Suspension components and randomness?

[Taipans]

Hey guys,

I am 60k miles right now on my 2006 Vue Redline and I have been having some random issues. I posted about some of them in the past but I am now getting ready to do some maint on the vehicle and had some quick questions.

I know something on the front suspension needs replaced and as started to clank / knock / rumble around once it got cold. Someone mentioned at that time that its most likely the strut mounts. But as I sift through all the threads here it seems to be a good idea just to replace everything while I have it apart.

Ok so I have been sifting through some auto parts stores online sites trying to hunt everything down. I am not sure if you guys have some special magical place you would recommend ordering stuff from, but the local brick and mortar options that are close are Autozone, O Reilly’s, Advance. However I have no problems with ordering online if you guys have a place that’s good.

So I put in the info on my car on these places and brought up suspension options. I am looking for the following,

Struts
Strut Mounts
End links
Rotors / Pads

This is what I found,

STRUTS:
Monroe Sensa-Trac Strut # 72217 right side - 86.99
Monroe Sensa-Trac Strut # 72218 right side - 86.99

SWAY BARS:
Moog Chassis Prod Sway Bar Link Kit # K80460 right side - 30.99
Moog Chassis Prod Sway Bar Link Kit # K80460 left side - 30.99

STRUT MOUNTS:
Monroe Strut-Mate Bearing Plate # 905949 - 33.99


Questions:

Are sway bars the same as end links?
Are Strut Mounts the same as bearing plates, and if so how many do I need to order?

Do I need tie-rod ends?

Do you guys recommend ceramic pads, I have heard they can make the over heating of rotors worse and can be noisy. I have never used them before.

And lastly is there anything else I am forgetting for the front suspension?

Thank you very much!

[BryanF]

You can get away with not changing the tie rod ends unless they give you problems later. They are easy enough to replace without tearing the whole front suspension apart, so doing them another time would be no big deal.

The bearing plates are the strut mounts. You will need two of these, one per side.

The sway bar is the bar that goes across the car, from the left wheel to the right wheel. The endlinks are the pieces that connect the sway bar to the struts, allowing it to pivot when you steer and go over bumps. The endlinks are obviously what you want to replace, not the whole sway bar.

As far as the brakes, if you get yourself some decent rotors you should be just fine. I never heard of ceramic pads causing those kinds of problems on good rotors.

Good luck with the job. You should be able to knock it out in an afternoon, but take your time. I just did all of this work on my Vue at 37k...your Vue will ride much better when you're done! Don't forget to have an alignment done when the job is finished.

[DavidBo]

I did the exact thing to my wife's 2002 Vue at 100k miles. I mean exact parts and all, except I also replaced the front sway bar bushings. While your in there with the links removed changing the bushings is a breeze. I used a little graphite lube to keep squeaks down while not damaging the rubber. The front end tightened up beautifully but the alignment shop had some problems probably because the Monroe's lower bolt holes aren't elongated like the factory units, just something to keep in mind. Search this forum and you'll find a great write-up on the procedure. Good luck and have fun.