Nathan E. Pralle wrote: > Hi all. > > Well, the 1996 3.5L Intrepid (170K) that my wife drives started > acting up a few days ago in the steering department; it would shudder > and shake at various speeds, jerk when starting and stopping and > going around corners, etc. So I decided that, today being a nice > day, to get it up on the jackstands and take a gander. > > First, I've found that the passenger-side inner tie rod bushing is > GONE -- completely missing. So I'll be doing that repair. I had > talked about it for awhile back when, but never did it, but now it's > imperative. So I'll be using a combination of tutorials and a nice > day to attempt it. ============================
At 170,000, you got about 70K more than a lot of people do, out of that bushing. Even before visible signs of deterioration, the steering gets imprecise; it creeps up on you and you don't realize it until replacing the bushing (you ARE going to replace BOTH of them, I hope!) and noting how much tighter the steering got. The bushing should have been replaced long ago, as you realize. ==================================== > > However, while I was under the car, I was playing with the wheels and > so forth to figure out what was loose and wrong and noticed that the > passenger side outer CV joint, when rotated, "popped" back and > forth. IE: When you moved the wheel, the joint wouldn't start > turning right away...it would "catch" after maybe a 1/16th of a > rotation and THEN turn. And when it caught, you could see it 'bend' > slightly as the gears caught. > > Is this a Bad Thing(tm)? =================== You betcha, pal! <G> ========================= > > I'm half inclined to think that maybe it is. =============== Only HALF inclined? ==================== > And that maybe it was caused, in part, by the wheel vibration from > the lack or partial lack of the inner tie rod bushing. ============================= I wouldn't go as far as to say that, even in part, at 170,000. ======================== > > Now, the boots are good -- all four of them. No cracks, no tears. So > I assume that they aren't so much worn from dirt as from vibration or > maybe just age. > > According to my Haynes manual, you can clean and repack the CVs but > if they're worn, you have to replace the "whole thing". I'm not sure > what they mean by that...the whole thing from the wheel hub all the > way in to the inner CV? Or can smaller parts than that be replaced? > Approx. cost? ======================= Do yourself and your wife a favor. Don't screw around; replace the whole half-shaft with a new or remanufactured one. Outside of a qualified remanufacturer, which I think we can safely assume you are not, there are NO serviceable parts on the half-shaft other than the rubber boots; since the outer joint is shot, you need to replace the half-shaft. You do NOT want it coming apart or getting cockeyed due to breakage of internal parts while your wife is driving the car. ==================================== > > While I was down there, I took some pictures as well of some > bushings, etc. Can those who are knowledgeable more than I take a > look at them and tell me what you think in terms of replacement, > condition, etc? > > http://www.nathanpralle.com/photos/intrepid/index.html > > First Picture: Control arm and tension strut bushing. Looks a bit > cracked but is whole. Probably not a big problem, but somethign to > watch out for. ========================= Minor cracks in nonconfined rubber are not indications that the bushing needs replacement. If the cracking goes deeper than the periphery of the metal "ring" that confines it, that means the bushing should be replaced. So does looseness in the attachment between the strut and the cradle. =================================== > > Second Picture: Inner CV boot. Looks good. =============================== Doesn't matter, as you are going to replace the half-shaft, aren't you? ====================================== > > Third Picture: Mount Bushing? Not sure what the right name is here. > It's like half missing, but not completely. Looks like it'd take a > bit of effort to go and replace that. ===================================== It is a bit of effort, but not all that difficult, and you are doing yourself and your wife no favors by not doing it. That's one of the four Cradle-to-Body attachment points. The lower control arms, stabilizer bar and engine/transmission mount on the cradle, and the stability and integrity of the cradle's mounting to the body is critical. If the Cradle-to-Body bushings are worn enough to allow movement, the vehicle will not maintain proper front end alignment, because the lower control arms, attached to the cradle, will move relative to the upper strut bearings, which are attached to the body. In fact the only way on an LH car to adjust side-to-side caster (which may be required to cure a pull to one side or the other) is to loosen the four Cradle-to-Body bolts and MOVE the cradle, as per a Chrysler Corp. TSB from 1999 or so. ============================================= > > Fourth Pic: Outer CV. Again, looks good. =============================== Again, doesn't matter. ==================================== > > Fifth Pic: Passenger Shock. While I had the car up, I took a > picture of this, as it's starting to look...uh...a bit rusty. Perhaps > time for replacement? Yeek. ======================================= That's the MacPherson Strut assembly, not just a "shock." There is no visible leakage of oil from it. Surface rust on the housing means nothing. When you bounce the vehicle up and down, does that strut properly dampen the movement of the body, or does it keep bouncing and bouncing? Compare it to a low-mileage example of the car on a used car lot, if you have to. 170,000 is a long time for the strut damping to still be good, but if most of the driving was on expressways, it's altogether possible. If most of that was on secondary roads or in typical city driving, it's probable that the strut is not damping properly and is worn out from sheer mileage. If that is the case it will be a good idea to replace both front strut assemblies, since they wear approximately equally, with a careful inspection and evaluation of the upper strut bearings; while the struts are out of the vehicle is the time to decide they need replacment, not a few months afterward, when the whole thing will need to be taken apart again to replace them. ========================================== > The last two pics are a battery terminal fix that I posted earlier. > No comment necessary. :) ========================================= Yes, a further comment is necessary. The truth is that this is a very high-mileage car and things WILL need fixing and replacing at this point. NONE of the deteriorated or worn-out items you mention here would be the least bit surprising to find on a vehicle that has been driven this far. It sounds like you are reluctant to spend money on it, but if you intend to continue driving the vehicle, you will HAVE to spend quite a bit of money and/or effort, based on what you have shown us. Good luck! -GP ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Help save the life of a child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.' http://us.click.yahoo.com/6iY7fA/5WnJAA/Y3ZIAA/46t0lB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Web: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid> Subscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Unsubscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Moderator: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
