Squeal coming from front end
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Shawnee KS
Squeal coming from front end
So, here it is. Everything has been good until me and my dad tore into it a little bit a few days ago. We were planning on changing the sway bar, shocks, and coil springs. Basically we got ahead of ourselves and only ended up having time to do the sway bar and shocks after spending time trying to figure out the best way to get the springs out. We disconnected the tie rod on the passenger side and loosened the castle nut on the lower arm ball joint thinking we could just pop that out and drop the lower arm to get the spring out. I now know that we can't do it like that. I should've done some homework to be sure before, but oh well. The problem came when we buttoned everything back up. I drove it to help let the sway bar and shocks settle in. Now there is a loud squealing coming from the front end. Definitely the passenger side, but maybe from the drivers side too. When I turn the wheel back and forth like racing with slicks on, the squeal is only present when my wheels are straight. It goes away as I turn the steering wheel and weight shifts to the side. Looking for some suggestions on what could be the issue. Thanks in advance.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,116
Likes: 598
So, here it is. Everything has been good until me and my dad tore into it a little bit a few days ago. We were planning on changing the sway bar, shocks, and coil springs. Basically we got ahead of ourselves and only ended up having time to do the sway bar and shocks after spending time trying to figure out the best way to get the springs out. We disconnected the tie rod on the passenger side and loosened the castle nut on the lower arm ball joint thinking we could just pop that out and drop the lower arm to get the spring out. I now know that we can't do it like that. I should've done some homework to be sure before, but oh well. The problem came when we buttoned everything back up. I drove it to help let the sway bar and shocks settle in. Now there is a loud squealing coming from the front end. Definitely the passenger side, but maybe from the drivers side too. When I turn the wheel back and forth like racing with slicks on, the squeal is only present when my wheels are straight. It goes away as I turn the steering wheel and weight shifts to the side. Looking for some suggestions on what could be the issue. Thanks in advance.
Have a quick look down the side of the car and compare with the other side where the tires are pointing with a straight steering wheel.
Last edited by cagotzmann; Aug 19, 2013 at 07:50 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Tie rods fit into the "outer" holes for standard steering system; into the "inboard" holes for Power Brakes system.
If your car was working OK before this "adventure", the tie rods need to be installed in the hole where they came from....regardless of which should be correct for your car. That's how it was when the alignment was last set.....that's how it should be now. If it was in the wrong hole (in spindle arm), have it aligned again and ask them to put the tie rods in the correct holes.
If your car was working OK before this "adventure", the tie rods need to be installed in the hole where they came from....regardless of which should be correct for your car. That's how it was when the alignment was last set.....that's how it should be now. If it was in the wrong hole (in spindle arm), have it aligned again and ask them to put the tie rods in the correct holes.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Aug 19, 2013 at 08:10 PM.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Shawnee KS
I will take a look at the toe-in and toe-out. I suspected something to do with the tie rod we disconnected. I can't remember which hole we put it back in, but I know we matched it up to what the driver's side was. Thanks for the suggestions. Just so everyone is on the same page...it's not a squeal that would come from the tire(s). It's a metal squeal. I don't know if that changes any opinions or suggestions.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,520
Likes: 11
From: Hinckley OH
Did you tighten the castle nut that holds the hub on the spindle too tight. You should torque it to 12 lb/ft while spinning the hub to seat it properly. Then you back it off one slot in the castle nut so you can insert the cotter pin. When you are finished the hub should spin freely.
My first comment was based on me thinking it was tire squeal.
My first comment was based on me thinking it was tire squeal.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Shawnee KS
I was working on the drivers side while my dad put the passenger side back together. I'm positive he didn't torque it to 12 ft/lbs since I noticed my toque wrench never left it's case. lol. I finally get a day off of work tomorrow, so hopefully I will get some time to go out and check that castle nut. I will prob just break it loose and start over by tightening it to 12 ft/lbs and see how she does on a drive.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Shawnee KS
Got under the car earlier today and broke the castle nut loose and torqued to 12 ft-lbs. Worked like a charm. After that, I took it out for a drive and no noise whatsoever. I wouldn't have guessed that the castle nut would cause that much noise if it were too tight. Thanks for the direction in getting this taken care of. I really appreciate it. 
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