baaad, baaad, BAAAD, Bad Vibrations....

*beach boys reference*

Sorry.... couldn't help myself.

At higher speeds I'm getting a serious vibration in the steering wheel, the tires are wearing pretty badly on the outside of the driver's side and the inside of the pass side AND it pulls hard to the pass side the faster I drive. A couple weeks ago I had it on the jack while flushing the radiator and checked the wheels. While facing the side of the car, I grabbed a hold of the wheel and was able to wobble it about 1 1/2"-2" in either direction. Then I got under it and wobbled the tire again and saw center link looks like where the play is coming from. Everything else looks to be in shape. So... my question is, I see a lot of you guys order stuff from Rock Auto instead of purchasing it at your local parts store... how come? The prices seem comparable, but then you've got to pay shipping charges. AND there are several different ones to choose from on Autozone.com AND RockAuto... so which one do I get? They range in price from $24 to $124?! My Roady is a daily driver so I don't need anything with high performance capabilities.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/1994-Buick-Roadmaster/Center-Link/_/N-j0vk1Z8oxl0
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?ck[viewcurrency]=USD&ck[ID]=0&ck[idlist]=0

thanks in advance,

Mark

To answer your question about RockAuto, I've found that in most cases, there's more selection and cost+shipping is cheaper when buying online. There's bound to be exceptions though and perhaps you found one.

If you're wanting to keep it stock then get AC Delco. Otherwise I like MOOG they make nice aftermarket replacement parts that most of the time surpass stock equipment (IMO). If you can get either of those two from a local store for less than Rock Auto, and if they have them in stock then by all means buy them.

A lot of my decisions to purchase from rock auto are based on bad personal experiences with local vendors. There is only one place I will buy from locally now, and that's if I can't find it for less on Rock Auto.

As for having a variance in price is the fact the Roadies came with a steering damper and other B-Bodys like the Caprice didn't. The one with the provision for a damper are a fair bit more costly. With that said you can go with one without and just lose the damper. I would also give a look at the idler arm, that has been the 1st thing to go on a few of my wagons.

Ancient_1 wrote:

As for having a variance in price is the fact the Roadies came with a steering damper and other B-Bodys like the Caprice didn't. The one with the provision for a damper are a fair bit more costly. With that said you can go with one without and just lose the damper. I would also give a look at the idler arm, that has been the 1st thing to go on a few of my wagons.

What does the steering damper do? The idler arm still seems pretty stiff. Both ends of the centerlink seem to be where the most amount of play is coming from. After I replace it, do I still have to get an alignment too?

Thanks for everyone's advice.... it's much appreciated!

I'm not a fan of the steering damper. It was originally put in as a band-aid to prevent the typical Buick/Caddy buyer from complaining about "harshness".

Ensure you don't have any other worn front end components.

Go over to the ISSF and get in on the front end rebuild Group Purchase. The seller is a forum member, easy to work with and quality parts. I bought one from him last year but haven't got it installed yet.....

He no longer sells direct to the public. See above hyperlink.

Skip the AC Delco parts, they are not what they used to be. The AC stuff is lifetime warranted, but you will be replacing this stuff again in 2-3 years of normal driving. Go with Moog only, a bit more expensive, but worth it.

As far as the steering damper goes I've had both on the same car and like the damper set up.
It deadens the steering feel a bit, but I guess I'm getting older and like the way it feels.

Mike

For the minor difference in price, you should replace the tierods as well. If the centerlink is bad the tierod ends are probably in similar condition. If you get all the parts from Rock Auto, you may get a combined shipping with a minimal increase in total cost. It is not a big deal to replace everything. You can take the whole assembly out by removing 3 ball joints and 2 bolts (3 bolts for an RM). You can use the adjuster tubes over if they are not really rusty. Remember to grease the new ball pivots.

Measure the tierod ends before removal, and you will be able to get it close to the original toe measurement for driving to the alignment shop.

Get the best parts you can afford, your life depends on them.

Cadet57 (Justin) and I priced out front end bits on Rock Auto and it was like, under $200 I think. I'm pretty sure we used all moog components too.

Totally worth it. I'm doing mine over Spring Break. Car needs it badly.

jasonlachapelle wrote:

He no longer sells direct to the public. See above hyperlink.

Guess I shoulda clicked your link b4 posting

Thanks again guys! Seems like majority likes Moog... I'll keep you posted and post pictures of the progress.