just had both my front struts changed after putting new tires on and found that rear shocks were blown. car would bounce all over the road. even after front strut replacement, still have to clunk in front end while going slow over offsetting bumps. looks like it will be going back to the dealer.

 

I just bought my 06 HHR LT with 53K miles on it. I have also noticed the dreaded suspension "thump" that everyone seems to complain about. I guess what I feel is so strange about it is that it only seems to happen in colder temperatures or when the humidity is higher because of rain etc. The sound I get seems to be limited to the passenger side unless thats just an illusion. I am putting it on stands this weekend to see what the strut etc looks like on that side. Such a bizarre problem.

 

so far I have had everything replace on my HHR except the center bushing on stab bar and the clunk is still there. If you unhook the end links on both sides and drive vehicle it is real quiet so has to be from bar but you have to almost drop rear of cradle to get sway bar bushings out. Back to dealer I go

 

I had a strange clunking noise on mine when I bought it used, but it had the preowned GM warranty. At first they said it was the sway bar links and replaced both sides. Still had a strange clunk from drivers side but ride felt the same on both sides. Turned out to be the plastic cover over the strut/spring that had become disconnected, and it would drop when the wheel would bottom out on the strut, like when it drops into a pothole. The plastic sleeve would clunk on the lower strut mount. They wound up just replacing the whole strut.

 

OK....before you go spending lots of cash chasing down suspension noise, check the plastic compartments behind the rear seats!!! Mine had become loose and they mimicked a suspension problem to a Tee!!! Its worse when the cold makes the plastic more rigid. If you can rock the boxes for and aft, they're loose. There are 4 bolts that become visible once you remove the rear cover and spare tire cover. You can also test this theory by releasing a rear seat and then sandwiching a folded towel between the seatback and the boxes.

 

why not post it so we can all see it?

 

I seem to be getting a lot more clunking from the front end these days 'cause it's been colder and rainier than usual here. At low speed and going over parking lot speed bumps, stuff like that. Our HHR is almost 6 1/2 Years old, but only has about 28,000 mi. on it. Not sure whether to take it to the dealer, or an Independent to get an honest appraisal of the problem?

 

Cold weather clunk is usually the front swaybar bushings.... My '07 has this and it goes away when the weather warms up. If you have a lot of miles there may be more involved, of course, I'm only at 36K now but the winter "clunk" has been there since I bought it at 19K.

As far as who to take it to? The dealer will begin the conversation with "Bend over....."

 

I just changed mine. The bushings are part of the sway bar end link, so you have to buy the entire pieces, but it is very easy to install.

 

End links are end links. Bushings are bushings. I'm talking about two completely different parts.