Hello all,

So thrilled when I found this forum. I have a black 96 Avenger 2.0 with a 5 speed standard with 80,000 miles on I bought it off my mother in law for a Grand a week ago she said it had a very nervous feel to drive and probly needs suspension work. Anyways, I took it for a tour and I found the car needs 4 struts and (I think) the rear wheel bearings. The struts are a dead give away due all the rolling and bouncing but the wheel bearings I'm not sure about but I do know I get this extremely loud hum from the rear (cant even hear the motor when inside the cockpit with the windows up), worst when you corner in either direction and at times it feels like the rear end wants to come apart on corners with bumps. It was indeed a very nervous feeling so the car is parked right now. Was I experiencing a combination of bad struts and wheel bearings?

If so I plan to order all 4 struts and rear wheel bearings. I was talking to a friend that said if the wheel bearings are bad then I have to replace the hub assembly on both sides.

What exactly does he mean? You cant just change the wheel bearings or anything you just replace the hubs, brakes, and all?

Forgive my ignorance as I've never done this kind of work on a car before just the basic audio installation and brake change. I plan to do all this work myself at my friends garage with his help, he has tools and a lift and the only labor it would cost me is a 30 pack of bud light.

I just wanted to know if there's anything I should be aware of before I go riping struts and hubs off.

Do the struts come off fairly easy. I havent had a change to look under the car to see whats actually there.

If the hubs do need replacing, Is there anything I need besides the hub assembly for the rear? What even comes with the hub assembly so I know if I'm missing a part or 2?

My friend is a good mechanic but I'd rather have the knowledge myself and hear what other Avenger owners had to go thru doing this kind of work so I know what to look for and dont turn this pretty 2 door into pitch collector.

Thanks and sorry for the drawn out post,
Aaron Jackson

 

Hi Aaron and welcome to DF
I don't think repacking the wheel bearings will work if the noise is coming from them. They are most likely worn down to the nub, lol. I believe you can get a complete rear hub assembly or just bits and pieces, you're friend is probably referring to the entire assembly. It wouldn't hurt to get the entire assembly, IMO, you might as well replace the entire thing since you're there and it's all apart.
You may want to check the tires for rubbing. I don't know the sound you hear since there are many that cars can make, but if your friend is mechanically inclined and that's what he suggests, then by all means listen. I also suggest getting a Hayne's/Chilton's manual for the car because that will really help you with torque specs and such.
If you haven't already looked, our cars use AGX shocks, stock. A replacement for stock shocks are AGX GR2's.

As for the car knowledge, you'll find that as you work on your car, you'll get more of it. Make sure you help your friend instead of sitting nearby and you'll be less afraid to work on other parts of the car.

 

Thanks for the kind reply Silver.

Yes I plan to replace the entire assembly. I agree that I might as well were its all apart and that way I know everything is new.

So AGX GR2s are the replacement shocks. Is this both front and rear?

Also whats the difference between shocks and struts? I hear alot of people use both terms. Are they the same thing or different?

 

Sounds good Aaron.
Yes, the AGX GR2 are replacements for all four corners. You don't have to replace them with those though if you want to try something else. You can put just about whatever shocks you want....so long as they make them for our cars.

Shocks and struts share the same in function, except struts house the springs and shocks have the springs located close by not on the shock. We have a Macpherson strut type, but since you're buying just the shocks and not the entire strut assembly, they are normally referred to as shocks.