Fuggin car!!

[LaserSVT]

So I started back to work today after being layed off three months ago and my job is 53 miles away.
I heard a strange vibration in the front end and just now checked the car. I can grab the front wheel (drivers side only) and it rotates foreward/back a couple degrees then clunks and the car moves. Since I have to work tomorrow that means I have to go out there now and see what major problem I now have. The ball joint is a couple years old so thats where my money is. It could be the bearing nut on the hub too but I guess I get the honor of fixing it at 10:40 on a Friday night.

 

[kustomizingkid]

Marks can be a PITA... but when they are running right

 

[RedCellSix]

With near 10% unemployment, you got your job back....congrats...sorry about the car problem..about a year ago I spent a fortune underneath the front end....seemed like everything went nearly at once......good luck...

 

[LaserSVT]

Everything on the front end is new.

So the good and the bad. I think I found my clunk, the clunk was happening before I just discovered the bad. The lower bolt on the drivers caliper was just on the limits of finger tighten so it took 1.5 turns to be snug. My torque wrench is broken so IDK what I tightened them down to but somewhere between 40 and 60, too tired too look it up.

The bad.My 2 month, 1200ish ,ile old Autozone strut rod bushing is worn enough that it is no longer tight.

Now before someone gets on a tangent, I KNOW! OEM ONLY!!! If any of you remember I ordered the OEM ones from Max but when I yanked my old Autozone bushings I discovered the OEM and Autozone bushings have a different sleeve size and calling Max I discovered it was gonna be just over $100 more to get the sleeves because I think it was a different kit. It was the only car, I live in the boonies and was unemployed so the car couldnt be down and I couldnt spend an extra $100+ at the time. I knew I would eventually have to replace the Autozone bushings but figured they would last at least a year and 12K miles.

So I over tightened the bushing and know I am just starting to crush the sleeve just so I can make it last for a few weeks. I cant afford the new ones till pay day on the 2nd and may get them on the sixth. That means on the 9th I could have them installed and have it aligned... again. So I will have to take off work that day. That also means they need to last me another 1900 miles.
I dont really want to mess with them again and my shop quoted $90 to swap them. Since they will do the alignment and mount/balence the new tires I will just have them do it all and watch.

So it looks like I will be calling Max on Monday to get a quote and then plan to spend my whole first paycheck on car repairs.

 

[LaserSVT]

I wish the poly ones from SCP were good cause I would really like it all to be poly.
After messing around I am onlygetting the OEM ones though.

 

[rayner601]

Congrats on the job...I am starting a new one tomorrow. On the bushings, I look at like this: I can either pay for it now and get it over with and do it once or I can go the cheapie route and do it again sooner. I'm lazy so I just do something to make the extra $$ to get the good stuff. I also know about the chronic illness with the addition of painkillers situation, makes for interesting conversation with myself.