What Did You Do To Your HHR Today?
Snoopy, next have a look at the sway bar bushings!! they may be the cause of your metallic clunk.
Gohmer neat set up, got any part numbers for the caps, dimensions for the adapter plates???
Today just finished digging out the driveway, 7 1/2 inches, warmed up the HHR and scraped all the ice off the windows, headed out for a coffee!!
Gohmer neat set up, got any part numbers for the caps, dimensions for the adapter plates???
Today just finished digging out the driveway, 7 1/2 inches, warmed up the HHR and scraped all the ice off the windows, headed out for a coffee!!
Nope, don't think it is the sway bar bushings.
When installing the sway links, installation requires rotational movement of the bar to bolt in the bottom link. The bar was so tight, I could hardly turn it. So I believe the bushings are doing their job. I also checked these and other bushings, visibly, and I found no cracks, separations or dryness (used a pin drift as a probe). Every bolt/nut I could find on the underside I checked for tightness, as well. I'm at a lose.....
But thanks for the suggestion.
When installing the sway links, installation requires rotational movement of the bar to bolt in the bottom link. The bar was so tight, I could hardly turn it. So I believe the bushings are doing their job. I also checked these and other bushings, visibly, and I found no cracks, separations or dryness (used a pin drift as a probe). Every bolt/nut I could find on the underside I checked for tightness, as well. I'm at a lose.....
But thanks for the suggestion.
Snoopy - the clunk you hear, is it the usual clunk we all hear from the steering wheel/column? or is it a different noise? when i go over bumps, i get this vibration/rattle noise in my coumn that drives me insane, even after getting the column replaced...i heard that there is a "new stye" shaft that supposedly fixes this rattle (again not sure if this is the same noise we're talking about)
It's a constant metallic sounding rattle when going over cracks, speed bumps, variation in surfaces, etc. I do not have it in normal driving and it is not a KNOCKING sound.
I do know the Bridgestone tires that I had installed a couple years back amplified the sound (progressively getting worse). Had a friend, that is a racing nut, use a durameter (?) on the rubber and stated that tire is "harder" than most. He also stated many Bridgestones are designed with a sidewall that is not as "flexible" as some others. Thus providing a "harder" ride.
While the tires are not the cause, I wanted to add the info to provide additional clues. Frankly, I am at a lose.
But as far as your thought toward the steering column..... I can't FEEL any indication in the wheel. But in my "search and destroy" process, I will remove some of the lower cosmetic panels and see if I can feel the rattle transmitting to there.
I do know the Bridgestone tires that I had installed a couple years back amplified the sound (progressively getting worse). Had a friend, that is a racing nut, use a durameter (?) on the rubber and stated that tire is "harder" than most. He also stated many Bridgestones are designed with a sidewall that is not as "flexible" as some others. Thus providing a "harder" ride.
While the tires are not the cause, I wanted to add the info to provide additional clues. Frankly, I am at a lose.
But as far as your thought toward the steering column..... I can't FEEL any indication in the wheel. But in my "search and destroy" process, I will remove some of the lower cosmetic panels and see if I can feel the rattle transmitting to there.
Soft and couldn't find any splits/breaks.
MODERATORS......
If I start a new thread, going into more detail of my problem, can you move this "work" over to it??? I don't wish to continue taking space in a thread (dedicated) that should only require 1 or 2 posts.
MODERATORS......
If I start a new thread, going into more detail of my problem, can you move this "work" over to it??? I don't wish to continue taking space in a thread (dedicated) that should only require 1 or 2 posts.
Last edited by Snoopy; Feb 6, 2014 at 05:21 PM.
Caps are United Pacific 10200 6.5"
Walmart nylon cutting board 15"X20"
Cut the cap edges off about 3/8"
Empire truck has some 6" caps. I'm going to order a set of those to see if they work better


