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What is an acceptable amount of play in the lower control arm?

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Old Mar 2, 2019 | 01:20 PM
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092lt's Avatar
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What is an acceptable amount of play in the lower control arm?

Upon changing my front 2 wheel hub assemblies I was checking the play on my lower control arm bushings for play because I am trying to pinpoint the clunking and creaking coming from my front end, primarily from the drivers side. Changing the end links helped get rid of some of the clunking but it's still there somewhere else also. I'm sorry for the quality of the videos. They lost resolution when I converted them to a format acceptable for this forum.
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File Type: wmv
Drivers LCA.wmv (1.70 MB, 155 views)
File Type: wmv
Passenger LCA.wmv (1.50 MB, 65 views)
Old Mar 2, 2019 | 01:58 PM
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How many miles on your car ?
LS does look like a little more play.
Old Mar 2, 2019 | 02:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Cat Man HHR
How many miles on your car ?
LS does look like a little more play.
This is a 09 2LT with 64,000 miles. I don't want to play the parts swap game due to financial reasons so I'm trying my best to locate the source. I forgot to mention that when I initially hit the brake the steering wheel want to turn left for a split second which I heard was a possible sign of bushing failure and also I can feel it while making very slow sharp left turns (around 5mph or less)
Old Mar 2, 2019 | 04:50 PM
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Try the rolling test push the tire fore and aft if the wheel moves before the body moves they are bad.

Another symptom is when coming to a stop "the wheels keep turning".

I think they are bad.
Old Mar 2, 2019 | 04:55 PM
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Originally Posted by donbrew
Try the rolling test push the tire fore and aft if the wheel moves before the body moves they are bad.

Another symptom is when coming to a stop "the wheels keep turning".

I think they are bad.
I didn't get much movement out of it when I tried but they may not be that horrible yet. The movement on the drivers side bushing makes me think atleast that side may be on its way
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Old Mar 2, 2019 | 09:19 PM
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Bushings aren’t that expensive have them simply pressed in, unless your ball joints are also shot.
double check your upper engine mount, if you can’t see all of the 15 mm bolt thru the oval hole in the passengers front inner fender.
If not the mount is shot.
you can get rubber bushings for under $10.00 each.
I do recommend using Moog problem solvers , warranty for life! You can change them in the driveway, with hand tools!

Old Mar 2, 2019 | 09:21 PM
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Old Mar 3, 2019 | 12:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Oldblue
Bushings aren’t that expensive have them simply pressed in, unless your ball joints are also shot.
double check your upper engine mount, if you can’t see all of the 15 mm bolt thru the oval hole in the passengers front inner fender.
If not the mount is shot.
you can get rubber bushings for under $10.00 each.
I do recommend using Moog problem solvers , warranty for life! You can change them in the driveway, with hand tools!
I appreciate your advice and I thought about that but If I have it all apart would it be worth it to buy the whole deal just so everything is new? I don't think the ball joints are bad but spending $95 on a whole new arm would almost seem like a preventative maintenance type of thing. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong though

Old Mar 3, 2019 | 07:03 AM
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The point is you have options, and those are yours to make.
just please don’t cheap out on stamped steel Cobalt arms.
Old Mar 3, 2019 | 08:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Oldblue
The point is you have options, and those are yours to make.
just please don’t cheap out on stamped steel Cobalt arms.
I definitely won't buy the stamped steel. I read they fit but are not rely for the hhr. The only issue I'm having now is finding the right part numbers because I'm reading that there are 2 different sets. I have a 2lt with the fe3 suspension and some places say that the moog RK620897/RK620898 will fit and others say they won't so I'm a bit confused. Based on the vin number even th AC Delco part numbers are different than the other hhrs use



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