Tell-tale wear signs?

How many of you have rebuilt your suspension?
Rear end? Wheel bearings? At what mileage did you need to do this?
My question:
Odometer says 078060; yet registration says "mileage not actual mileage on car".
Front end is pretty shot, wanders all over.
Firm ride lite is on, yet it bounces more than our Camry with a gabillion miles. Rear end "hums" when warm, wheel bearings sound noisy. Some lifter knock when cold, and rattle from turbo area for the first few min of driving (though shaft doesn't move when I try to wiggle it). I'm wondering if someone tampered with the odometer before I owned it?
Or does this sound "within the range" of a 13 year old car that was neglected/beat on?
Should I expect the same from the engine anytime soon?
I'd like to hear anyones experience in the shape of their cars as they owned them....
Thanks!

Some of that sounds a little suspecious for 78K. I had to do tie rod ends on one of mine at 62K, it wandered. I wonder if the gauge pod or speedo was changed on yours.Might explain the disclaimer on the title. My 110K project car has had nothing done to the front end except sway bar bushings and end link bushings. Steering is still quick, no slop or wander. Firm is still firm but not as firm as the 69K car.

From what your saying I'd say the car has a lot more miles than whats showing.

------------------
NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm

Sounds like the cars been beat on alittle, but maybe never maintained at all. My car with 69k i replaced and needed to replace:
Inner and outer front wheel bearings.
Every bushing in the front(more or less) mostly the link bushings and sway bar bushings, but i didn't the others just for sake of mind.
Outer tie-rod ends.
At 71k i replaced the seal in the input of the rear diff(was going bad.)
Sounds like the car was used on and off, like run hard put away wet. How many mile an hour speedometer do you have 85 or 140?

Thanks for the direction.....
Wandering is the biggest problem. And I guess if it sat a bunch, that would explain the bouncy ride (I hear shocks wear out when the seals are not being used...?).
JR88:
It's an 85mph speedo. Pete can remember my questions about the shifter: only has OD/D/1. But NOTHING looks like it's been moved. No scuffs on dash screws; everything looks BONE STOCK aside from the weird shifter... And I KNOW it's an A4LD now, as the trans filter kit fit perfect.
I do know the owner I got it from, little VERY OLD chinese lady (friends mom) who drove it maybe 4 times a year. She bought it from (what she believes to be) the orginal owner; sold it to her over a divorce for A LOT MORE MONEY than I gave her ($500).
The A/C is also empty. I'm gambling that it was on the freeway or parked it's whole life...

[This message has been edited by Matt S (edited 06-12-2002).]

Does it have the PRC struts still? I don't have PRC struts in the front and the ride ok, but it's on the bouncy side.

Originally posted by Matt S:
How many of you have rebuilt your suspension?
Rear end? Wheel bearings? At what mileage did you need to do this?

My 86TC was trashed by someone prior to my purchasing it. It had 150K on it when I bought it. The rear end was shot (7.5 was stock on the 86s), and I put a 8.8 on it. Wheel bearings were replaced during the swap.
The 86 doesn't have ride control, and needed shocks and inner and outer rod ends. I got a new rack and that solved the drifting problem. Replacing rear shocks firmed the ride quite a bit; one day I'll get around to doing the struts, probably after I figure out exactly what needs done.

...Some lifter knock when cold...

Replacing the camshaft solved that with mine.

Hope this helps.

------------------
Mike Walsted - NATO member
1986 5-speed TurboCoupe and 1985 5-speed XR7

Thanks Mike.
That helps alot. It has PRC shocks, and I like your comment about changing the rear shocks firmed it up a bit. The rear of this is definately sloshy.
I think I'll go with Pete's suggestion I saw once on the Monroe's for a good price and decent ride until I can get some PRC's from somewhere (right after that money tree starts growing in my backyard).