

Looked at the drivers side today. No movement or visual issues seen with the LCA or any other item.

Looking at replacing the LCA anyway. Looking for suggestions on where to go first. If money were not an issue - Struts, LCA and swaybar bushings would be replaced at once.... But......

Any information experiences would be appreciated...

donbrew

Welcome.

There is a link in my sig that is pretty comprehensive, read it all.

My bet is LCA bushings are bad. They are very difficult to see, I thought mine were good until I noticed the camber by eye.

OR, rear bearings, OR rear brakes.

Maxxdd

I have read - tried to read the post. Trying to figure out what is or is not part of the instructions and what are header/footer gives me a headache every time.

I do appreciate that you posted that, if you could edit so that someone could follow the instructions and not get lost, it would be a great help.

I just replaced the rear brakes yesterday. I have also just replaced one of the rear hubs. Other one seems good.

One question I do have is about the swaybar bushings, if they could be an issue with the shudder. I don't think they would. The main components would be the LCA (bushings and Ball joint) and shock. Other would be the tie rod and steering rack.

As stated in the original post, I don't think it is the rotor or brakes. This is due to the issue not being there cold, just after driving for awhile and gets worse. Something is warming up, bushings in the LCA could be it..

Snoopy

Maxxdd......

May I ask a question for clarification?

As I read your first post with description, I see you encounter the problem when applying the brakes. Do you continue to have the shutter problem afterward WITHOUT applying the brakes? Or does it ONLY occur while applying the brakes?

donbrew

I have no idea what you are talking about! I just checked, there are no headers no footers no wrap around text.

Maybe you need a new browser? I use FireFox.

Maxxdd

There is a slight shimmy after driving for about 10 minutes. At the beginning, applying the brakes calms it down some. After awhile it makes it very worse, but sometimes applying the brakes harder it helps.

I will be replacing the drivers side LCA tomorrow. I will also try removing the fuse for the electronic power steering to see if that changes it..

mrarff

You hit a "snow bank" with the passenger side? You mentioned everything but the wheels themselves, did you check them? You have replaced a butt load of things and still no results. I think it is time to go to an alignment shop and get the problem fixed.

I knew a novice mechanic years ago that had put a new set of points, condenser, plugs, wires and rotor button on his car.

There was still a skip to the engine. He kept on replacing things including the distributor, carb, and the valves.

Still there was a skip.

He finally came to find that one of the "new" plug wires was bad from the factory. The lesson? His haste to replace cost him over a grand, a lot of time, and his friends "horse laughed" him for weeks. But yeah, I got over it. LOL There comes a time to get help from a pro!

Snoopy

mrarff is going in the direction I intended. You probably damaged an additional part that you are not aware of. The wheel was my thinking as well. But donbrew and a few others are far more knowledgeable relative to the front end parts that may be the culprit.

Secondly, it's probably time for a professional front end check. You have thrown a ton a money at this with no success (which is supporting your statement regarding, "money being tight". I can understand why.).

Lastly, are you ABSOLUTELY sure you remounted the wheels correctly after each of your mechanical endeavors.

firemangeorge

From the 1st post:
quote:"It gets worse and you can even feel a rock in steering even when off the brakes."

Hmm. Makes me think a tire and/or rim.

Maxxdd

Tires have been rotated to back. Alignment done. Issue was there even before the snowbank. Been fighting this issue off an on for awhile.

I also understand that NEW only stands for Never Ever Worked. All parts are subject to being bad out of the box...

"You have thrown a ton a money at this with no success (which is supporting your statement regarding, "money being tight". I can understand why.)."

No you can't..... Rack was replaced due to broken gear tooth. Rack was bad!!! Only thing I have replaced due to this issue is the LCA on the right side.... Brakes and rotors replaced due to being wear and warped rotors..... Back brakes replaced due to wear. All Hubs replaced due to bearing noise...... The front ones replaced twice... First store brand hubs only lasted 8 months, but 30,000 miles - I drive about 50K a year..... Why I replaced with Timken units.

I do not throw parts at issues... I listed those parts to let you know what is not stock, not what was changed due to this issue.

I am not a greenhorn that has not worked on cars before. I just dropped in a 04 Malibu LX9 V6 into my 79 MGB.

The HHR has known issues with the front end. I bought the car for the looks, if I had looked into the mechanics of this car I would not have bought it.

HHR and MGB. One thing I do know, my next car will have a vowel in it. 'Pat can I buy a Vowel'........

donbrew, The bold section is what I was talking about. The post has a lot of very good info, but could be edited to make it easier to read.

Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

1. Clean the surface area of the upper spring seat using fine sandpaper.
2. Apply a light coat of *3M™ Automotive Adhesion Promoter, P/N 06396, to the top of the dust boot
Saturday, May 24, 2014 9:26:08 PM Page 2 © 2011 Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC.


2010 Chevrolet HHR LT
Steering and Front Suspension Noise Concerns - Clunk, Thump, Rattle, Knocking, Pop, Shudder, Vibration (Diagnosis
and Perform Necessary Repair)
2010 Chevrolet HHR LT
Steering and Front Suspension Noise Concerns - Clunk, Thump, Rattle, Knocking, Pop, Shudder, Vibration (Diagnosis
and Perform Necessary Repair)
(shield) on the inside edge and to the top of the bumper. Allow to dry 10 minutes.

Fig. 3: Dust Boot (Shield)

Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

3.
Glue the bumper to the inside of the dust boot (shield) as shown. Use *3M™ Duramix™ Super Fast
Adhesive, P/N 04747. Allow to cure thoroughly 5-10 minutes at room temperature.