Creaking Sounds Means Rebuild, Right?

[UNGN]

. Does anyone use Monroe front shocks?

I would look for the best internet deal you can find on Bilsteins. I would say they are the best std shock for a driver G-body.

My T-type is lowered onto the bumpstops and has 700lb springs and 255/50R16's in front, but the ride is surprisingly good with bilsteins.

 

[oldscutlasswagon]

I knew some would suggest Bilsteins. They make the best shocks for most street cars. I am about to catch a lot of slack from this community for saying this, but my wagon is my DD and my main 'hobby' car is my '69 Mustang. I had the Mustang first and I am building it to be a fun street/track car and I try to be as frugal as I can with the wagon. As anybody that has restored or built a vehicle knows, its staggering how much money you can invest compared to the value of the car at resale.
That said, I have already done the tie rods, blazer brake swap, new springs and shocks, fan clutch, fuel pump, muffler, thermostat housing, soon all the front suspension. I actually love my wagon and if funds were limitless I would have already started an engine swap of some kind. I am sentimentally attached to the wagon as well. My grandmother gave it to me, and its literally the only car ANYONE in my entire family bought new.

 

[UNGN]

The thing about Bilsteins is you can actually feel the difference in wheel control over cheap shocks. Amazon has them for $57 shipped, so they are $30 more per shock than a cheap shock, but as I said, you can feel the $30 difference, especially on rough pavement.

I hear you, though. I put $40/pair shocks on my off road Miata because it is a marshmallow anyway... Koni's aren't going to make it less marshmallowy.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Replacing body bushings is a real moment of truth for your car. Its when you realize its true condition. The rubber body bushings can look fine on the outside but be completely rotted out on the inside, you can't tell until you pull the bushings out. Bad body mount bushings can cause stress cracks in the body. Then there are other issues such as broken body bolts, frozen body bolts, free spinning caged body bolts, rusted out frame mounts, rusted out body mounts. I prefer the poly body mount bushings as they lack molded in metal inserts that can rust out leaving the bushing hollow and rust damage the frame mounting hole.

 

[Texas82GP]

I had a brand new pair of Monroe Sensatracks for the front of my car but ended up not using them because of venom against Monroe shocks on this site. I have always been a Monroe guy but I think the quality may have gone down hill in the last 10 years. I put KYB gas-adjust on my car. It is the popular budget shock for these cars. Pay the shipping and I'll send you the Monroe's. I'm not going to use them.

 

[pontiacgp]

As far as shocks go I use the Bilstein AK series which are linear shocks. I have my car lowered so short version of of the AK.

off topic but every time I read the title of this thread it makes me think of me in the morning and I am do feel I'm due for a rebuild.....😀

 

[UNGN]

Replacing body bushings is a real moment of truth for your car. Its when you realize its true condition. The rubber body bushings can look fine on the outside but be completely rotted out on the inside, you can't tell until you pull the bushings out. Bad body mount bushings can cause stress cracks in the body. Then there are other issues such as broken body bolts, frozen body bolts, free spinning caged body bolts, rusted out frame mounts, rusted out body mounts. I prefer the poly body mount bushings as they lack molded in metal inserts that can rust out leaving the bushing hollow and rust damage the frame mounting hole.

That's why I recommend just replacing the lowers where there are washers and not bushings. If you can't replace the 4 - 6 "missing" lower bushings in less than 1/2 hour with no issues, your car probably isn't even worth attempting a full upper and lower bushing swap. Just doing the missing lowers gives a benefit you can feel and you'll know in a 1/2 hour if you need to start looking for a replacement car to modify.

 

[oldscutlasswagon]

I had a brand new pair of Monroe Sensatracks for the front of my car but ended up not using them because of venom against Monroe shocks on this site. I have always been a Monroe guy but I think the quality may have gone down hill in the last 10 years. I put KYB gas-adjust on my car. It is the popular budget shock for these cars. Pay the shipping and I'll send you the Monroe's. I'm not going to use them.

Where are you located? I might take you up on that.
Thanks for the body bushing/shock advice too everyone. At some point I probably will go with bilsteins but right now the pocketbook is tight.

 

[Texas82GP]

Where are you located? I might take you up on that.
Thanks for the body bushing/shock advice too everyone. At some point I probably will go with bilsteins but right now the pocketbook is tight.

Houston. PM me if you want them. I might miss your response in the thread.

 

[oldscutlasswagon]

Texas82 I PMed you. I appreciate you specifically as you have already answered threads I have posted. Are you a moderator? By the way everyone, I am feeling pretty validated. I got the last of the rivets out, and finally removed the center shaft nuts. The bushings were hiding the fact that they were worn enough to allow the metal bushing perforations to wear into the outer washer. I am thinking this could have been the creaking I was hearing! Also, I am almost positive whoever installed the nuts over-tightened them. I have the factory manual and will be looking up this torque spec specifically as well as the LC arm bolts.

On the subject of LC arm bolts, I noticed that the bolts don't fit super tightly inside the bushing sleeves. The bolts are in great shape, and this had me wondering if a replacement bolt would fit tighter thus eliminating unwanted play. Someone here must have experienced this...