well something broke today, it was wet out and i was messing about... pulled into my friends driveway, backed up and CRUNCH. The body now sits lower on passenger side front. Car made grinding noises and barely wanted to move when i managed to back it up...it broke when i was turning to backing out onto the street. I have noticed my 245 has been rubbing the bumper on the inside when i turn... Lower balljoint broke? Car is in front of his house haha, theres no way im messing around in the rain today. At least I should finally be able to find out why the car was driving like shit!
When I still had my auto trans in the car and took it in for repair, he had notice mine was in really bad condition so he fix it for me, wound up he couldn't fix the trans and got the ball joint for free. :icon_mrgreen:
Sounds like a ball joint to me, thats exactly what mine did. Get an ALIGNMENT after you replace it breaking a ball joint really screws those up.
EDIT: I'd probably replace both while you are at it, when one goes usually the other is close behind.
I agree with your assessment & the others that chimed in = probably a separated balljoint.
Check your tie-rod ends while you're at it..
sorry to hear that ike :icon_sad:
well i wish it was the balljoint....rear driver subframe bolt MIA, lower spring retainer collapsed and the spring is jammed into wheel/rim... thats what the grinding noise was ....ruined the 245... my local weld shop said they can fix it...the bolt broke clean off but the floating retainer is impossible to get out... dunno what to do.... drill it out? parts car? what a great design!
Oh that sucks really bad, i guess it depends on what you have into it
The fiero's I have seen this happen on the rear bolts that go straight into the body, they usually can cut a window in the body large enough to remove the old nut/retainer. But I don't know about these W-cars. If all else fails you can always gusset it and weld the frame to the body.......but only as a last resort since you will have to cut your car apart if you need to service anything that requires the frame to be dropped......Sucks man.
Ken
http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=51472.0 ;)
&
http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=62613.0
Ugh....same thing happened to me. The hole I cut is ugly, but I hit it with paint and RTV to seal it. IT should rusted!
Good luck my friend...But I think cutting the floor may be your only option. I could not get at it through the plastic access hole in the car....and I even had the motor out. I couldn't see how it would be possible with the motor in the car!
thanks a ton guys, yea looks like im going to cut the floor... would be nice if i saw a picture of exactly where to cut but i guess i can figure it out. Probably just going to use a nut/bolt/washer and call it a day. Im actually trying to figure out how to change the lower spring mount so i can limp the car home with 3 subframe bolts. I need to take the whole spindle out / separate balljoint/axle the whole 9. I need a spring compressor when i put the assembly back together right?
i gotta take pictures of this mess. Got the assembly out and need the lower spring retainer... Advanced auto said the lower retainer has the same part number as the Turbo GP and the 88 SE. Im going to grab it off the 5 speed SE junkyard car since the strut assembly is on the ground next to the car... My friends going to compress the spring for me so i should be good to go by tomorrow... well sorta... ill be able to limp the car home so i can cut the floor apart... It never ends.
Hang in there Ike you will get through it!
Ken
got the subframe bolt retainer out... it wouldnt even come out after i cut my floor open and was looking right at it...SOAB! i had to cut a little tab off the bracket so i could slide it out... TRIAL + ERROR in my part for making too many cuts in the floor... so to anyone needing remove this bastard, its right between the first 2 humps from the left!!! A hole in the floor is better than 3 subframe bolts!
(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/turbograndprix/DSC01079.jpg)
(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/turbograndprix/DSC01080.jpg)
Like you said, as much as it sucks cutting hole in the floor, you got to do what you got to do. and I don't it'll affect anything. Just make sure to paint the hole so there is no chance of rust and you'll be good to go!
Well thats done, car drives SO much better now, it had to be done.... have faith in lowes 8.8 bolts!