I have a 94 850 wagon with 200,000 miles on it. I am the 2nd owner and it is in good condition but well past some time for some suspension work. I have a bad high pitched squeek/rattle in the front right. Mostly when going over small shallow pavement regularities. I did have a upper suspension strut mount (the rubber one) go bad and replaced that. That helped a LOT but i still have a much higher pitched chatter/rattle still. What else should i check and how should i check it? If i take the front wheel off should i be able to feel play in parts if they are bad? If i jack up just one side of the car will the torque from the swaybay make it hard to fee play? If i need to use a foor jack and lift both sides, where do you paced the floor jack on the 850?

I know the sway bar links go bad. What symptoms do those have when bad? The Meyle brand ones i see are very affordable. Are they any good?

Also what about the metal suspension strut mount? Do they go bad? They are not really cheap. Any way to inspect these parts to see if they are bad?

As you can tell i need some guidance in front suspension diagnosis. I dont mind replacing parts that are bad. But i dont want to needlessly be replacing parts. Any guidance would be great.

 

What I do know is that the sway bar will have a lower clunking sound as opposed to a "high pitch" as far as the rest a poly urethane will be the best replacement. Athough these will be a little more costly the gains in control and longer life are worth it.

 

Could also be a strut mount - this is a common failure.

 

If i need to use a foor jack and lift both sides, where do you paced the floor jack on the 850?

Easiest thing is if you have the owners manual it will show you exactly where to place the jacks.


I know the sway bar links go bad. What symptoms do those have when bad? The Meyle brand ones i see are very affordable. Are they any good?

They will usually give a knocking on bumps. They physically break in half. I have Moog, higher $$$. If it's a daily driver the Meyle brand should be good.

Also what about the metal suspension strut mount?

There is the strut mount and the spring seat. The spring seat is rubber and can wear out as can the strut mount. The strut mount has a bearing that allows the strut to swivel to allow for steering. Those bearings can wear out and cause a squeak when turning or knocking when going over bumps.

For checking out suspension search youtube. Show and tell is best for "seeing" what to look for in the various components.

 

Usually squeeling while driving is brake pad related. Sometimes a small stone or rock gets in the pad area and squeels for a long time.

 

Yes you can support one side of the front end and try to move the wheel around to check for play. The first sign that a bushing or link is going/gone bad is the boot being torn.

 

Or wheel bearing, but bearing not as likely. Give these a try:

http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=xP-oP_7zFkk

http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=GDAFxt46PHk

How to Inspect and Repair an Automobile Front End Assembly

How-to check your front end suspension