1998 Riviera Suspension and Tie Rod help

Last week prepared my 1998 Rivera for its winter storage so took it to my trusted long term mechanic for oil change, etc., and inspection for anything that should be done at 67,505 miles. I now only drive it about 2,000 miles per year at most, but change oil late November before storage and again mid to late April when it comes out of storage.

The service recommendation when it comes out of winter storage is to replace Left Outer Tie Rod. Was told this was not overly complicated or expensive (sorry but LOL nothing about my loved Riviera has ever been simple and inexpensive). I will also have the Right Outer Tie Rod replaced at the same time just because I might tend to over maintain my Riviera. I admit I am not a gear-head and only raise the hood to wipe away moisture when I wash the car. Reviewed on this site regarding tie rods:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t6316-write-up-inner-tie-rod-ends
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t5171-write-up-outer-tie-rod-end-installation

Question: Come April when I pull the Riviera out of winter storage and replace both Outer Tie Rods, should I consider any other front suspension work such as inner tie rods, seals, gaskets, etc., specific to front end suspension? Like I said I am as dumb as it comes regarding mechanics, trust the people servicing my auto (s) after years dealing with them, and perhaps over maintain the Riviera. When Outer Tie Rods will be replaced this coming April should I request they replace any other front suspension parts on a Riviera with 67,505 miles?

Reason I ask is because my 1998 Riviera is driven seldom, only warm weather months, mostly short distances in stop and go city traffic, and because it is stored about 5 months a year I am always concerned with seals/gaskets etc., drying out (stored winters in an underground parking garage). Had an expensive issue with some A/C seals drying out and required replacement a few years ago.

Reason I ask if other front suspension work should be done as last year started to feel a slight/minor vibration at 60 mph and above. Three years ago during my last long distance drive in the Riviera from Canada to Florida cruising at times 90 mph the ride was smooth as silk. Perhaps the current slight front end high speed vibration is the result of the Left Outer Tire Rod now in need of replacement. However, last year the auto was inspected and test driven for the very slight vibration up to 80 mph and at that time outer tie rods did not seem to be the problem as tie rods were inspected about 3,000 miles ago. Tires perfect, alignment & balance tested and perfect, breaks perfect. Transmission and engine mounts inspected and replaced as necessary last year. Also all shocks have been inspected and seem to be OK.

Difficult for me to understand but when entering my underground parking garage there is a speed bump I drive over at very low speed. The front suspension of the Riviera seems softer (very minor but more bounce) then the rear suspension. Hard for me to determine if front shocks need improvement because I also drive a 2011 Camaro over the same speed bump and when I hit that speed bump with the Riviera it is like slow easy sex, and the Camaro feels like rough sex.

Any suggestions on front suspension parts and service I should have this coming April when the Riv. (67,505 miles) comes out of winter storage and gets Outer Tire Rod replacements?

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t6316-write-up-inner-tie-rod-endshttps://rivperformance.editboard.com/t5171-write-up-outer-tie-rod-end-installation

Ok. you might not have to replace all the tie rods.only replace the ones that need it. did your mech tell you to replace them? OEM tie rods should be good for around 80 to 100 thou miles.sounds like you drive over some pretty nice stuff so i would check em before replacing them. the front end has no gaskets or seals to speak of that would need replacing.

from my experience,the only seals that are suseptible to failure due to storage are the AC seals like you sed. but 4 months of storage should not impact any of the other seals like the trans or the engine. its allways a good policy to go down into the garage every month or so and run the engine till it gets warm and then run the AC for a 1/2 hour or so to circulate the freon and keep everything working and flowing.that goes for the engine too.
adding STA-BIL is a good thing.a must.eventho our cars are fuel injected,STA-BIL preserves the lines and other fuel system components.

Take the Riv to the mechanic and detail your concerns and find out where the vibration comes from. check all the tie rods. checking the tie rods is an easy task for a good mechanic.he can verify their life in 10 minutes or so.1/2 hour tops.

The Riv front struts do get a little softer over time.the inner suspension valving that regulates the flow of oil or gas wears out over time and things get more "Comfortable" but a Oem strut barring total failure should and can last well over 100 thou miles.

Do jack the car up and place jacks under the car so as to have the wheels JUST barely touching the ground.this will prevent flat spots in the tires.

when you store the car up,cover her with an INDOOR cover.the indoor cover will let the Riv "breath" .also,pour a good couple pounds of arm & Hammer baking soda into a gutted milk carton and place it on the floor in the back.the baking soda will suck up all the nasty odors from storage.car will smell nice when you take of the wraps.

The issues your cars have screwing the speed bump..sorry buddy,cant help ya there.

Thanks for you input. Every year I have the Riviera oil changed and fully inspected before it goes into a 5 month winter storage (underground parking garage). The list is long on stuff I do before storage but have many classic car friends in Ottawa that have given me advice as how to store the Riv. for 5 winter months. Assured, Riv. is propertly prepared for 5 month storage and been storing my Riviera for years during Canadian winters. I am a Texas expat who knew nothing about winters, but many wonderful car guy friends in Canada have helped me to adjust.

This winter inspection and oil change last week (before putting Riviera into dry underground parking storage), inspection indicated Left Outer Tie Rod should be replaced when Riv. is brought out of winter storage for another oil change.

Decided if one left outer tie rod needs replacement, while the car is on the left I will also replace the right outer tie rod (one less issue I might deal with in the future).

Perhaps my question is this: What other front suspension stuff should I consider replacing. If left outer tire rod needs replacing at 67,505 miles, I want to do preventive stuff and price is not an issue. Note my conern because auto is seldom driven, low milage stop-n-go city traffic 6 months a year, concerned seals can dry out (had that issue with not using my AC).

Love my Riviera, it was my aunts last of 4 white Rivieras and she left the 1998 to me when she died 2004. Will do whatever it takes to maintain my aunts 1998 Riviera. Taking care of this Riviera is not always practical, but it is an act of love for my dead aunt who loved her Riviera's.

..again,no seals or gaskets to worry about or even have a concern changing.
if you need to,change the ball joints! if you have the $ to do so.OEM ball joints last forever if not driven in the muck and you keep them regularly greased. if your on the OEM ball joints,inspect them.I dont know about the 98 Rivs ball joints or whether they come fitted with grease zerks for regular greasing.if they dont have zerks and you must,swap em out. theyre pretty cheap at RockAuto. and thats it. drain all the fluids and replace with fresh.add StaBil,drain coolant and replace with 80% or 100% antifreeze.is the garage climate controled? if not,do 100% coolant.
Done.

My 98 did not have grease fittings on any of the oem front suspension parts.

Personally I would not replace anything but the parts that are worn out. Any good mechanic can tell when a front end part is bad or not, and if he only flagged one, that's all you should worry about. The other side could last another 50k.

The vibration is most likely tires. When you store the car do you raise the tires off the ground? If not they could have flat spots develop. Above and beyond balancing, tires can have belts shift or become out of round. Sometimes even new tires are out of round!

While the car is on the lift you may want to do the Sway bar links. They're affordable and easy to do. I think AA has some upgraded ones for sale on here. Apart from that, I agree with Deekster on the tires. Have them tires looked at and balanced. If they're not off the ground they could very well have flat spots or be out of round.

I'd replace only the outer tierods, but definitely do replace them in pairs. Both my 98s did not have greasable front end parts, which I find hard to believe. The outer tie-rods went at 40k km on the white riv and 75k km on the green one. Both were stored for a good part of the year like yours, so it might have something to do with it. If you plan on doing the job yourself or having some buddies do it for you, the best place to buy them in Ottawa is at C.A.P.S. Get the Moog brand, and have the mechanic hit them with the grease gun when you do your subsequent oil changes. I recommend getting the car aligned after doing the outer tie-rods.

abaucom wrote:

Hard for me to determine if front shocks need improvement because I also drive a 2011 Camaro over the same speed bump and when I hit that speed bump with the Riviera it is like slow easy sex, and the Camaro feels like rough sex.

that must be some speedbump.

Agree with deek's comments. At your mileage, the only reason I'd replace any more than the single tie rod end indicated by your mechanic would be to reduce the added expense of additional realignments, which is typically $60-75 per (unless you buy a lifetime alignment, something to consider). Parts that affect front end alignment are outer/inner tie rods, control arm bushings/ball joints, and the struts.

So it really depends on whether you're okay paying for multiple alignments over the next several thousand miles, or if you'd rather invest more upfront and have everything right. There is certainly some satisfaction in doing that. A couple years ago, I replaced both control arms, bushings, ball joints, struts at the same time, then slapped on new tires. It felt like a new front end, albeit at a price. Doing the work actually isn't that bad doing it all at once.

If the extra compliant suspension travel over humps bothers you, I'd replace those old front struts. If it doesn't rub you the wrong way, and there are no other symptoms (creaking or binding when turning the wheel), those OEM struts will last quite a while longer, and they'll certainly be safe. That's the thing about the Riv's suspension design. Everything is so heavy and overbuilt, you can get away with a lot before parts ultimately fail. The question is, what are you comfortable with?

The tie rod might get rid of your vibration issue, but don't be surprised if wheel balance turns out to be ultimate problem. Our stock wheels are prone to vibration issues, especially if the rim is bent or out of round. Also tire quality matters. Sometimes rotating the wheels can reveal the true nature of the problem.

Stabilizer bar links and wheel hubs can be replaced without needing realignment, so feel free to leave these areas be if they seem to be in good shape.

A final note, my inner tie rods and steering rack are original at 250k miles, and so far I see no need to replace them. Also with exception to shocks and stabi-bar links, the rear suspension has held up extremely well. Rear hubs are still original after much punishment!

Best of luck which the tie rod replacement. If you decide to update other parts, I hope you are pleased with the results.

Thanks for all the helpful comments. Now feel better and will go ahead and replace both outer tie rods come April even though only the left side seems to be the current issue. Will just leave everything else alone.
Regarding tires, I am aware leaving it parked for long periods of time can result in flat spots. One of many things I do before storage is slightly over inflate. Been doing this for many years and come spring once I drive it and tires warm up any minor flat spots tend to disappear. Wasn't until last year I noticed the very slight front end vibration and my mechanic rotated, aligned and balanced. Maybe, replacing the outer tire rods will fix. Have a number of friends with a range of excellent new and older autos that are stored each Ottawa winter so they have been helpful teaching me. They have all told me not necessary to raise the auto off the ground unless it will be stored a year or more.

abaucom wrote:

They have all told me not necessary to raise the auto off the ground unless it will be stored a year or more.

I agree with this in general, btw, just curious what you were doing. What brand/model tires are they?

Current all season tires on my Riviera are Goodyear 'Assurance ComforTred". Have used these tires on two autos and I consider them the best all season tire I have experienced since I started driving in 1967. Super smooth riding and quiet. 80,000 miles limited warranty. Only wish I could get this tire in a size to fit my Camaro which I drive in the winter.

They are rated: Dry traction (9), Wet traction (9), Snow traction (9), Ride comfort (10), Quiet Ride (10).

It was a number of auto collector friends here in Canada that told me how to winter store as well as winter prepare my daily driver when I moved here from Texas in 2003. One has about 18 autos in his collection (stored in his own custom built heated garage), another has five autos (plus his wifes 2 - LOL). A few others winter store their newer sports cars. I currently store my Riviera winter months in my apartment building underground parking garage which is not heated but also does not freeze.

abaucom wrote:

Current all season tires on my Riviera are Goodyear 'Assurance ComforTred". Have used these tires on two autos and I consider them the best all season tire I have experienced since I started driving in 1967. Super smooth riding and quiet. 80,000 miles limited warranty. Only wish I could get this tire in a size to fit my Camaro which I drive in the winter.

They are rated: Dry traction (9), Wet traction (9), Snow traction (9), Ride comfort (10), Quiet Ride (10).

It was a number of auto collector friends here in Canada that told me how to winter store as well as winter prepare my daily driver when I moved here from Texas in 2003. One has about 18 autos in his collection (stored in his own custom built heated garage), another has five autos (plus his wifes 2 - LOL). A few others winter store their newer sports cars. I currently store my Riviera winter months in my apartment building underground parking garage which is not heated but also does not freeze.

Hi Al - I read this thread - I think Jason nailed this one, just replace the outers.

As for the ball joints don't worry. Your mechanic can grease them with a needle-like attachment that can go thru the boot or preferably, under the part of the boot that is mashed against the ball joint housing (that will cover the small hole from the piercing). Have them use Mobil 1 red synthetic grease, or synthetic marine grease.

Comment on the outer ball joint - that out-of round or out-of-balance front tire probably whacked the one tie rod into submission... be sure the imbalance was fixed not just moved to a less noticeable position. You may have to replace the offending tire.

Albertj