I had quick struts installed and now I have what feels like side to side shaking when starting from a stop at like 10mph and then over 3/4 throttle at any speed. I had the front alligned, the back needs to be done still because the shop said id have to elongate the holes on the control arms so it can be adjusted? is this true? it rides fine but the shaking bothers me alot. Also the front sits a good bit higher then the back now, when it was oposite before. The front has new struts and springs and the back has new struts and the factory springs. are the rear springs causing it to sit goofy?

i havent worked on your year bonny but in general gm did just put one hole at a location that gives them the proper alignment at the factory but some of the others i have worked have a perforated thing you can bang out to get adjustment. and it doesnt help you now but i dont like those quick struts because you dont if they used old springs or even if they used the right spring for your car. there are different engines and different springs for se'*, le'* , sse'* etc. you dont think they actually pay attention to that do you? im sure they sell one part for what ever that one physically fits

Yeah I get what your saying. The ride is really nice, I love it. But the shaking is driving me crazy. It feels like it may be the rear but it gets worse under hard throttle. Im gonna replace the ball joints soon and see if the helps cuz there the factory 153,xxx mile ones.

wouldnt hurt but did they tell you they couldnt get the alignment right , why did they say the holes had to be elongated?

They widen the control arm holes to use a "cam bolt" to adjust camber. Something the Bonneville has no other way of adjusting outside of going with a much more expensive camber plate on top.

Typically, the rear would have to be really out of align to cause the front to shake. Newer alignment machines are awesome if the person using them is trained and meticulous. But alot or not and don't get the sensors attached to the wheels properly.

Yeah they told me they couldent do the rear alignment without doing the holes or whatever. I have alot of positive camber in the back. And they said the rear ball joints help keep the camber in check and that mine are bad(im sure they are) and that id have to replace them then have the alignment done. It seems to be side to side, and depends on the amount of throttle applied. When starting from a stop at 15 mph the back seems to move side to side, then goes away. If in first gear and give it 3/4 to full throttle it shakes worse.

Yeah, and as your springs if ou dont have ELC, the camber gets knocked out to. I really dont like the look of those cammed camber bolts. All look alot thinner and cheap compared to OEM. Not a good thing in something critical to keeping a wheel attached.

Whats ELC? and your suggesting that if I have them do the camber bolts to use oem ones? that would make sense. What was the camber plate you were talking about that was more expensive?

Electronic Leveling Control. OEM air shocks. They keep the car riding the same height regardless of spring wear so camber isn't a problem. GM doesn't make camber bolts. They are much smaller diameter than OEM and aftermarket. That'* the concern. Although many are used and people seem to have good luck with them.

Camber plates are another thing. They adjust camber from the top, expensive, and alot of labor thus $$$ to use them. You find these more on raised trucks, show cars of higher/lower heights, and race cars with custom suspension setups.


IMO< looking to the rear for shaking you describe is not likely. Usually that would take an extreme toe misalignment. I ran my car at different heights routinely with bagged suspension where the camber was at the will of given height, and never had any shaking with my Bonneville.

I would be looking at front toe misalignment (Bad Tech), bent front end control arm, control arm or sway bar bushings shot or tire unbalanced (lost weight) Except in more extreme cases camber misalignment more likely to cause premature tire wear, and/or cupping. Not shaking.

x2 i would be looking at your front control arm bushings and tie rod ends