what do bad cradle bushings feel like?

[Honest Don]

Something is definitely wrong here. I've checked out the front end and the balljoints, tie rods, wheel bearings (post replacement), etc all seem nice and tight. The tie rods out back appear ok, as far as I can tell. Shocks/Struts still have good life in them. Tire pressure is good...

The car does not feel right at all above 50mph though. Something has to be moving around on me. any ideas?

Thanks!

[jelly2m81]

Alignment maybe? fiero's are fucking scary to drive with the alignment out, sometimes down right dangerous.

[befarrer]

When I forgot to tighten my cradle bushings and went for a spin up my parents driveway, it steered depending on throttle. Steered left under acceleration, and right when off the gas. I had a left rear a-arm bushing go bad on me too, it wasnt the bushing, but the steel insert, I could not for the life of me get it tight enough to stop moving around alittle, it must have been worn alittle, new busing, and it was good. Check your upper strut mounts too, they may be loose, or the front crossmember bolts.

[Honest Don]

Thanks guys! After a little reading, I think I'm going to start with the cradle bushings and go from there.

Is there a good writeup anywhere on changing these out? Do I need to drop out the whole works? Id like to disconnect as little as possible to get the job done

[Fastback86]

I did it with them out, but I suppose you could unbolt the cradle and drop it down just enough to get at them, if you had a way to support both the car and the cradle separately. The rear bushings are pretty easy to knock out and replace, it's the fronts that can be a bitch. I burned them out (something you may not want to do underneath the car). Once they old bushings were out, I replaced them with aluminum ones that were a breeze to install. I assume poly would be as well. Rubber I don't know about.

[CincinnatiFiero]

Heat the side of the sleeve, they burn, but not as much, eventually the bushing expands enough and pops itself out. There's not point putting in more rubber. The floating rear cradle is one of the weak points of the 84-87 suspension. Do poly or aluminum, aluminum is the best, but if you are on a budget like me you can get poly for $55 shipped from summit, as opposed to $100 for aluminum.

[BC2002SS]

Heat the side of the sleeve, they burn, but not as much, eventually the bushing expands enough and pops itself out.

do as above and hit the bushing with a hammer at the same time and it will not have to burn very much to pop out.