strut bearings....

[Stacy Anable]

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Just got back from sears. was going to get my 86 5ktq aligned....they calle=
d me back shortly after getting the car on the lift. "strut bearings are sh=
ot" showed me the sound they were making.  i watched the spring kind of stu=
tter while it was turning.  I had known they were going for awhile now. bee=
n making a kinda growling/popping noise when turning the wheel while statio=
nary.

My question is...could this affect the cars ability to hold an alignment? a=
nd also, a friend who is a mercedes tech said it was odd that we could see =
the strut moving (watching the nut at the top of the strut) when we turned =
the wheel. is this normal?

Also what should it cost for a independant shop to replace the strut bearin=
gs? would do it myself, but i don't have any good spring compressors.


and one more thing...my cars camber is enough off that over the last year m=
y tires have gone bald on the insides. last time i had an alignment it was =
2 days after installing new boge turbo gas struts. i am thinking that the c=
amber is off because the struts have "broken in". i notice that now the car=
 is a bit lower then right after i changed the struts.


thanks

Stacy
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