Thread: Suspension Troubles

I hope someone has the answer to these problems that I think are suspension related.


1) When I takeoff from a stop I feel as if a caliper had been stuck and then releases , kind of like a shift or a lag when starting off. Along with that lag, you hear a slight knock and feel that knock in your seat. This only happens after you’ve come to a complete stop. Mind you, all 4 calipers are releasing at the proper time when you remove pressure from the brake pedal. If you take your foot off the brakes and just idle, this noise and feeling doesn’t occur until you accelerate. The vehicle will go about 3 MPH at an idle from a stop so the calipers are Not hanging up.

2) When taking off from a light with moderate or heavy acceleration, the car pulls to the left. When you remove your foot from the gas it then pulls to the right, almost like swaying in the lane, almost like a torque steering. If you just coast (after the sway)or apply the brakes, the car maintains it’s strait position.

3) When the starting off with a cold vehicle, a ½ inch raised crack in the driveway will cause the Right Front wheel area to clunk. I have heard this at other times too but with all of the other stuff going on, my attention is usually elsewhere.

The car has 122,000 miles on it and was making the clunking sound before I started replacing things. Here is a list of parts that have been replaced within the last 3,000 miles.

All 4 Hub Bearings
L&R Front Brake Pads and Rotors
L &R Tie Rod Ends
L &R Ball Joints
L&R Front Monroe Quick Struts
Dorman Sway Bar Kit w/Bushings
4 Wheel Alignment
Trans Fluid and Filter Change

Well…does anyone have an idea what could be happening? With winter just around the corner, the “Sway” is going to get dangerous.
Thank you for your assistance!

I dont see LCA's on your list.

Thank you for your reply Matt. I have not changed the LCA's yet...guess I should. Are those problems I've listed symptoms of worn LCA Bushings?

Thank you Stealthee,

I "Thunk" I read a Great post on here with detailed directions in the "How To" section dealing with changing that mount as well. I will be ordering both the LCAs and the Motor Mount online today. Any other suggestions while I have my ride on the jack stands?

I wouldnt run out and replace them.

I'd inspect them first.

I replaced the front struts only because the shop that replaced the rest of the "stuff”, who by the way had originally told me the struts were "OK", changed his mind after I returned to him because the "Thunk" continued. Needless to say, I took the car to another shop for the Wheel Alignment. The Technician there also noticed the New struts in the front and the Old struts in the rear. His determination was the Rear struts were "OK" for now with no signs of leaking BUT I should think about replacing them in the future also. At this point, I'm waiting for the LCAs to arrive from the WWW.Amazon sight I bought them from for $43 ea. but I'm heading out today to Autozone for the Engine Mount. The temp is supposed to get up to 65 and sunny...perfect for driveway wrenching.

Thank you all for your replies. What more could you ask for here than all of your Bright minds coming up with practical solutions to our sometimes problem vehicles!

Ok...I've replaced the Engine Motor Mount like Abrasive so nicely describes here in his "How To" post http://www.grandprixforums.net/engine_mount.php
It was Very Easy!!! Unfortunately the "Thunk" still exists when you take-off from a stop. Hopefully when the LCAs arrive and are installed they will cure the ills.

Rack bolts can loosen and cause thunks, but typically low speeds while turning.

Subframe bushings can also wear and cause thunks.

Thank you Matt,

The Thunk is during acceleration after a stop. If you keep the vehicle at just a slight roll instead of a stop...No Thunk on acceleration.

Thank you Scottydoggs,

I just got in from lifting the ride and checking and pushing on all of the exhaust hangers. They were nice and tight. The funny thing about this "Thunk" is, you can feel a shift in the movement of the vehicle as well as audibly hearing it...almost like a grabbing caliper that has just let go BUT like the Hot Rod Lincoln, Brakes are Good, Tires fair.

Thank you Billboost and Matt,

I just crawled out from under the car and All of the Subframe Mounts were tight and looked good, no sign of dry rot or cracking.

WooHoo!... Yippie!!!…Hurray!!!
No More Thunk…No More Torque Steering
My LCAs arrived yesterday evening about 5:30PM…I had been waiting for them since last weekend. I think the wait afforded me the time to periodically bathe the bushing bolts with sprays of PB Blaster since all of the work was being performed with hand tools and flat backing it on the driveway. The LCAs certainly were a LOT less expensive since I ordered them Online (half price for new Dorman parts). I had previously had my ball joints changed so like many others I didn’t want to have a set of new ball joints sitting around the garage so I called around looking for a local auto parts store that also had a machine shop incorporated with it that would R&R just the bushings from the LCAs. What I found was buying the LCAs online was Less Expensive than having JUST The Bushings R&R…plus the machine shops don’t like to do them because of the hollow 2 piece construction of the LCAs. With all that being said, and all of the help and suggestions from Yall, the complete job from Start to Finish, including cleanup, was about 4 ½ hours…and I still got the chance to see most of The World Series Game 7.
Well…now it’s on to that pesky Intermittent ABS Light…Ugggg
Thank you ALL for your help!