Strange noise in suspension when cold outside
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,233
Likes: 21
From: Baltimore suburbs Maryland
Strange noise in suspension when cold outside
...alright got a strange noise when it is cold outside and the car is on its "upstroke" like rising from a bump. It sounds like a crunching type noise, almost like when the air spoiler bottoms out but not really. When I jacked up the car and it was cold in the garage, it also had a creeking sound, so I think it is related. I checked everything I could easily see and touch. The springs are not broken or delaminating. All bolts appear to be in tact and not loose. The sound goes away/gets quieter as I start driving, probably cause the suspension is "warming up" if you will.
My suspension setup is like this- FE1 springs, Bilstein sport shocks, OEM bushings, Hotchkis sway bar. OEM bushings. Car has 115K miles. Suspension parts have maybe 40K or so.
Help!
My suspension setup is like this- FE1 springs, Bilstein sport shocks, OEM bushings, Hotchkis sway bar. OEM bushings. Car has 115K miles. Suspension parts have maybe 40K or so.
Help!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 9,369
Likes: 4
From: Zephyrhills, Florida
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Mine did the same thing....Get some sort of dry lube in a spray can. I used dry superlube. Get in the little areas around the bushings etc. and mine went away!
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 262
Likes: 1
From: St. Petersburg FL
8th Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
My 98 is doing the same thing. I did the sway bar thing and that wasn't it. I think I've narrowed it down to the front ride height adjusters. There are large screws with about a 1 1/2" diameter rubber head that screw up into each end of the front spring. These are the adjusters that a lot of vette owners use to lower or raise the front of the car. The rubber end rides on the lower a-arm and I believe the noise is coming from this spot and varies based on temperature, dirt that maybe gets in there plus the wear on the rubber. The bad part is that I went to the dealer the only way they can provide a new adjuster is with the spring! You can try jacking up the front of the car by using a block of wood on the spring such that the weight of the car is sitting on the spring and this will let you actually move the suspension away from the rubber adjuster and put a light amount of grease under there. It helped mine, but didn't cure it. I'm still looking for some way to replace the rubber adjusters.
Just Passin' Thru
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 236
Likes: 1
From: Diboll TX
Mine wasn't the same sound you described - it was more like a squeaking. But it only happened for the first few minutes after I started the car cold. And it seemed to be suspension related as even little bumps would trigger a squeak. I couldn't figure it out for quite a while.
But then one weekend, I was under the rear-end to top off the diff and tranny (slow leak on the seal between them). I happened to put a little pressure on the muffler and it made the squeak. Turns out it was the exhaust system hangers. Then, it made a lot of sense because that would be one of the first things to warm up (and stop squeaking).
Good luck on isolating it - that kind of thing can drive ya batty....
But then one weekend, I was under the rear-end to top off the diff and tranny (slow leak on the seal between them). I happened to put a little pressure on the muffler and it made the squeak. Turns out it was the exhaust system hangers. Then, it made a lot of sense because that would be one of the first things to warm up (and stop squeaking).
Good luck on isolating it - that kind of thing can drive ya batty....
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Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,233
Likes: 21
From: Baltimore suburbs Maryland
I havent gotten around to busting my noise but DANG this morning with it at 7 degrees if I HIT THE GAS on 5th gear the small motion of the car raising up caused the front right to creek!
As for the "dry lube" what did you use?
As for the "dry lube" what did you use?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 9,896
Likes: 1,836
From: Hot Springs AR
The best way I've found to do this is to unscrew the adjusters out of the spring (usually have to disconnect the sway bar and lower shock bolts to do this). Then go to your local hardware store (Home Depot for me) and get some neoprene plumbing caps the right size to fit over the steel plate on the adjuster. Cut off the old bushing and glue the cap on using some RTV.
That all being said, I don't know if that'll fix your noise problem.
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
That all being said, I don't know if that'll fix your noise problem.
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 9,369
Likes: 4
From: Zephyrhills, Florida
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 14,542
Likes: 5
C'mon guys, this has been around for years.
People used to complain when they hit a speed bump and it was cold outside.
It's the swaybar bushings.
Hotchkis tend to be more noticeable.
Ignore it.
Don't go looking for something to fix.
People used to complain when they hit a speed bump and it was cold outside.
It's the swaybar bushings.
Hotchkis tend to be more noticeable.
Ignore it.
Don't go looking for something to fix.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,233
Likes: 21
From: Baltimore suburbs Maryland
It must be the Hotckiss I put that on earlier in 06. The car's been daily driven since 2002, so that's the only thing thats changed. Its hard to ignore, its REALLY loud. 
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,312
Likes: 70
From: Clearwater FL
Sqeeeekkeee
Good morning from cool Florida,
Chances are the polyurethane bushings are the culprit. Hotchkis bushings have a tight fit which is good but when it's cool the bushing to bar tolerance shrinks or closes to the point they may make noise. The spray lube is a quick fix but the lube does not get to all of the fiction surface. The better way to address the issue would be to remove the bushing and apply a Teflon type grease or a marine grease to the pivot area. Certain spray lube can brake down the poly over repeated use.
The spring adjusters could have debris in the pocket as well as being dry..
I would clean the pocket area but only use a very small amount grease just in the contact area of the adjuster. grease will retain debris and accelerate your wear in the pocket area..
With respect to the control arm bushings if they have moved/walked out of the arm to the point of causing the squeak then they should be replaced for they are causing more problems than the squeak..
Food for thought..
Good luck...
PL@Vansteel
Chances are the polyurethane bushings are the culprit. Hotchkis bushings have a tight fit which is good but when it's cool the bushing to bar tolerance shrinks or closes to the point they may make noise. The spray lube is a quick fix but the lube does not get to all of the fiction surface. The better way to address the issue would be to remove the bushing and apply a Teflon type grease or a marine grease to the pivot area. Certain spray lube can brake down the poly over repeated use.
The spring adjusters could have debris in the pocket as well as being dry..
I would clean the pocket area but only use a very small amount grease just in the contact area of the adjuster. grease will retain debris and accelerate your wear in the pocket area..
With respect to the control arm bushings if they have moved/walked out of the arm to the point of causing the squeak then they should be replaced for they are causing more problems than the squeak..
Food for thought..
Good luck...
PL@Vansteel
