I have a '97 SC2 lets cover what I have changed on the car - we have new tie rod ends on the car, new ball joints, new wheel bearings, new break pads and rotors, and new tires.
There is now a shimmy in the front end on the drivers side... we have taken the wheel off and back on making sure everything is tight in there ....
Starting the car it clunks when it turns over, like i said low rates of speed like 10 -25 MPH it shimmy's and at 55+ it shakes a little....
If someone could PLEASE help me that would be much appreciated!!!

 

I am for the moment going to ignore the possibility that the two might be related. Although a symptom that has re-ocurred on my cars but not my Saturn is a bad CV joint Which will do things similar to what you are relating. If that is the case, replacing a half shaft is pretty much a dog job. Something that can be done by a shade tree mechanic and some tools. I usually buy a rebuilt one from the local autoparts store.
I use CarQuest but NAPA and others are just as good.
And that may be the problem. Shimmy and shake with out the clunk in my case has been tires.
The belts would slip and deform internally making the tread lumpy. This can usually be diagnosed by jacking the car up so you can spin a tire and then taking your hand covered with a cloth towed between it and the tire tread feel the surface as it goes by. The towel magnifies the feeling so you can feel the deformity if there is any. But you have replaced the tires. I assume that means new good ones, not old lumpy ones from your stack behind the garage.
Buy a service manual, about $25.00 if you don't already have one.
Basically the objectie is to pull the hub and what ever is required so that the half shaft will come out of the bearing in the steering knuckle and then slide out of the transaxle.
Fluid leakage is minimal if any.
To do that requires getting enough parts disconnected to allow the splined portion that drives the front wheel through the hub and then slide the half shaft out of the transaxle.
Rust and tools are going to limit the availability of doing things different ways. Many times I unbolt the lower control arm from the chassis so it will drop down rather than try to disconnect the steering knuckle from the lower control arm. Difficulty with rust and tools forces that method which is usally not the one in the manual.
Of course, going back together will require an alignment but it probably needed one anyway.
Either way works, what works for you works and it is doable even if you learn new swear words.
And no, if one is bad I do not change both.
usually I can only afford one!
And if it ain't broke, I'll fix it later when it is.
The other option is to pay some one else to do it.

 

It doesn't click or clack at all it just clunks when you start it (its a manual transmission so not when u shift it into gear but just when you start it) .....

 

It doesn't have to klick and klack. A single clunk is enough along with the vibration etc.
I have probably lost and changed a half a dozen. And I can not rmember that they all sounded the same. Similar maybe but not the same.
Kinda like universals, if you have never lost any of those. I have had drive shafts fall off un-announced at one end of the scale and at the other end, vibrate and rattle.
CV Joints can do the same thing.

 

Mears, I would agree that the axle is a good place to look for the low speed shake. You did not state if you got 4 new tires or just a couple of used tires. Rotating tires always helps narrow the problem down if it is a tire problem. You said that you feel it on the driver side, so swap your tires around and see if the problem relocates. As far as a "clunk" on start up, go under the car while it is cold and knock that catalytic converter around with a blunt object... if it sounds like a can full of marbles, a bad cat is probably your problem. A simple tire balance problem can explain the 55mph+ vibration. I'm in the same boat with the axle though about the low speed shake. I have had axles cause the same problem without noise or any visual defect... if the axle checks out, I hate to say it, but check for excessive play in the inboard axle cup (that meets inside the tranny). A little play where the axle ties to the tranny is ok, but that sucker shouldn't be able to move up and down, or side to side to much (3/4 in or more).

 

the single clunk at startup -- if NOT coming from under the hood-- might be the exhaust thwacking off the underbody at startup ( check the muffler strap and the hanger by the cat -- give the whole exhaust a jiggle and ensure that it is firmly attached)

 

Well the clunking at start up has stopped... they were brand new tires in September and were recently rotated so the shake at 55 could be because they arent balanced right.... still dont know about the shimmy at low rates of speed but I guess that is now my husbands coworkers problem as he bought the car the other day on a spur of the moment sale (everything I own is for sale for the right price - and I doubled my money on the deal ) he knows about the shake and he is going to deal with it now!
thanks everyone for your suggestions!

 

Congratulations on your financial increase. Tell hubby's co-worker to stop by the Forum here, and let us know what he finds .......

 

and the startup clunk stopped because...(?) Inquiring minds want to to know

 

Thanks and will do!