I know it's impossible to diag things without it physically in front of you but if anyone could help me out before I spend too much money it would be appreciated. Sorry if I run long here, just want to give as much info as possible. My car got hit by a trash truck while parked, and something hooked onto the driver side tire, destroying it and also turning the steering from straight to almost full lock. So I went to make sure everything was ok, but only had the drivers side wheel off the ground, jacked on the frame. If I wiggled the drivers wheel 9-3, there was a lot of movement near the center link/idler arm area on the passenger side. I can push up on it a good amount, where the drivers side had no play. The driver idler arm was replaced before I bought it, no zerk fitting, but the passenger one still has one. Would I be safe to assume the idler arm is bad? Or the center link? I had no problems before I got hit, I went around the block and the susp jumps up and down slightly as if I had severely cupped tires. Any idea what I could be looking at?

 

Sounds like the idler arm, but why are you diagnosing it if the trash company hit it. Put it in the best body shop around and make their insurance pay for the repairs.

 

I agree. Get the insurance company.

 

agreed, take it to the shop, you may have more wrong with it than you see

 

1st off, if they hit you take it to the best and let them pay the bill.

Anyway, the best way to diagnose steering linkage is to put the front on ramps and have somebody turn the wheel slightly back and forth. Get under it and you will see very quickly any issues.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I actually am already getting a check from their insurance company but it was a fight tooth and nail for every dollar and it's looking like now if I get the suspension done I'm not getting the body work done or they will total the car, which is NOT happening. I bought this car basically from the grave and have put way too much work into it for that. I would have no problems replacing the part, I was just wondering if the possibility of more severe damage was there since I couldn't actually get it off the ground and check properly. Guess I'll have to check it out when it's on the alignment rack...

 

If your mechanically able, I would fix the suspension myself and use the insurance to repair the body work. Suspension is pretty easy stuff. Springs are the hardest part and I'm not saying the are difficult. It all unbolt and bolts back in. The bodywork may be deep enough to need tools and skills you don't have at home .

Give that idea some thought. There is a lot of support here to help you through the suspension and steering if your not familiar with it. Also this way if a body mount for the suspension is bent it will get fixed for you to mount the new suspension to.

 

If you don't know the exact condition of all of your front end steering linkage parts, replace them all now from ball joint to idler arm. Cost should be around $200-250 and the alignment is going to cost $50 anyway. No sense replacing pieces/parts now then having to replace something else next year and paying twice for the alignment.

 

This is what I'm leaning towards. I don't know too much about suspension work but I know ours is fairly simple. And info on this site has literally saved this car from the boneyard more times than I care to admit I love this place.

Is that all it would cost for a front end refresh? Hell I might just do that. Is that using the good stuff or autozone special junk?

 

Price TRW or Moog through Rock Auto.

2 inner tie rods
2 outer tie rods
centerlink
idler arm
2 ball joints
2 tie rod adjuster sleeves

Before alignment check:

Strut mounts. If they need to be replaced it will add ~$150 to the cost.
Wheel bearings. If you don't know when, suck up the $40 or so.
Struts. Make sure they're not so far gone they have play in them. Otherwise they can be replaced later without significantly affecting alignment.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...alignment.html

You can save a lot at rockauto. I suggest you read through that and at least verify your alignment after you get it back together (or even now). It doesnt take long. All that does is check your toe, so if anything else got seriously knocked out you will need to take it to a shop anyway. But if the caster or camber were severely altered, it will throw off the toe readings. Look at your strut towers and see if there's any evidence of the mounts moving/scratching/bending the top of the towers.

 

I have similar work to do, although for not as exciting a reason. Noob question probably, but can all of this be done on ramps?

 

Ball joints require removal of the wheel, brakes and strut. Going to need a jack under the control arm and you'll have to get it high enough to get the ball joint tool underneath.

 

Ramps can be used only for steering linkage trouble shooting. To work on suspension and steering you have to support the car by the frame (usually with Jack stands) to unload the suspension, remove the tires, etc. As I said earlier, springs are the hardest part because they are dangerous. Do research and KNOW what risks the spring creates in your project and how to remove and install them safely. You should be able to tell by looking at the suspension how the spring will affect your project. If you can't then you should probably hire a professional. Your life and health are more important than a few hours of labor charges.

 

Ravage, don't buy your suspension parts at a local store. Rock auto I hear is the cheapest, also summit and jegs. I save over $100+ by ordering my Moog ball joints and steering linkage from Summit and that still included QA1 tie rod adjustment sleaves.

Be careful though, both when I did my 92 and this week when replacing ball joints and steering linkage in my 69, one of the Moog boxes contained a cheap no name part. It was a tie rod when I did the 92 and a ball joint this week with the 69. Summit took care of the problem both times but it's still frustrating. Especially the second time.

 

Well, my confusion comes from conflicting information. All I KNOW needs to be done is the centerlink and idler arm. However, I suspect that the tie rods probably would need to go as well. And that's where I've heard people say both. Some say that you can do these parts without unloading the suspension, and some say you can't.

 

You can yank the entire steering assembly as a unit, tie rod to tie rod, with the car on ramps.

Replacing the ball joints, which I consider part of the suspension, requires removal of the strut, which requires removing the wheel, hence a jack stand.

 

Thanks, got it. That's kind of what I suspected. That may be where the confusion is. Sounds like some people talk all the way to the ball joints where others are only thinking to the tie rod ends.

 

 

When I did my ball joints I never removed the strut from the spindle at all.

But then again I just took my removed A-arms to a chassis shop and had them replace my bushings and ball joints so maybe that changes things.

 

Nor do I usually remove the strut from the spindle. I find it much easier to undo the top nut and take the whole assembly out to make room.