Busy Weekend
 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85393510@N02/7830531432/


I bought some goodies to keep me busy this weekend. Thanks to Tom at Crate Engine depot for saving me some serious coin for all the GM parts and TTR for the rear bar. I already replaced the control arms and bolted in the bar and what a difference. I originally purchased and installed MOOG ball joints but the joint shaft that mates to the knuckle is a smaller diameter. Come to find out there are two knuckles for the HHR; standard and heavy duty. MOOG only offers one I guess on the assumption that they are the same and they are not. I found out the hardway...

Nice! Please take lots of pics. The front suspension is a point of contention with these cars, so a good how to would be a plus for alot of us.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85393510@N02/7830774312/http://www.flickr.com/photos/85393510@N02/7830774312/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/85393510@N02/, on Flickr

Just incase you wanted to see the difference

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85393510@N02/7830798792/http://www.flickr.com/photos/85393510@N02/7830798792/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/85393510@N02/, on Flickr

The mics are taken off the OEM ball joint shaft and placed next to the MOOG balljoint showing you the size difference. MOOG Part # K80567 (Close but no cigar)

Yuck, lots of Dr. Seuss wobble?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85393510@N02/7830949652/http://www.flickr.com/photos/85393510@N02/7830949652/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/85393510@N02/, on Flickr

BTW... if you go purchase MOOG front control arm bushings you will get the solid mount on the right with the steel sleeve. The OEM is on the left with the aluminum sleeve.

Yuck is right! a 2 minute test ride and back in the air it went. After a pile of collective cuss words lead me to realize I was in a bad place... Funny part was talking to MOOG tech support; the guy said well the chart says they are all the same. I told him I could careless about the chart I have steel in my hands.

The control arm swap was pretty straight forward, you have to disconnect the sway bay from the strut and move it out of the way, and 4 bolts later its on the floor. Since I had to do it twice the second time was was faster... lol. I have 103K on the car and the ball joints seemed ok, but the rear control arm bushing was pretty shredded and was over due. You can purchase that bushing seperately and press it into the control arm with a good size press. The bushing is about $55 each from the dealer, but the whole arm assembly from Crate Engine Depot was $120 each ($190 each from my dealer)

When the SS was first released and they listed the differences.. a redesigned steering knuckle was listed..I guess this was part of that. figured that since the steering seems a bit quicker that the steering arm was played with too,,..

Now you need to swap out your mounts for Powell units.