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Welcome! Looks like you have quiet the project
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Thank you sir. It is quite the project, but a good driver!
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Nice! I've got an '01 3.0i as well. It sounds like you've got a good plan to get everything dialed in.
Regarding rear shocks:
I had rear camber problems on mine when I first got it. Ended up replacing some rear suspension components to fix that. Main issue was the carrier ball joints. But my shocks are still original at all corners at 170k+ miles. When doing the rear suspension work, I found that the squeaking I had been hearing was entirely due to the rubber pads at the top and bottom of the spring. Removing all that, cleaning, greasing, and reassembling has made it silent again.
I've worked on many cars for many years, and this is one of those where it seems you really need to keep all systems running the way they should. The car is so (perhaps unnecessarily) complicated that little glitches here and there can cause problems and difficulty in diagnosing things.
For example, this site has multiple threads on cases where people get themselves locked out of their car (leading to expense, inconvenience, and other problems) because they only have one key, the battery in their key fob or car dies, and their driver's door lock mechanism (the only exterior mechanical lock) ALL fail at the same time. Well, not really at the same time, just that they did not think it was a problem until they were all dead at the same time. Most cars are not like this.
Keep everything in good shape and you'll be good.
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Thank you for all the tips! I have plenty to explore here still, having just gotten started on the site.
I do believe, after the alignment shop said they can't do anything to cure the rear alignment or any of the camber issues, that I've got a few arms or bolts to replace.
Front left wheel is 1.5* positive camber. Leaning out at top. Camber bolt to adjust or likely a lower control arm? I'm thinking it hit a curb.
Rear right wheel is 2.5* negative camber. Leaning in at top. Impact on fender likely caused this. Perhaps upper control arm is bent?
Both rear tires have toe in the same direction, as if the rear subframe is slightly tweaked in one direction. It's something like 0.2*, so it's not a major concern at this time.
Both front tires have excellent caster and toe properties now. Camber is my largest concern for wear at the moment. Any help that can be offered?
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I was in Flint from 1973 through 1978 attending General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) so I know what vehicles encounter in the winter up there - enough salt to cure a truckload of hams! Make sure you give the underside a good pressure wash and inspect your brake lines. There's other threads on from members that show what covers to remove and what to look for. Welcome!
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Nice! I am also a Kettering grad, just finished in 2015, but I'm not 22. I took a few years break, but I'm so glad I came back to finish it.
Yes, winter is hell. Especially now that I live in the boonies out to the west of Flint, where the roads are dirt and not plowed often. Yesterday's storm left us with 10" of snow. Nothing our excellent snow tires throughout our fleet couldn't handle. The X5 is the only AWD vehicle we have at the moment. I have a VW Golf AllTrack waiting in the wings pending a lemon law settlement.
There's a reason all my oldies are in storage. They're all rust free 80's cars. BMW 635, Olds Cutlass, VW Jetta, Volvo 740, Mercedes 300SD...
I do need to wash it thoroughly, but it cleans up halfway decently for the life it has lived thus far. I will surely keep an eye on that, but when I got the car a few months ago, I thoroughly inspected for rust, only to find absolutely zero. It's the only reason I went forth with it, knowing it was someone's beater before.