"front suspension member" ?

Stewart, Joe (COX-Atlanta) Joe.Stewart@cox.com
Wed, 20 Mar 2002 09:57:53 -0600


I've spent the past several weeks attempting to diagnose a squeaking noise
when the engine is loaded and then unloaded in my G20. It sounds somewhere
between the mating call of an arctic seal, and the suspension is about to fall
off the car. In the past few weeks I have removed the entire front suspension
twice (and I mean EVERYTHING), examined, looked, measured, tested off the car
(making mock suspension setups is enlightening), etc. I removed the motor
mounts, cross member, replaced bolts, tapped, threaded, lubed, removed the
front sway bar completely for some time, replaced the exhaust hangers, spent
hours upon hours staring at the underside of my car, etc. I have tried
everything. On top of it all I just went through the front suspension back in
January replacing struts, bushings, arms, ball joints, everything.

Anyway, last night whole jacking up the car to stare at it again, I found the
problem. The sub frame that the cross member and front suspension bolt to is
held to the car with 4 bushings & bolts, and apparently these (bushings) are
failing. I can pry the sub frame up and down and duplicate the noise. Finally!
Some WD40 has temporarily removed the squeaking noise (and given me my sanity
back).

I checked both the 93.5 P10 and 93 B13 FSM's, and they both have exactly one
mention of this part in the "FA" section (Front axles and suspension). All
they show is a diagram of it where they call it the "front suspension member"
and list the torques for the bolts, but beyond that it is not mentioned
elsewhere.

So now to my questions: Has anyone else had any of these bushings fail? Does
the Energy Suspension "master kit" include these bushings? (I would hope so,
but doubt it.) Has anyone removed this piece ever? What is involved? How long
did it take?

I am very afraid of what this thing will cost from the dealer, and I'm even
more afraid of pulling one of these while on the ground at a pull a part sort
of place. Somehow I think the suspension and engine to body mounting is
important for the life, longevity, and handling of the car.

Input appreciated, this one is weird.

-Jay (always finds the strange stuff)
93.5 G20

PS This isn't just a P10 thing, the same cross member is under every B13, B14,
P10, P11, etc. the dimensions may be different, but in the drawings it looks
exactly the same, has the same mounting method, same number of bolts, etc.