Knocking that sounds like a drop link nearside front will be the subframe mounts. Official fix involves dropping the subframe which is an arse of a job but it is possible to fix it on a few hours much more easily. I did mine a couple of years ago. Here are the notes I made when a few people on the UKSaabs group asked (and a few said it was impossible without removing the subframe! ): I've done it and didn't remove the subframe. For completeness here is how. Car at least a foot off the ground - I was working on a nice warm garage floor, wouldn't want to do it outside. For the rear wheels I had some old fashioned drive up ramps so wheels could stay on. I find this much safer (assuming ramps are wide enough) Jacking the front of a car when the rear is on stands can get interesting as the jack will cause the car to move sideways slightly which stands don't like. The wheels do tolerate that though, also if the worst happens the car lands on it's wheels, not its disks. The front was on good sturdy axle stands (mine are 6 ton rated) on chassis rails just behind subframe rear mounts. Front wheels off so can easily reach centre subframe bushes. Undo top nut on rear engine mount and the two bolts that hold steering rack (loosen but no need to remove nuts) Two scissor jacks one each side on subframe towards rear. Loosen by a few turns front subframe mounts. Remove bolts from centre subframe mounts Remove bolts from rear subframe mounts and triangle support plates. Lower subframe using scissor jack. Rear drops about 20 mm on it's own. Check bushes. My centre ones were OK but rear were bad. I use a wood drill (better on rubber than normal metal drill) to remove the remaining rubber in rear bushes. The centre metal parts of the original bushes is T shaped - a washer is welded to the top of the centre sleeve - that's why I couldn't cut the rubber top off and pull it out the bottom. However, it DOES come out the top. Use a pry bar to pull subframe down so gap increases to about 30mm (not much force needed) then you can push bush up and turn sideways and remove from top. Now with a metal jig saw cut a slot in the shell (metal bush surround) each side, doesn't need to go all the way through. The heat from cutting, vibration and making a weak spot makes metal bush surround easier to remove. I found some heavy duty M12 penny washers that were the exact size of the bush (I think 37mm diameter) Big 1/2 drive socket on bottom to catch bush, bit of threaded M12 rod with a nut each end. A few turns and old metal bush surround drops out. I fitted polybushes. Looking at the way they were I decided to cut them across the middle with a sharp knife. Mark top and bottom part so I can line them up. Push them in from each side and a bit of superglue to join them back together. Then push in centre part (I used silicone grease - fabulous stuff) Big washer that came with Polybushes goes on top. Use scissor jacks to lift subframe back in to place and tighten everything back up. Job took me about 4 hours. Back on road the car is so much better. No rattle when starting or going over bumps, feel much more precise on sharp corners. No significant difference in noise vibration harshness. Really pleased with the result, much easier than I thought in the end and not expensive - although does need tools and other bits mentioned above and at this time of year a garage. I would never attempt to lift the car so high (and be right underneath it) on an outside surface.
I did my rear ones outside on a sloping street parking space. It took a great deal of care to get the car safely jacked up and supported. Working in the limited space felt like a cross between yoga and spelunking! I didn't touch the engine mount or steering rack bolts but had enough room to do the rears. I did use a big pry bar which I pulled on with my legs while using my arms to fit the new bush. The old ones were so bad the rubber just fell out! I fitted Powerflex ones and they made the most satisfying squelch sound when they slipped into place under compression from a jack. 😁
AS2 = no sub, AS3 = with sub ... not all Aeros are AS3 - think it was optional, along with a trim pack that gave you electric front seats (drivers' side with memory) and heated rear seats - plus possibly some other bits. Basically if it's got heated rear seats, it's got (or should have) electric drivers' seat with memory - handy if you have multiple drivers. Not entirely sure if it was all part of the same trim pack - but from what I've seen, often if a car has the AS3 audio it'll have the heated rear seats too.
Knocking that sounds like a drop link nearside front will be the subframe mounts. Official fix involves dropping the subframe which is an arse of a job but it is possible to fix it on a few hours much more easily. I did mine a couple of years ago. Here are the notes I made when a few people on the UKSaabs group asked (and a few said it was impossible without removing the subframe! ): I've done it and didn't remove the subframe. For completeness here is how.
Car at least a foot off the ground - I was working on a nice warm garage floor, wouldn't want to do it outside.
For the rear wheels I had some old fashioned drive up ramps so wheels could stay on. I find this much safer (assuming ramps are wide enough) Jacking the front of a car when the rear is on stands can get interesting as the jack will cause the car to move sideways slightly which stands don't like. The wheels do tolerate that though, also if the worst happens the car lands on it's wheels, not its disks.
The front was on good sturdy axle stands (mine are 6 ton rated) on chassis rails just behind subframe rear mounts.
Front wheels off so can easily reach centre subframe bushes.
Undo top nut on rear engine mount and the two bolts that hold steering rack (loosen but no need to remove nuts)
Two scissor jacks one each side on subframe towards rear.
Loosen by a few turns front subframe mounts.
Remove bolts from centre subframe mounts
Remove bolts from rear subframe mounts and triangle support plates.
Lower subframe using scissor jack. Rear drops about 20 mm on it's own.
Check bushes. My centre ones were OK but rear were bad.
I use a wood drill (better on rubber than normal metal drill) to remove the remaining rubber in rear bushes.
The centre metal parts of the original bushes is T shaped - a washer is welded to the top of the centre sleeve - that's why I couldn't cut the rubber top off and pull it out the bottom.
However, it DOES come out the top. Use a pry bar to pull subframe down so gap increases to about 30mm (not much force needed) then you can push bush up and turn sideways and remove from top.
Now with a metal jig saw cut a slot in the shell (metal bush surround) each side, doesn't need to go all the way through. The heat from cutting, vibration and making a weak spot makes metal bush surround easier to remove.
I found some heavy duty M12 penny washers that were the exact size of the bush (I think 37mm diameter)
Big 1/2 drive socket on bottom to catch bush, bit of threaded M12 rod with a nut each end. A few turns and old metal bush surround drops out.
I fitted polybushes. Looking at the way they were I decided to cut them across the middle with a sharp knife. Mark top and bottom part so I can line them up. Push them in from each side and a bit of superglue to join them back together.
Then push in centre part (I used silicone grease - fabulous stuff)
Big washer that came with Polybushes goes on top.
Use scissor jacks to lift subframe back in to place and tighten everything back up.
Job took me about 4 hours.
Back on road the car is so much better.
No rattle when starting or going over bumps, feel much more precise on sharp corners.
No significant difference in noise vibration harshness.
Really pleased with the result, much easier than I thought in the end and not expensive - although does need tools and other bits mentioned above and at this time of year a garage. I would never attempt to lift the car so high (and be right underneath it) on an outside surface.
I did my rear ones outside on a sloping street parking space. It took a great deal of care to get the car safely jacked up and supported. Working in the limited space felt like a cross between yoga and spelunking! I didn't touch the engine mount or steering rack bolts but had enough room to do the rears. I did use a big pry bar which I pulled on with my legs while using my arms to fit the new bush. The old ones were so bad the rubber just fell out! I fitted Powerflex ones and they made the most satisfying squelch sound when they slipped into place under compression from a jack. 😁
I absolutely love Espresso black. Lovely looking car!
A fine choice of automobile indeed like any saab of this era
Subwoofer in the lugage compartment wasn't standard equipment for Aero spec?
AS2 = no sub, AS3 = with sub ... not all Aeros are AS3 - think it was optional, along with a trim pack that gave you electric front seats (drivers' side with memory) and heated rear seats - plus possibly some other bits. Basically if it's got heated rear seats, it's got (or should have) electric drivers' seat with memory - handy if you have multiple drivers. Not entirely sure if it was all part of the same trim pack - but from what I've seen, often if a car has the AS3 audio it'll have the heated rear seats too.
Whats with the "hot" aero turbo? Its not called hot turbo or hot aero
High output (pressure) turbo