Howdy all.
So when i bought this ride, i knew it had some issues i needed to look into. The main one being that i rides like a wallowing sow and clunks like a wooden wagon. suspension work was required, LOL. so over the last couple weeks, i have dug into it.

Rear: 1 broken spring,1 well below spec, both spring insulators destroyed, probably bushings in the control arms. Replaced shocks with new, found good springs and insulators at a wrecker. that fixed most of the wallowing issues, but there is still a little clunking once in a while, i can live with it for now, will likely do the lower control arms over the course of the summer.
Front: This was ugly. Replaced the struts with new, springs were good (maybe 1/4 to 3/8 under spec) so they got reused. found the very top bushing missing from the strut retainer missing. well, that would explain some of the clunking. of course, you can not buy just the bushing so i custom made a spacer to keep the retainer nut centered. it will work for the time being. Passenger side bearing was toast (bad), replaced with new, driver side bearing is still good, i was going to replace it anyhow as i have the parts, but the axel is seized in the hub. I soaked in in penetrating oil and will come back to it with a hydraulic bearing puller later. Passenger side brakes are pooched, looks like whoever did brakes last did not get the tins in properly and the pads were just wedged into place. so... pulled all that apart, cleaned and lubricated the slide pins. The pads are in good shape so they got reused, rotors... i picked up a pair of like new ones from the wrecker. Lubricated the tins properly and reassembled it all.
I have a set of tie rod ends, but the ones on the car actually seem pretty good. I also have a new set of lower control arms. I will likely swap them out over the next few weeks as well, but for now it is good enough. I still need to do a final torque on the axel nuts, i just wanted to roll it for a few miles first. will do that tonight.

After all that? The car rides and drives completely differently! not gonna say its like new, and it will be better once i get those control arms swapped out, but wow, it is an enjoyable car to drive and ride in!

Next up will be the timing belt and water pump. i have the parts kit sitting on the shelf. That will be a whole day, but the J35 does not look that tough, just dont mess with anything once you have it all at tdc. Then i will prob come back to the control arms.

I also need to dig into the remote starter issues. It has a stupid Solace system in it. you can program the remote, but it seems to forget it right after. i might actually just have that swapped out for a new system. we will see.

ANyhow, comments and suggestions are welcome! Have a good day all!

 

Why do you want to drive an 18 yr old cheap suv? Lots newer and MUCH nicer stuff out there. Hmm, I drive a $3000 car. Ain’t nothing to brag about.
I just havent gotten around to selling mine. I certainly would not buy one if I didn’t have one.

 

- Well, right now, an 18 year old cheap SUV is what i can afford, so yea, thanks for making that a thing. My last "commuter junker" was an 03 Hyundai Accent, 2 door, crank windows, no cruise, no AC, no nothing. and the tranny packed it in. Im a millwright by trade, but i was not going to rebuild a transmission on a 500 dollar car. For the record, my wife and kids ride around in much nicer and newer cars and am 100% good with that, their safety is far more important than mine. I just need a car to commute back and forth to work, for anything more important, i have a big *** silverado sitting in my driveway.
Why do i like it? it's a relativly comfortable and well appointed car. the J35 is a beast of an engine that will far outlast many of its contemporaries. its comfortable, all wheel drive, has tons of space inside it, body rust is never gonna be an issue thanks to the plastic panels. etc etc.

This one in particular... well everything in it works except the remote locking system and drivers heated seat. altho i am pretty sure i know whats wring with the seat. it has rust on the frame but all the suspension points are still solid. the compression on the engine is pretty close all the way accross. especially for 183k miles. It gets me back and forth to work, does what it needs to do. If you want to go out and buy "newer and MUCH nicer stuff" go ahead. but dont get pissy at me for doing the best i can for me and my family.

 

Man, don't let one person get under your skin. Back when I worked construction, I always had a beater car that got driven back and forth to work. The wife and kids were top priority and I always made sure they had a newer, safer car to be in than me. You and I seem to think a lot alike. Keep up the good work and motor on. Cowboy hats and opinions have one thing in common. Every a-hole has one! LOL

 

I hear ya bud, and thanks!

 

@Stove ,

Don't be a dick.

Everyone drives what they drive for a reason.
That reason doesn't have to make sense to you.

I drive a 95 SC2.
Why do I drive a 95 SC2? Completely stock?

Doesn't ****ing matter.
Oh and I also drive a 2016 Audi.

Do not criticize others for what they drive on a freaking car forum.

 

@Rdadeo, this is really a great forum with a lot of helpful people here with tips and information about keeping Saturns on the road. Stick around and ask your questions. Sometimes we like to joke/pick at one another, but it's usually in jest. It's a great forum and we're happy you found us. Stove DID kind of jokingly point to himself when he said he drives a $3,000 car.

 

Welcome! I also drive used cars. I like to purchase cars that have already taken the first depreciation hit. A $300 detail is better than a 10% depreciation after driving off the dealer lot.

 

It really is a helpful forum when we stick to discussing things that matter with respect to keeping these cars running. It's as simple as that

 

I expected my reply to annoy a few folks. Just being practical. 20yrs is when big stuff starts to fail. Put money into motor and trans dies. Or ac. Or so on. Vue is my kids car. I am waiting for her to get a dup title so we can sell it. Seems to have misplaced it. I fix equinoxes. I have flipped 15. Got one in garage now. Doing heads. As usual. I don’t look at them as junk but an opportunity to make money. I’ve had 3-4 vues too. They are ok.