Suspension creaking
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Suspension creaking
Recently my rear passenger side is starting to make a loud creaking noise every time i go over even the smallest bump. I put in Bilstein Sports about 1k miles ago and everything was fine. I removed the wheel today and inspected all the arms and joints, plus the shock. Everything is bolted down correctly to spec. Did this last week as well and sprayed everything down liberally with wd40. The noise is still there and I cant figure out what it is despite having my brother pushing the rear down with the wheel on and me looking like an idiot trying to "hear" where it's coming from. Anybody have a clue? It's embarassing and worst of all, I can hear it ALL the time in the car. It has z51 with lowering bolts, pilot sports, and 45k miles. Thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
From: Alhambra Calismognazifornia, in the country everyone comes just to complain but won't go back home!
check your sway bar bushings and end links? i've read this is more of a problem of aftermarket sways if you don't tighten them adequately but who knows???
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 3,326
Likes: 0
From: Taylor TX
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Originally Posted by cmeflyby
check your sway bar bushings and end links? i've read this is more of a problem of aftermarket sways if you don't tighten them adequately but who knows???
What happens is the paint on the sway bars rubs off and then the bars rust. Then the bushings creak against the corrosion. Remove the bars and bushings and inspect.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,347
Likes: 4
From: Slidell La
Originally Posted by lotzahp
What happens is the paint on the sway bars rubs off and then the bars rust. Then the bushings creak against the corrosion. Remove the bars and bushings and inspect.
99 Nassau Blue
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Found it. While I had the car jacked up and looking around, I noticed that the sound would go away when I held the bumpstop to the bilstein sports securely. This lead me to believe that the bumpstop was rubbing up against the bumpstop plate. Took the shock off and flipped the lower bumpstop over so that the tapered end was facing down. Also greased them up. Shock back in and no sounds. Bet the dealer would've spent many hours trying to diagnose that one. 
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,328
Likes: 3
From: Las Vegas Nevada
Had the same problem on my 97. The rear sway bar squeaks inside the bushing.
This is how I fixed it, without jacking it up or taking off the bushing brackets:
-Get two zerk fittings (the hammer on type) - either 1/4" or 3/16"
-In the center of each bushing bracket, drill 1/4 or 3/16 hole (to fit the zerks you got) ONLY through the bracket, angled down slightly facing the rear
- Next, use a 1/16" drill and drill through the bushing itself (centered in the zerk fitting hole) until you just touch the sway bar
- Blow off all chips
- Hammer on the zerk fitting
- Using a grease gun with SYNTHETIC grease, pump in a SMALL amount of grease into the fitting
- Drive with no noise
This is how I fixed it, without jacking it up or taking off the bushing brackets:
-Get two zerk fittings (the hammer on type) - either 1/4" or 3/16"
-In the center of each bushing bracket, drill 1/4 or 3/16 hole (to fit the zerks you got) ONLY through the bracket, angled down slightly facing the rear
- Next, use a 1/16" drill and drill through the bushing itself (centered in the zerk fitting hole) until you just touch the sway bar
- Blow off all chips
- Hammer on the zerk fitting
- Using a grease gun with SYNTHETIC grease, pump in a SMALL amount of grease into the fitting
- Drive with no noise
