INFO. ON A FRONT SUSPENSION NOISE OVER SEVERE BUMPS. Buick Park Avenue 1998

THIS IS A MONTHLY SERVICE NEWSLETTER ARTICLE. THIS BULLETIN IS NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLICATION.

SUBJECT: INFORMATION ON A FRONT SUSPENSION NOISE OVER SEVERE BUMPS OR ON A WASHBOARD ROAD

MODELS: 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE AND ULTRA

THE FRONT STRUT UPPER MOUNTING CHANGED FOR THE 1998 PARK AVENUE/ULTRA.IN 1997 THE STRUTS HAD STUDS WHICH POINTED UP TOWARD THE HOOD AND NUTS INSTALLED ON THE TOP. IN 1998 THE STRUT HAS THREE ATTACHING BOLTS WHICH ARE POINTED DOWN TOWARD THE SUSPENSION. THESE BOLTS ARE THREADED THROUGH THE STRUT MOUNT/HOUSING AND INTO THE STRUT UPPER MOUNT PLATE. THESE BOLTS, DEPENDING ON THE ALIGNMENT OF THE SPRING AND THE LENGTH OF THE BOLT, MAY RUB THE SPRING AT TIMES. THIS MAY CREATE A NOISE DURING A JOUNCE MOVEMENT WHICH COMES FROM EITHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS NOISE MAY APPEAR TO BE COMING FROM THE CRADLE MOUNTING AREA AS IT TRANSMITS DOWN THE STRUT HOUSING. BOUNCING THE FRONT END OF CAR WHILE SITTING STILL MAY OR MAY NOT RECREATE THE SOUND. THE SUSPENSION NEEDS TO BE BOUNCED TO ITS EXTREME FOR THE BOLTS TO CONTACT.

THE MARKS LEFT BY THE BOLTS MAY BE SMALL AND HARD TO SEE. LIFT THE CAR WITH THE SUSPENSION UNSUPPORTED AND INSPECT THE THE BOLT ENDS AND THE INNER AREA OF THE SPRINGS FOR MARKS. IF THERE ARE ANY CONTACT MARKS, GRIND THE BOLT ENDS SLIGHTLY FOR CLEARANCE. SEE PAGE 3-37 IN THE '98 CB SERVICE MANUAL BOOK 2 OF 3 FOR A FIGURE OF THE BOLTS AND MOUNTING.

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