'00 300m suspension (questions, observations)
#1
10-22-2013 | 10:25 AM
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Posts: 29
'00 300m suspension (questions, observations)
My 2000 300m has 185k km on it (114k miles) and here's what I've had to deal with regarding suspension issues:
- About 2 years ago in January, before I put the snow tires on, I was coming down a slight hill that had a curve and I spun out, with the rear passenger-side wheel hitting the curb hard. Put a 3-inch long crack in the 17" Razorstar rim, but not deep enough to leak air. The impact bent the axle so the tire rolled on an angle - but the wheel still rolled true and straight. Drove it like that for months. Finally bought a new axle-knuckle, monroe quick strut, and bearing. Turns out the old bearing race had been broken in 3 places, but it still held together (and really didn't make any noise). Got a used rim from a local junkyard.
- Last December (Dec. 24 to be exact) in the morning I was at the bottom of a hill with a dip or pothole and felt a hard bang - like the suspension had bottomed out with metal-to-metal contact. Car was still drivable but something didn't seem right, but I was only a mile from home. Turns out the lower plate that supports the suspension spring had rusted and had separated from the strut, and the spring forced the plate to drop about 1/2 inch and rest against the steering arm (on one side) and the tie-rod link arm (on the other side). The plate was now in slight contact with the tire. This was on the driver side. Went to a local auto parts store and bought a monroe quick strut, and a few hours later everything was back to normal. A few months later when I was taking off my snow tires, I had a close look at the passenger side and the lower spring support plate on that side was half rusted through, so I replaced that with another monroe quick strut.
After replacing the first strut, the steering wheel points to 8-2 o'clock (instead of 9-3) when the car is driving straight, but otherwise on a flat, level highway the wheels drive straight (no pulling to one side or the other) so I figured no alignment was needed.
More recently I've been messing with the lower control arms, tension strut bushings, sway bar bushing and sway bar links, trying to eliminate a knocking sound coming somewhere from the front.
I replaced the sway bar bushings last year, but what I notice is that even new bushings have a loose fit - I think because of some erosion of the sway bar. I've re-worked the bushings (wrapped some steel wire around the sway bar) to make it a tighter fit.
What really surprised me is how badly the tension strut had rusted/eroded under the bushings. The strut is dealer-only part, and I've just replaced the one on the driver's side, so I'll see today if that will make the knock go away. The new strut is 3/4" in diameter where it rides inside the bushings. The old strut had lost a minimum of 1/16" and in some places 1/4" due to rusting.
If this doesn't fix the knocking, then the only things left are the steering tie-rod end, wheel bearings or engine/transmission mount.
PS: I've read on another 300m forum where there were issues with these monroe quick-struts - something about them not being able to fully tighten down against the top strut mounting plate so that they were a bit loose. Was that the issue? I don't think mine are loose...
- About 2 years ago in January, before I put the snow tires on, I was coming down a slight hill that had a curve and I spun out, with the rear passenger-side wheel hitting the curb hard. Put a 3-inch long crack in the 17" Razorstar rim, but not deep enough to leak air. The impact bent the axle so the tire rolled on an angle - but the wheel still rolled true and straight. Drove it like that for months. Finally bought a new axle-knuckle, monroe quick strut, and bearing. Turns out the old bearing race had been broken in 3 places, but it still held together (and really didn't make any noise). Got a used rim from a local junkyard.
- Last December (Dec. 24 to be exact) in the morning I was at the bottom of a hill with a dip or pothole and felt a hard bang - like the suspension had bottomed out with metal-to-metal contact. Car was still drivable but something didn't seem right, but I was only a mile from home. Turns out the lower plate that supports the suspension spring had rusted and had separated from the strut, and the spring forced the plate to drop about 1/2 inch and rest against the steering arm (on one side) and the tie-rod link arm (on the other side). The plate was now in slight contact with the tire. This was on the driver side. Went to a local auto parts store and bought a monroe quick strut, and a few hours later everything was back to normal. A few months later when I was taking off my snow tires, I had a close look at the passenger side and the lower spring support plate on that side was half rusted through, so I replaced that with another monroe quick strut.
After replacing the first strut, the steering wheel points to 8-2 o'clock (instead of 9-3) when the car is driving straight, but otherwise on a flat, level highway the wheels drive straight (no pulling to one side or the other) so I figured no alignment was needed.
More recently I've been messing with the lower control arms, tension strut bushings, sway bar bushing and sway bar links, trying to eliminate a knocking sound coming somewhere from the front.
I replaced the sway bar bushings last year, but what I notice is that even new bushings have a loose fit - I think because of some erosion of the sway bar. I've re-worked the bushings (wrapped some steel wire around the sway bar) to make it a tighter fit.
What really surprised me is how badly the tension strut had rusted/eroded under the bushings. The strut is dealer-only part, and I've just replaced the one on the driver's side, so I'll see today if that will make the knock go away. The new strut is 3/4" in diameter where it rides inside the bushings. The old strut had lost a minimum of 1/16" and in some places 1/4" due to rusting.
If this doesn't fix the knocking, then the only things left are the steering tie-rod end, wheel bearings or engine/transmission mount.
PS: I've read on another 300m forum where there were issues with these monroe quick-struts - something about them not being able to fully tighten down against the top strut mounting plate so that they were a bit loose. Was that the issue? I don't think mine are loose...
#2
10-22-2013 | 06:36 PM
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Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 29
With regard to monroe quick struts, what exactly is the "strut mount" and "strut bearing", and why (according to another forum) do you need to replace those with OEM/Chrysler versions? I'm looking at exploded views of the front suspension and struts and I have no idea with the "strut bearing" is.
Do you have to take the strut apart (ie - use a spring compressor) to replace/change the "strut mount" and "strut bearing" ? If so, then what exactly is the point of buying the quick-strut in the first place?
Do you have to take the strut apart (ie - use a spring compressor) to replace/change the "strut mount" and "strut bearing" ? If so, then what exactly is the point of buying the quick-strut in the first place?
#3
10-23-2013 | 07:43 PM
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Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 29
So replacing the tension strut didn't really eliminate the knocking. That leaves the tie-rod end and wheel bearing as the next candidates. I really don't want to start messing with the steering rack and it's various joints and bushings. Would a worn tie-rod be felt through the steering up to the steering wheel? Because I don't feel anything in the steering wheel.
Is there some reason there are no replies to this thread? Maybe you people embargo this forum, in favor of the one that costs $10 or $15 a year to join?
Would you respond if I posted this to rec.autos.makers.chrysler on usenet?
Is there some reason there are no replies to this thread? Maybe you people embargo this forum, in favor of the one that costs $10 or $15 a year to join?
Would you respond if I posted this to rec.autos.makers.chrysler on usenet?
#7
10-26-2013 | 07:25 PM
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Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 29
> There is a wealth of information there and the site is member supported.
> Forum available for free.
I know that reading the forums are free. But am I correct in assuming that posting to forums is not free?
> Membership opens up even more information, supports the site, all for less
> than 5 gallons of fuel.
I come from a USENET background, and dial-up modem-based bulletin-boards before that. So I am incapable of buying into the concept of paying money to a website so that I can have a 2-way conversation with others who are also paying. I'm surprised (and dismayed) that model is still viable on the internet these says.
It has NEVER been expensive enough to operate any electronic message board to justify paid membership for basic functions like posting and reading. Sure - it takes money - but SO DOES ANY HOBBY. And these days, there are ways to make money via advertising (although I wouldn't know, since I make extensive use of the HOSTS file so I wouldn't know which websites are plastered with ads and which ones aren't).
This forum (300m, concorde, lhs) on this website (chryslerforum.com) could easily become a viable (and free) alternative to the 300M Enthusiasts Club. So too could the usenet newsgroup rec.autos.makers.chrysler.
> Forum available for free.
I know that reading the forums are free. But am I correct in assuming that posting to forums is not free?
> Membership opens up even more information, supports the site, all for less
> than 5 gallons of fuel.
I come from a USENET background, and dial-up modem-based bulletin-boards before that. So I am incapable of buying into the concept of paying money to a website so that I can have a 2-way conversation with others who are also paying. I'm surprised (and dismayed) that model is still viable on the internet these says.
It has NEVER been expensive enough to operate any electronic message board to justify paid membership for basic functions like posting and reading. Sure - it takes money - but SO DOES ANY HOBBY. And these days, there are ways to make money via advertising (although I wouldn't know, since I make extensive use of the HOSTS file so I wouldn't know which websites are plastered with ads and which ones aren't).
This forum (300m, concorde, lhs) on this website (chryslerforum.com) could easily become a viable (and free) alternative to the 300M Enthusiasts Club. So too could the usenet newsgroup rec.autos.makers.chrysler.
Last edited by MoParrMan; 10-26-2013 at 07:28 PM.
#8
10-26-2013 | 07:53 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 524
From: Myrtle Beach SC
The forum is free, and yes you can post by creating a user name. Search function will also work for you.
There are no ads to clutter up the site as that is part of the club's agreement with Chrysler as a non profit organization.
Sites like this one are good for "what code/change this"
There are no ads to clutter up the site as that is part of the club's agreement with Chrysler as a non profit organization.
Sites like this one are good for "what code/change this"
#9
10-27-2013 | 10:58 AM
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Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 29
> The forum is free, and yes you can post by creating a user name.
Then my first (and on-going) impression about that site is wrong. It is not clear enough to anyone stumbling onto that site that one need not obtain paid membership in order to post.
What is clear is that paid membership exists - for some reason.
Then my first (and on-going) impression about that site is wrong. It is not clear enough to anyone stumbling onto that site that one need not obtain paid membership in order to post.
What is clear is that paid membership exists - for some reason.
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