Anyone know anything about suspension on Festiva's?

[Festiva_newbie]

Here's the deallio. I was driving home today, and was driving about 140km\h the entire way on the highway... Everytime I would make a turn and hit a bump at the same time, it feels like the back end "skips". Almost feels like I am about to skid out and fishtail :shock: I got home, backed it up on my ramps, and noticed that there is a dark black oil-type liquid on the rear strut area. It smells sweet and tastes like cotton candy (kidding), and the other one just has the expected surface rust and is dry as a bone. I have a problem don't I? The shocks seem very bouncy on both the car I drive and the parts car I am parting out... I guess it's normal for an old car to have a springy suspension, but what's going on? Tell me what that liquid is before I start eating the cotton-candy tasting oil-looking liquid. :?

I also know I need to replace a cv boot on the driver's side. Honestly though, I think it needs a cv joint (it ticks when I turn a corner slowly while accelerating). Any tips on that too?

Any help is highly appreciated

Thanks in advance.

[Festiva_newbie]

Just got back from brining the wife downtown cause "she wants to dance"... I took my saturn to bring her there, since I put my car up on the ramps. Anyway, I noticed that the liquid has been dripping on the pavement... Is the strut leaking grease or oil or something? I am just learning about everything so take it easy on me ops:

[rotinaj13]

in the front or rear. The struts are gas filled. In the back only guess would b brake fluid or grease from the wheel bearings. in the front it is more than likely grease from the cv shaft. as far as replacement goes, hate to b a dick but search the repair forum!

[CryptokiD]

the struts ertainly do have some oil in them even if they are gas filled. i know this because myaspire struts are leaking oil.

[Festiva_newbie]

Does this mean it needs to be changed? Would this "leaking" affect the way the car acts, cause it feels wobbly.

[2foci1festy]

Yes, if it's leaking oil then it probably needs to be changed.

[Festiva_newbie]

hate to b a dick but search the repair forum!

Didn't realize there was one... I'll look into that.

[oxbrain]

If your rear shocks are binding it could make the rear end super stiff and it would skip over bumps.

[Festiva_newbie]

Theyre not stiff... Actually, they're pretty loose and weak. If I kneel down on the bumper in the back, the car just sinks. I did the same with my parts car and it does the same thing.

How hard is it to swap out a strut or shock (whatever the difference is) from the back, passenger side?

[oxbrain]

Well, the sinking is the springs. Festiva rear springs are really soft because they don't have to support much weight.

To test if the shock is binding you have to slowly kneel on the bumper. If it's binding you should feel it catch and give at one or more points. If you do it too fast you won't feel it.

Technically replacing the rear shocks isn't tough if you have a spring compressor. I'd recommend a good treatment of liquid wrench on all the bolts or they might break, and those are a pain to drill.

[Festiva_newbie]

spring compressor... sounds dangerously entertaining... mouhahahaha!

if you raise the car off the ground, aren't the springs already "uncompressed", since the tire and axle is pulling it downwards?

I gotta get myself a powerful drill, it's hard to drill into metal since I just have a regular 14 volt drill, but I gotta get myself one you plug in that has so much torque it can dislocate your shoulder and throw your arm across the room... :shock: *gets an erection*

Does anyone know a good website with a tutorial on the springs shocks and struts and whatnot?

[SimonTuffGuy]

Wrong forum - Moving!