Noisy Suspension After Alignment?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 9
From: Charlotte, NC
Noisy Suspension After Alignment?
I just had two new tires put on the front Friday and had a (4 wheel) alignment completed too. Today is the first day driving the car since then and I've noticed a fair amount of noise coming from my suspension. Not just squeaking but groaning too. Curious if this is normal? I've never experienced this before.
I would like to crawl under there and take a look around, however, I don't get home from work until late and the car is my daily driver. Hopefully I'll have time tonight but was hoping a few people could reply with things to look for.
Car is a 2000 with 73k miles, if it matters.
Thanks!
I would like to crawl under there and take a look around, however, I don't get home from work until late and the car is my daily driver. Hopefully I'll have time tonight but was hoping a few people could reply with things to look for.
Car is a 2000 with 73k miles, if it matters.
Thanks!
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 731
Likes: 0
From: Calgary Alberta
Check your sway bar end links. They may have loosened them when they did your alignment. Also check to see if the sway bar bushings are sticking. Lubing the bushings up with either teflon or silicone grease should stop the squeaking.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 9
From: Charlotte, NC
Thanks! I'll check into that tonight.
After having a chance to listen to it again, it sounds like it could be my rear leaf spring as all of the creaking is in the rear of the car. I don't know much about the suspension so I'll just try to tighten everything I can find down there....starting with the endlinks!
After having a chance to listen to it again, it sounds like it could be my rear leaf spring as all of the creaking is in the rear of the car. I don't know much about the suspension so I'll just try to tighten everything I can find down there....starting with the endlinks!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 9
From: Charlotte, NC
I took a picture (below) and everything appears fine. I can see where the guy clamped on to some metal rod to adjust my rear alignment. Other than that, I don't see any marks on the other nuts/bolts. I'll try lubing stuff up and see if that helps tomorrow morning.
One question, in the picture my car is on ramps, with the suspension loaded. Should my spring hang down like that?
Thanks!
One question, in the picture my car is on ramps, with the suspension loaded. Should my spring hang down like that?
Thanks!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 9
From: Charlotte, NC
Just took the car for a spin after soaking everything down in silicone and it didn't seem to help. If I saw back and forth on the steering wheel I can reproduce the sqeaking/creaking sound. More of a creak than a squeak.
Any other thoughts?
Any other thoughts?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 21
From: Waldorf MD
You must take off the rear swaybarbrace and lube all surfaces that touch both the swaybar AND the bracket with silicone GREASE. Don't just lube the round inner diameter of the bushing. There are different torques to use, be sure NOT to strip any threads, you could be in a world of hurt if you do.
Tighten the stabilizer shaft insulator clamp bolts to 65 N·m (49 lb ft). Top
Tighten the stabilizer shaft insulator clamp nuts to 95 N·m (70 lb ft). Bottom
I would remove swaybar while car is on the ground. Shop Manual says you can jack up car.
For everybody's info, the front swaybar torque is: Tighten the stabilizer shaft insulator clamp bolts to 58 N·m (43 lb ft).
Tighten the stabilizer shaft insulator clamp bolts to 65 N·m (49 lb ft). Top
Tighten the stabilizer shaft insulator clamp nuts to 95 N·m (70 lb ft). Bottom
I would remove swaybar while car is on the ground. Shop Manual says you can jack up car.
For everybody's info, the front swaybar torque is: Tighten the stabilizer shaft insulator clamp bolts to 58 N·m (43 lb ft).
Last edited by Oldvetter; Nov 20, 2007 at 07:15 AM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 9
From: Charlotte, NC
Okay, I removed the bushings (those are the circular rubber pieces that wrap around the center of the swaybar and have a metal piece pressed on top of them that is bolted down?).
Pretty sure I stripped the threads on the upper driver's side. For whatever reason, I could not get it to smoothly thread back into the hole. It came out easy enough so I blew in air and cleaned the threads but nothing worked. Finally I just used some force and it seemed to work...however I don't think I should ever loosen that bolt again because I don't think it would be pretty.
We'll see how it works for the drive into work...speaking of which I need to hurry and get there!
Pretty sure I stripped the threads on the upper driver's side. For whatever reason, I could not get it to smoothly thread back into the hole. It came out easy enough so I blew in air and cleaned the threads but nothing worked. Finally I just used some force and it seemed to work...however I don't think I should ever loosen that bolt again because I don't think it would be pretty.
We'll see how it works for the drive into work...speaking of which I need to hurry and get there!
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 9
From: Charlotte, NC
Okay, there is no change to the sound. It is still there and very annoying. Makes my car sound like a piece of dog poop.
It seems to be coming from the rear wheel well. I'll double check the torque on the lugnuts, I didn't think they removed the rear wheels to do an alignment but who knows.
I also need to buy a 40 torx bit for the end links.
It seems to be coming from the rear wheel well. I'll double check the torque on the lugnuts, I didn't think they removed the rear wheels to do an alignment but who knows.
I also need to buy a 40 torx bit for the end links.
