SCjzz

suspension: theres some squeaky nosies when i go over bumps, dips etc. and the front seems to have a knocking sound too when i go over bumps. im thinking its the bushings and shocks. anything else it could be? this is minor on my list so i jus wanna get it checked.


steering: this is a major problem i fear. when i am sitting with the car on at a standstill, it is extremely hard to turn the wheel sometimes. i checked the power steering and theres no problems with the level of fluid. when i am traveling faster than 3mph, it isnt hard to turn at all. anyone ever hear of this problem? im not too fond with steering so i have no clue. ball joint? bent steering column? idk. i need help


and brakes: this one prevents me from going on the highway. when i bought the car like a week ago, the tow truck driver informed me tht the brakes in the front locked up completely and almost caught fire. (more specifically the right front) and sometimes the car slows down a lot and doesnt coast when its in neutral (hence brakes locking a little bit)

the car was sitting for a month and some change from what i hear so is it tht rust got on the brake pistons? i really need hlp cuz i dont want to run into unexpected problems when i drop the 1j in. so immediate help would be helpful. thx.

gabegtz84

i have the same problem... i really wish i knew what was us

SCjzz

i rly hope SOMEONE can help out. i need this car fixed so i can drive to nopi in a couple days.

status....

sounds like maybe the caliper is seizing up.

your steering system sounds similar to my ae86, the previous owner ran it until the fluid was almost gone and messed up the pump as i filled the system back up and no pwr steering. only works on smooth surfaces its easy to turn

RolxuSC400

1. You never said how many miles were on this but check the bushings on the lower control arms. They will make clunking noises if rotted away or cracked.

2. Not sure on this one.

3. Ok so you had this towed and didnt use a flat bed so they were dragging the front wheels if the brakes were locked up then? I also presume that you'll need new tires if it was being dragged? I dont see the almost caught fire story but...Pull the wheels off and check it out. Have abuddy depress the pedal while you look inspect the caliper and the piston for proper movement. After doing this I would remove the pads and maybe some cleaning with brake cleaner will help since the car was sitting for so long.

SCjzz

oh sorry, yea the car has like 196800 or so miles on it.

yea the front weels were on the ground.. i looked for any type of wear on the wheel tht locked up and it doesnt look that bad. i guess he caught it before it could do too much damage..

i jacked the car up and rotated the wheel and i think my rotor is warped. it slows down at some points.


thanks for the info, ill try your advice today and ill let u kno wat happens.

Notorious

The front calipers on the SC are a 'floating' type.
The caliper itself slides in relation to the hub assembly/rotor to allow good clamping even as the pads/rotors wear.
I suspect one (or both) of the 'floating' pins on your caliper is seized.
This happened to me, but was easily rectified by buying a used caliper from Gazi Ali (Aliga) here on CL.

For the steering, I know there is a way to disable the 'highway' mode on the steering rack that makes the steering much more stiff at low speeds. Some searches here for "steering rack" might get your answer.

Marcus

Mattmannz

The first thing you need to do is find someone to work on your car and take it there.

You don't sound familiar with brakes/suspension and steering and therefore probably shouldn't be working on your car as all these area's can be very dangerous if not worked on properly.

Suspension - with that many miles it's time for a full front end rebuild. You can do a bit at a time but in the long run there isn't any way around rebushing the entire front end.

Steering - sounds like the pump is kaput - this isn't a safety problem though as you can drive it without the pump running if need be. The assist works opposite to how it is described above, it is lighter at low speeds and gets heavier when you go faster, it's just that when you are going faster it requires less effort so when you aren't moving it seems much harder hence the way the pump works.

Brakes - Either the sliding caliper or a piston is seized - generally the easiest way is to fit a second hand caliper and bleed the brakes.

If you do any of this work yourself make sure you triple check everything, after going for a small drive come back and recheck the tightness of everything.

Did you buy the car sight unseen? Sounds like you have a few problems on your hands to get sorted. Good luck.

Matt.

dwebb99

iTrader: (17)

Suspension issues....dime to donuts it's you LCA bushings. Do a search...all kinds of info on this forum
Steering....try replacing/flushing your power steering fluid (very easy and cheap DIY project) Next check your steering rack mount bushings. Next check your steering tie rods. This are all very easy DIY projects
Brakes....check your/clean your pins and/or a rusty caliper piston. Buy a caliper rebuild kit and do a DIY rebuild on your calipher (s)

With that kind of mileage and no history of what has been done, then all of these things MOST LIKELY need to be done, on ANY car, but if they haven't been touched on your SC, then it's time now! Time to jack her up and get to work....git er done....

SCjzz

my dad looked for me while i watched, heres what he found.

my tie rods are messed up, i need stabilizer links and have no clue where to get them!!! (would a new sway bar do the trick?), and the shocks are messed up and the springs have rust on them.

i want to replace all the bushings with urethane bushings.

slappy96

Here's my recommendation...

Assuming the inspection by your dad is correct-

Your list is now up to
1. Rotors
2. Tie rod endlinks
3. Tie Rods (if they are in fact not straight or molested)
4. At least lower control arms, if not upper bushings
5. Power steering (pump or steering rack)
6. Caliper sliding pistons
7. Sway bar end links

So. The front end is basically on it's last leg. Taken step by step it's not that difficult, but I wouldn't go at it lightly.

The thump in your front end going over bumps could also be the

9. Steering rack bushings-

I don't know your level of interest in doing it all yourself, but here is where you can purchase above if needs. A search will also reveal tutorials on all these.

1-8 http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...?siteid=214915

9. http://www.tmengineering.net


Good luck

SCjzz

thank u so much for ur help. i will check my control arms but for the most part everythign else looked ok from what i saw. my dad has been a mechanic for 35+ years so ill ask him if anything else should be replaced. thank u though.

oh nd im down with any diy projects. im restitching the leather on my steering wheel as we speak