Oldblue

You should not have to open up the knuckle bore , just a small pry bar to coax the hole open to get the 20.5 mm stub into position.

PulpFriction

Confusing, right? TC was call SS. And there was even a 2006 Cobalt SS with the n/a 2.4 LE5. I think maybe the exact same thing got a new name, "Sport" instead of SS, for 2007. I have NO idea if it's suspension was called FE5, but it doesn't matter because the ball joints were 19.6 mm.

Oldblue

So let’s stick to our own SS parts and use the OTTP ball joints for our HHR SS’s and avoid confusion and damaged knuckles, broken parts and other issues.

donbrew

Unfortunately, the people that write parts books think that All Chevrolets that has SS in its name are the same. I bet they would try to sell you a turbo for a 1968 Nova SS.

hhoyt

Since I started this thread I thought I'd give a recap on redoing the front suspension on my 170k mile HHR SS. All parts remounted using the proper torques and procedures, and that rear Lower Control Arm (LCA) bushing bolt at 74 lb/ft with the additional 180° is a bear on your back under the car! :

1) Tie-Rod ends were easily available and easy to replace.
2) Sway Bar links also easy to get and replace.
3) The rear LCA bushings are still available, but it is important to get the zinc-plated version intended for the aluminum LCA, otherwise electrolytic corrosion can set in. When installing them be sure to orient the notches correctly, the bushings were design to have asymmetrical flexure along different axes.
4) The front LCA bushings were replaced, not a lot of fun pressing them back in, and like the rear bushings, orientation while installing is important.
5) My HHR SS did indeed have the incorrect regular HHR lower ball joints (BJs) installed at some point which distorted the 20.5 mm bore in the knuckle which received the BJ stud. I would estimate this is very common, as many HHR SS's are now up there in mileage and have had the BJs replaced by shops that don't know better. The only source of the correct 20.5 mm stud BJs I could find is Over The Top Performance (OTTP). In order to use the OTTP BJs I first protected the CVJ (Constant Velocity Joint) boot with some sheet aluminum, then I heated up the area on the knuckle around the stud bore to ~200°F and drove a large flat-bladed screwdriver into the bore split until I had spread it ~0.090". At that point, the new BJ would just about almost press in, but I didn't want to hammer on the bottom of the new BJ to seat it. So leaving the screwdriver in place I cleaned up the distortion in the bore using a 20.5 mm spiral reamer which took out almost no material, maybe five or six small chips. At this point the new BJ mounted easily and with precision and I removed the screwdriver from the split. After following the torque procedure (37 lb/ft, back off 3/4 turn, then 37 lb/ft) I measured the bore split at 0.075" so the new proper BJ is being clamped securely.
6) I am awaiting the delivery of the sway bar frame bushings, they look fairly easy to replace as well.

If it wasn't for the problem with the lower BJs this job would have been really simple, the front suspension on these cars are easy to work on! Also, try your best to approximate proper toe-in after replacing the tie-rod ends I thought I was close but apparently had a slight asymmetry to my toe-in and driving it to get aligned was hairy!! Every time I crossed a bit of ice the car would lurch in the opposite direction which was dangerous. After alignment I am amazed by how great and quiet it drives now, when the suspension slowly degrades for years it is easy to get used to it and forget how nice new is!
BTW: If anyone wants to borrow the reamer or a combo removal/install tool for the LCA rear bushing, please PM me, it wasn't cheap and it would be silly for all of us to buy one and use it once...well, twice.

Cheers!
Howie
2009 HHR SS
1996 Impala SS
1963 Nova (not SS, I sold that one) but it has a McCandless 283!

Oldblue

Just to inform you the rubber version of the FE5 lower control arm rear bushings are solid, the hinged version are FE1 and FE3 . If you’re gonna press out the old and press in new rear bushings install the Moog 201285
problem solver bushings

https://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/moog-k201285

hhoyt

Hi Oldblue!
That is interesting; I was able to find an old stock complete GM 25930725 Left LCA, which I believe is the correct part supplied with SS/FE5 vehicles and it had the notched/hinged rear LCA bushing. I have seen pictures of the FE3 bushing, and you can see daylight through the notched-out part of the rubber, but the GM FE5 part, although having a well-defined notch/indentation has rubber through that area. The separate GM 89030162 rear LCA bushings I bought were the same, the GM parts guy looked it up with my VIN and said it was for FE5 only. I have seen the Moog part and they look symmetrical with no notch/hinge in the rubber. This makes three distinct bushing appearances...
Did GM or Moog change that to improve performance at some point?
This FE5 stuff is curious!
Cheers,
Howie

donbrew

Not as easy as it looks! The "book" way to do them is to remove the 2 big LCA bolts and drop the frame down an inch or so (while supported).

Moog is no longer a manufacturer, they print boxes for parts they buy from China. Their parts book is the source of most of the errors, GM Parts included.
The Moog Problem Solver part has a different center it is a ball and socket not depending on the rubber flexing.

Lots of people have experienced cracked steering knuckles from air gun mechanics tightening the bolt with the smaller BJ. Even GM Parts guys have been known to sell the wrong parts.

Oldblue

I’ve had the FE3 and FE5 bushings in my 2011 2 LT , LCAs and they both failed, I switched to the Moog K201285 bushings and have almost 85,000 miles on them, still tight and smooth cornering and over the bumps

hhoyt

Thanks for the videos, I should have taken some or pictures at least...
The GM FE5 bushings I got didn't look like any of those you had, so GM must be playing fast and loose with stock. They look like the solid ones, but with shallow recesses which do not go all the way through at the places you call hinge points. I would estimate the recesses top and bottom each go 1/4 of the height of the bushing... Anyway, I guess I'll get prepared to get some Moog K201285s to install sometime in the next year or so...Thank you for the tip!

Cheers!
Howie
2009 HHR SS
1996 Impala SS
1963 Nova (not SS, I sold that one) but it has a McCandless 283!