I have a "creak" in my front end that appeared today. It sounds like something rubbing, but it only does it on flat driving surfaces and DOES NOT do it going over speed bumps (WTF?)

I have brand new tie rods (all four) idler arm, ball joints, center link, rotors/hubs, pads, bearings, struts....what the hell is left??
I still haven't done LCA bushings (cos I really don't wanna! LOL) but they would make noise over bumps, not just flat surfaces right??

The only thing I may not have lubed enough is the ball joints but they shouldn't be moving at all if ur in a straight line, on flat ground.

Visually all looks well, as it should, it's all bloody new!

I am totally lost. Any input pleeeeeeeeeeeease?

 

Welcome to my world...

Does it do it when it turns or just in straight line?

 

Seems to do it straight OR turning...I wanna say it is the bearings as the symptoms suggest it is a problem in the wheel (def right side front)....BUT bad/dry bearing usually squeal right...this is more of a creak...

**describing sounds with text is always helpful!! LMAO**

I am gonna pull the wheel off when I get home, hopefully it will be something obvious...

 

I guess the fact that the noise is constant on flat ground means it MUST be bearings/hub/rotor/brake related...maybe the added presure on the spindle is enough to silence it for when I go over the speed bumps......now I am half expecting to see a broken cotter pin when I check teh spindle...at least that kinda makes sense.

Although I'd still expect more of a squeal....

 

Well I had the wheel off, no rub marks anywhere and everything is tight and where it should be. All pins are still secure.

I greased every zerk fiting on that side and sprayed the crap out of everything with silicone spray. No difference

I did suspect that it might be the poly sway bushings which I have been told can squeak but this is a pretty loud squeak, do they really squeak that loud?

If I push the front end up and down I can re-create the squeak, but when driving it does not make a sound over 20mph...

After several test drives after greasing etc it's still there. It doesn't seem to do it while cornering unless I am going very slow (it is really loud when I am making the slow turns inside the multi-story car park where I work, but it does it when going straight too...

Any suggestions other than the sway bushings??
(it is definitely a rubbery kind of squeal/creak noise)

 

I don't think it could be the sway bar bushings. I have them front and rear on mine I don't ever remember hearing them. Did you say that you could reproduce the sound by moving the wheel but without it rolling?

 

 

Only thing I can guess would be the bushings, wheel bearing, or something improperly installed (no offense).

 

None taken LOL The first thing I did was check all my work. Everything still looks good and I know it was all torqued appropriately and pinned etc. And all the "newest" parts have at least 1000 miles on them already before this noise so I think I am good there.

Looks like I can't avoid pulling that damn spring out and doing the LCA bushings

 

It's not that bad...after the 3rd time. I actually had mine apart twice before I finally got the bushings installed.
Just have some lub to put on the sides of the bushings when reinstalling. Makes thing much easier. And use good polyurathane lub one the bushings to avoid noise.

 

It's not the pressing in/out that bothers me, it's dealing with the spring, and I just got an alignment a few weeks ago ;(

 

If I were you I would try a sway bar bushing just in case. If you haven't done it in a while it couldn't hurt and its a lot easier than a LCA bushing.

 

I meant to grease the sides of them when reinstalling the actual control arm. I didn't re-allign mine afterwords. Not saying you shouldn't either, but I didn't. Doesn't really mess anything up just removing the control arm.... at least I hope. heh.

 

My sway bushings are already new.
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Ah ha...I was planning on not even removing the controla arm anyway, so I guess if I just drop the inside of the a-arm and leave the spindle end alone my alignmentshouldn't change much...

Thanks All

 

well, took me a while to reply on here but it WAS the sway bushings, I sprayed them with silicone a second time and the squeak eventually stopped (and I made triple sure the torque wasn't too high)

Still a bit shocked how loud they squeaked!!

 

Yea, My dad has an 81 z28 with all new bushings underneath it and it squeaked for a while until we greased them up. Doesn't squeak at all anymore.

 

My sway bar bushings squeak some, but not when just driving. I have to jack one end or the other up to hear them. Now, the a-arm bushings squeak on speed bumps all the time. Didn't use the right grease on them and it wore off.