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Apparently It’s called a spring plate. If I’m seeing things correctly, it seems like it’s used to attach to lower part of a spring compressor.

I dont understand what the purpose of those wings hanging off the struts are. Curious why they are/were there.

I have a 93 Cutlass convertible and after getting it out of winter storage a couple weeks ago I finally had an opportunity to put the top down and take it for a drive. Though I hear a slight clicking sound that seems to be coming from back by the pump, the top does not go down or up, and the pump doesn’t seem to engage at all. It seems that very little information is available. I looked for a fuse that would control the power to the pump and was not able to find one that looks like it is dedicated for that use. A relay is a possible problem, but I am having troubles finding that. Reading what I could find on this website, it sounds like a relay or relays could be back by the pump. I can try testing that, but because the top doesn’t move in either direction, I’m not sure if that will be the problem. If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thanks.

I’m hoping that somebody still sees this string because I’ve been reading it and it is very interesting for my problem. I have a 93 convertible and after getting it out of winter storage a couple weeks ago I finally had an opportunity to put the top down and take it for a drive. Though I hear a slight clicking sound that seems to be coming from back by the pump, the top does not go up or down, and the pump doesn’t seem to engage at all. Besides this string of ideas, very little information is available for me to find. I looked for a fuse that would control the power to the pump and was not able to find one that looks like it is dedicated for that use. After reading this information it sounds like the relay that I was trying to find is back by the pump. I suppose that I can try testing that, but because the top doesn’t move in either direction, I’m not sure if that will be the problem. If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thanks.

Describe the *noise* you are hearing.......you say that this was heard when the original spring was still in place? Does the *replacement* spring still have the rubber pads glued to the ends of the leaf?

The spring is installed and functional, the car a bit higher in the rear but I expected that. What I didn't expect is for the noise to return after about a day. I am wonder if it is the point where the spring contacts the plastic isolator and or where the the isolator sit in the bracket. Any ideas are appreciated.

The bearing race doesn't have an opening one can get at to squirt in some lube.

Try this.....remove the wheel(s), disconnect the tie rod end from the knuckle, with the wheels off the ground you should be able to freely turn the knuckle by hand, the bearing at the bottom of the spring.......everything including the spring seat & above remains stationary, everything below the spring seat (including the bearing) rotates with the movement of the rack.

Additionally, I found a small hole in the bottom of the spring perch and I'm thinking a shot of white lithium up there might help.

So, I thought about the strut bearing suggestion, and should point out that it only does this at first - if you spin the wheel back and do it again, it doesn't make the sound. I'm thinking if it's worn bearings it would do it every time and only when under pressure, not when unloaded. Thoughts?

First Guess: Once you have it all apart far enough to lube them...you'll discover that the roller elements and the races are scarred from lack of lube, and they just plain need to be replaced. And that's fine...but then you figure you might as well replace the struts while you have it apart. And if you're gonna slap struts on it, you might as well upgrade the springs. And the control arm bushings, and sway-bar bushings. Which is a perfect time to check and replace the ball joints if needed. By that time, the brakes are apart, so replace the calipers, check the rotors and pads for wear, and deal with whatever you find including the brake hoses and maybe the ABS wheel-speed sensors and front hubs. Well, you have it that far apart, so a quick-ratio rack 'n' pinion with fresh tie rod ends isn't so much more work, and that means flushing the PS fluid, too. Some folks think a real PS cooler is a good idea--better than a bunch of tubing looped back-and-forth like the OEM "cooler"...

The bearings were never intended to go unattended for periods this long. they are located in the centre of the lower spring seat, in a steel encased raceway, I can't remember precisely but there is approx 60 maybe 70 small ball bearings in the race. One has to disassemble the strut off the car to get at them. I've done them twice now in the time I've owned the car. Even tho you can hear the groaning you may still be able to salvage them, one has to remove the race from the spring seat, remove the upper cap, drop them all out into a pan & clean them all, clean out the raceway, reapply a healthy amount of EP grease and set them back into the race, press the cap back down on & reinsert the race back into the spring seat. It is time consuming....and one needs a spring compressor.

It's making some weird groaning noises when turning the wheel on the ground, and that's what it does in the air. Been doing this ever since I swapped to the 96s for the upgraded brakes.

Never, I didn't know there were strut bearings, and nowhere in the FSM does it mention lubricating them as part of regular maintenance. In fact, it says there is nothing that needs lubrication in the suspension at all.

Yep, strut bearing can make that sound. Does it make that sound on the ground too? I feel like I remember them being noisier with no load.

How long has it been since the strut bearings were lubricated or replaced?

I greased the outer tie rod and ball joint, why is it still making this noise? 20250502_104001.mp4

Seven years later I finally got to it. Life gets in the way sometimes. It was a splice gone bad on the engine side, orange wire C461. DIC and scan data restored.

The weather seals on both sides simply pull off, but the connector itself is a single molded piece. I haven't found a way for the wires to come out the back yet, nothing I do seems to release them from the connector housing.

The connector body has to come apart somehow--there's likely a plastic lock-tab or two on the body, so the rear "end cap" and weather-seal comes off. Then slide your tool into the gaps from the front, to release the metal lock-tabs on the wire terminals, and pull the wires out the rear.

The Low Coolant light went on in all 3 of My CS, 2 94's, 1 96. The Coolant was not low. I just disconnected the wire at the sensor. I will change the sensor the next time the radiator is flushed, but until then, problem solved.

Wow, did I catch you on a bad day?

You have 'em out of the front of the plastic connector body. Examine the lock-tabs, determine how to release them from the front, so they pull out the rear.

I found a replacement plug for my air temp sensor on a junkyard car and am trying to get the wires out of it. I've got a round multi-tool for this that I got on Amazon that has five different tools on it but so far it looks like only the smallest straight-blade tool fits. I pushed the wires through the front of the replacement plug but that doesn't seem like the right way to do it.

Thank you very much! My skill at reading wiring diagrams and soldering is between zero and zero, so you I think I may have to find a professional service! Though if you think you could do it, happy to send the unit to you and pay you!!!!!