Pontiac Owners Club UK

Got new shocks and noticed rear wheels have a bit of play, tiny movement when pushing pulling ? never noticed before. is this normal?

Have you checked all the rear end bushes

Suspension bushes wouldn't cause movement of the rear wheels in and out. This would likely be the wheel/half-shaft bearings.

yes this is normal on most firebird axles (all except the borg warner axle on most 5.7 3rd gens like the GTA) due to the C clip method of holding the half shafts in
with excess wear they can cause discs to foul the pad carrier, but a small amount is normal (essential in fact)

what he said

same for all yank cars
jeeps ect

damn clever these MOT testers

Thanks all. The local garage just couldn't understand, wanted to replace everything. So he called Autopontiac, and I passed on your messages, and he just gave up and I've got it back. Appreciate the help and advice. Saved me loads.

bhm1712 wrote:Suspension bushes wouldn't cause movement of the rear wheels in and out. This would likely be the wheel/half-shaft bearings.

Well that's a bloody mystery now Ian. As we had ours done and problem sorted. and we no they was done as we was there as our mechanic is our good friend.

Caz wrote:

bhm1712 wrote:Suspension bushes wouldn't cause movement of the rear wheels in and out. This would likely be the wheel/half-shaft bearings.

Well that's a bloody mystery now Ian. As we had ours done and problem sorted. and we no they was done as we was there as our mechanic is our good friend.

If the rear axle has play in its entirety this can be bushes as the axle is "held" to the car by the suspension, but if the wheel is moving in and out within the axle this is bearings.

I understood this query as though the wheels had play in and out within the axle tubes and not the whole axle moving.

Caz wrote:

bhm1712 wrote:Suspension bushes wouldn't cause movement of the rear wheels in and out. This would likely be the wheel/half-shaft bearings.

Well that's a bloody mystery now Ian. As we had ours done and problem sorted. and we no they was done as we was there as our mechanic is our good friend.

on yours or terrys?
on 3rd gen panhard bar bushes would help, on 2nd gens rubber spring shackle bushes might help locate axle better though they would have to be really bad to allow movement sideways
but bush cant alter mechanical play inside axle

Don't forget i usually have the answers.