Front suspension rebuild planning for a first-generation Camaro
A worn front end hides itself well. Here is how to plan the rebuild in one pass instead of three.
Worn front suspension on these cars rarely announces itself. It shows up as vague steering, uneven tyre wear, a shimmy at speed, or a car that wanders on the highway.
Inspect the whole system before ordering: upper and lower control arm bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, idler arm, centre link and the steering box itself. Also check the subframe bushings and the condition of the strut rods.
Rebuild it in one pass. Replacing ball joints while leaving collapsed bushings in place gives you a car that is tighter but still imprecise, and you will pay for the alignment twice.
Plan an alignment immediately afterwards, and check tyre condition and wheel bearings at the same time. Age-hardened tyres on a freshly rebuilt front end will still make the car feel wrong.