Symptoms:
Clunking sound over bumps
Vibrations at any speed
Pulsating shakes at high speeds felt throughout whole car including steering wheel
Hard to stay going straight especially at high speeds
Hard to control car on windy days
Driving next to a semi on freeway car gets pulled toward semi almost like I’m gonna just get sucked under
Sometimes tires screech when making left turn at low speeds
You need to have the suspension inspected for worn parts.
If you’re unable to do this yourself, then you’re going to need to bring it in.
Until then, I wouldn’t drive the vehicle.
Tester
Look under Mechanics Files at the top of this page and search for a shop near you. This car needs to be repaired ASAP or taken off the road. This is for your safety and the people on the road around you.
I’ve been driving it like this for well over a year its just progressively getting worse. I had front end inspected…they told me struts might be bad and lower control arm and tires was 1st recommendation but didn’t say it was serious or anything.
Based on what you say, it sounds serious to me. Good advice above to not drive the car. If you have to drive it, suggest to keep the speed to below 30 mph. High speeds and suspension problems don’t mix.
You didn’t have to say it was serious. I’m telling YOU it’s serious. This car should be TOWED, not driven to a shop for a total evaluation of not only the chassis but also the condition of the unibody vis-a-vis body rot.
You have a seriously dangerous vehicle. I don’t want myself, my kids, or anybody else’s self or kids or parents killed because of your clear negligence. I urge you, I beg you, PLEASE do NOT drive this vehicle anymore until it gets evaluated.
And please, on a family forum use a less disgusting tag.
I had my old Riviera aligned at a good shop but didn’t like the job and the way it handled. So I took it to an old guy who worked on my cars back in 1966. He said the body mounts for the engine cradle were shot and essentially the only thing holding it together was the steering shaft. He charged me $250 to fix it and he thought that was outrageous. I thought it was a bargain. At any rate just because one shop didn’t think it was a problem doesn’t mean there isn’t a serious problem.
i fully understand everybodys concern but this is like my only vehicle to and from work. No other means of transportation. I usually do all repairs my self, dioagnosing the prob. Is the hard part. I’ve inspected it several times and I can’t find anything but some worn bushings. Tie rods was also mentioned when I had it inspected so I replaced those inner and ends. I felt replacing them should of been the first recommendation cause they were bad.
I would strongly suggest that you go back and carefully inspect the ball joints. You state that you’ve been told a lower control arm is bad (maybe both?) and in most cases that means the ball joint is faulty or the control arm bushing is worn with both of those being part of the control arm.
You do NOT want a ball joint to snap on you. If one of those lets go it will happen instantaneously with no warning and if luck is on your side you will slide to a stop without rolling the vehicle or someone plowing into you.
All of those complaints you mention in the original post can easily fit a loose ball joint including the screeching of tires due to the alignment going way out of whack.
Many problems can be delayed but a worn ball joint is not one of them. Those can be lethal.
I jacked up the car from the suspension to check for any play and there’s nothing. I personally feel like something is loose. Cause I been driving with it like this for about 1 1/2 years and its been still fills the same for most part…I used to get a violent pulsating shake above 70mph after I changed tires it calmed down tremendously. Now I can still fill it but barley mostly after 80mph. All other symptoms remain.
I’ll guess you have a 1993-1997 Concord, New Yorker or LHS and your rack and pinion bushings have failed.
Don’t drive 80mph.
If you’ve gone over the suspension yourself and cannot find the problem, you should get it to a pro. I still maintain that until it’s properly diagnosed it should be considered unsafe.
Sincere thanks, by the way, for changing your tag.
Just because you have had the good luck for the last 1 1/2 years does not mean that this luck will last.
Why not just take it to a good alignment shop or suspension shop and have them diagnose the problem parts for you.
you can tell them you are on a budget and ask what parts are critical now and what can wait for a month. Pay them the $100 diagnostic and go home and do the work yourself.
Or just wait for the worse to happen. Then you will have all the time to think about your poor decision while you drool into your lap from your wheelchair.
Unless it’s not you…but an innocent bystander!!!
Yosemite
You are right Yosemite but I have had it inspected 2 times by a professional and they both told me same thing, tie rods, control arm, tires and maby struts. I believe struts are fine replaced tie rods and tires and got the alignment done after. Not able to ajust Camber
Not able to adjust camber, why?
I've inspected it several times and I can't find anything but some worn bushings.
And you haven’t replaced them…why??
You have now stated twice that they told you the lower control arm, or arms, is/are bad. So exactly what is wrong with the control arm(s)?
I will reiterate that the ball joint is part of the control arm.
Camber can be greatly affected by a worn ball joint, so…
It would help to know what vehicle we are discussing, year, make and model. Some have known histories that could save us and you a lot of trouble.
Here’s another thing to check that will make you jump all over the road-inner tie rod ends. You can’t see 'em but if they are worn, the car will jump all over. Could be a combination of struts and the inner tie rods.