Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 18:36:41 GMT From: JPF <frickjpremovetheobviousnopsamffice.net> Subject: Re: NOT upper and lower ball joints -- what is the clunk?
The 900 has an interesting suspension setup. When the car is raised on a lift, you will never see any ball joint play, regardless of how bad they are. The spring is attached to the upper and and pushes down on the upper control arm. The lower control arm is attached to the shock absorber. The proper way to check the suspension for looseness is to support the upper arm and spring between the chassis and upper arm. Thay way the upper arm and spring arte supported, leaving the knuckle, the lower arm and shock absorber hanginf free. You will then most likely find the ball joints loose as Hell, not tight as a bulls ass. I don't doubt the comptency of your Saab service, but it is such a design as to be quite unsual. JPF On Thu, 26 Oct 2000 17:25:18 GMT, jw <johnwebster1nopsamhlink.net> wrote: >Keith Grider wrote: >> >> JW, >> >> what kind of clunking is it? When does it occur? over bumps, at speed, >> parking lot maneuvers high speed maneuvering? What year 900 is it? How did >> he 'check' the ball joints. If it is a c900, you have to support the upper > >Sorry, I said it in the first post. It's a 1984 900S w/119K mi. The >clunking occurs over bumps only, even small ones. It seems more >pronounced the bigger the bump. At speed on the highway it doesn't >make any noise. > >> a-arm with spacers and disconnect the sway bar to see if the ball joints >> have slop. You say he is a Saab mechanic,but if he is not familiar with >> Saabs, he may not know this. For that matter, a local shop could not >> determine that my dad's ball joints were worn on his 9000 with a standard >> macpherson strut type suspension! > >This particular mechanic replaced the clutch last year and did a >good job with that, altho from what I hear on this ng, clutch >replacement on the OG 900 does not require a rocket scientist. He >put the car up on the lift, but I didn't see exactly what he did. He >said the ball joints and front end is solid and do not need any >work. Then we took it for a little test spin and couldn't get it to >clunk. Then of course when I got back in and drove away I started >hearing the clunk over bumps again. > >> could it be: >> http://216.78.173.63/brake_folder/frontbrakepop.htm > >I am very familiar with this front brake pop we starting off in >reverse and have grown used to it. The clunk I'm talking about is different. > >> http://216.78.173.63/suspension_folder/900wbnoise.pdf > >Wheel bearing is possible I guess, but it doesn't necessarily happen >on corners. If it's a smooth road surface, the clunking doesn't >occur when cornering, even at high speed. The CV joints don't make >any noise when cornering either. > >> if it is a NG900, it may be: >> http://216.78.173.63/suspension_folder/ng900ftsuspg1.htm > >Nope, it's an OG. > >> Just trying to be of help, > >I appreciate it. I wish I had the time, tools and work area to check >them myself. Living in the city w/out garage or driveway and long >work hours make this impossible, unfortunately. I'm planning to >drive from Providence, Rhode Island to Westchester Cty., New York >this weekend for business (about 400 mi. roundtrip) and hoping it >makes it. > >-jw
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