Squeaky C5 Suspension
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 55
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From: San Antonio TX
Squeaky C5 Suspension
Hi folks. 2000 C5; automatic with maybe 45K miles, garaged, maintained, down here in warm weather, driven more often on the highway on long trips than on grocery hops; never off-roaded; and it CREAKS and GROANS worse than my 1984 coupe with 96,000 miles (that sees more racetrack and dragstrip concrete than asphalt). This suspension is supposedly sealed and maintenance free; but it's embarassing to drive around what was $40K+ car just a few years ago sounding like that.
Other than replacing suspension components that should have a lot of life still in them, does anyone have any ideas?
thanks, Mike
Other than replacing suspension components that should have a lot of life still in them, does anyone have any ideas?
thanks, Mike
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Your sway bar bushings are dry... they have worn the paint off the sway bars and now rust has caused the sway bars to squeak like an old junker... remove the bushings. clean them or replace them, use some dielectric grease, do not use petro grease on these bushing...torque to the proper spec. this job is an easy DIY fix.. takes about an hour and a half the fisrt time.. about 45 minutes the second time..
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
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio TX
OK. I'll accept sway bar bushing noise. That makes sense.
I might do the best of both worlds. Pull the sway bar off and clean it, and maybe build a zerk fitting for future use.
Thanks everyone.
I might do the best of both worlds. Pull the sway bar off and clean it, and maybe build a zerk fitting for future use.
Thanks everyone.
