Front strut replacement

[Digger]

Front struts replaced. Leak was coming from left transmission mount, which was replaced with also the right inner axle boot. Still some noise over very rough roads from left front area. Any other thoughts? 9-3 rides better after struts replaced and 4 wheel alignment done. Right front door handle retainer also needs to be replaced and has been ordered.

Link pin would be my first best guess, cheap and easy to replace, usually not replaced with struts and every so often they go bad after they have been undone and bolted back on.

Two other thoughts, both are $10 parts, one would mean another alignment and should have been caught prior so it's not high on the list and that would be tie rod. The other is bushings. Odds are neither was, or is bad enough to warrant replacement today, but an outer tie rod that can be easily twisted by hand can make noise on "washboard" roads as can bushings for control arm or sway bar that can't be moved enough by hand to feel any play.

[100%Saab]

Rear shock bushings made a similar but more prominent noise over the same roads before they were replaced. Replaced rear self leveling shocks after replacing bushings as a second step. For the front which bushings are most suspect?

[Digger]

Tough call to make from here, but here goes with the usual suspects. Thunk like hard metal bottom out crossing railroad tracks usually sway bar bushings, thunk like hard metal bottom out on small pothole control arm bushing, thunks often on rough road usually a link pin.

Cradle and motor mounts usually have an extra sound on the way to bad before bad enough to find easy.

[100%Saab]

The noise that I am noting sounds like the rear right shock upper mount bushing I had replaced at 55,871 miles with the current miles at 76,000. Going over rough roads there is a lot of other noise going on including tire noise. I need to make sure the noise is coming from the right front and not the right back. Rear shocks we replaced at 58,136 after right self leveling shock failed. So, I might be noticing more than one problem. Thank you for your input.

[Digger]

Finding a noise up front without a ramp hoist is a two man job and it is actually easier with two than it is with one and a hoist. I have a noise in the back of my Sportcombi and I don't know for sure yet what it is, could be shock mount, could be upper arm bushing.

Had no noise in the back after doing brakes and replacing rear shocks, bolts were rusted in place so I had to replace both arms to do rear toe alignment, found both rear coils had broken after doing brakes when I dropped rear shocks to make some working room for recip saw. With new springs came a new noise that could be an upper arm bushing. or shock mount that I didn't replace because they looked and felt good when I did the shocks. Whatever it is, it can't be to serious as no noise when I trailer the boat or load the car with passenger or cargo, only when I drive alone and empty, which is most of the time.

[100%Saab]

After matching the noise online to a video, I have decided to replace the front Sway Bar Bushings or (Bearings), Saab part # 93193816. The noise is heard louder in the front on the driver's side going over small bumps in rough roads and when turning. We will see if this resolves the issue. I am also waiting for a part for a repair of the front passenger door handle.

[100%Saab]

Front Sway Bar Bearings (Bushings) replaced today. The old ones, on the 9-3 for 10 years, had to be cut off. Took Swede Central between 1 and 2 hours to replace the bushings. I supplied the parts from eSaabParts. Preliminary results are good. The bushings seem to have solved the problem. Will continue to assess. No one has done any thing to improve the local roads. The control arm bushings seem to be good while up on the lift.

[100%Saab]

Front Sway Bar Bearings resolved the clunking noise I was concerned about but has now revealed a lesser front end noise over the same rough roads. I am thinking it is probably the front lower control arm bushings.

[100%Saab]

Replaced left and right lower control arms with bushings, and left and right tie rods (repair kits) today. This has eliminated the front suspension noise over the rough roads in my neighborhood. All 4 wheels were also aligned. Ride comfort is better and the steering is tighter.

[100%Saab]

Front suspension is now great. I notice the front suspension has less bounce than the rear suspension going over speed bumps. The self leveling shock absorbers have already been replaced once and the upper bushings also on the rear about 20,000 miles ago. The rear suspension otherwise seems just fine. Should I notice a difference?