Hi everybody

I need your help with a problem I have encountered with the right front wheel. When I turn into a parking lot making a sharp turn (left or right) a creaky noise comes from the right front wheel. You can hear the noise inside and also feel it at the steering wheel although it doesn't feel like the steering wheel is loose.

I have checked the wheel when I had the car up in the air and nothing is loose or makes this noise. Everything works fine even the steering column doesn't make any sound when turning the wheel. I have been at several dealers and nobody had a clue what could cause this strange noise.

Has anybody of you had the same problem or any idea what the origin could be? Thanks a lot for your help.

Best regards from Switzerland,
Andreas

 

The creaking is normally the front sway bar bushings. The bar and the bushings need cleaned and then a nice synthetic grease should do the trick.

If you need more information or help on how to do this, just reply back. This is an easy 20 minute job.

 

Hi

Thanks for your help. Since I have never done this I would be very grateful to you if you could explain this 20 minutes job in more detail to me - I will do it myself.

Thanks a lot for your kind support.

Regards,
Andreas

 

No problem.

Drive the car up on some Rhino ramps. There are 2 sway bar bushings and each has 2 (metri)bolts holding them on. You will want to look carefully at how the brackets are installed and especially how the rubber bushings are put on the bar and in the bracket. Once you remove the brackets, you'll see that the entire sway bar will drop down. The rubber bushings are slit on one end to let you take them off the bar. Clean the bushings in soapy water, rinse and dry. Clean the entire bar with WD40, etc and wipe clean. You do not want to get any type of solvent, like WD40, on the rubber bushings as it will break down the rubber over time. You will need synthetic grease/lube stuff to grease up the inside of the bushings. I personally have used a synthetic disc break grease that has a combo of grease, graphite and teflon in it, but most any thick non-solvent based grease will work. Apply thick and let it ooze out when you reinstall. You will need to evenly tighten both bolts so that the bushing aligns up properly in the bracket.

The only thing I'm not sure of is the torque rating for the bolts. I used 25ftlbs, however just post this question on the forum and somebody with a service manual should chime in.


----------- I just noticed you're from Zurich. If you don't have any ramps to drive up on, you can raise the front end with a floor jack and brace with jack stands. You can remove the swap bar bushings whether the wheels are loaded or unloaded, it doesn't matter.


[Modified by TexasRedZ06, 3:47 PM 4/2/2003]

 

43ft-lbs is the proper torque for those bolts.

Also, make sure BOTH WHEELS ARE THE SAME HEIGHT, or you'll get popped in the face because the bar will be twisted.

- C5B

 

Thanks....... I'll retorque mine this weekend. One day I'll have enough pennies saved up for a Service Manual :)

 

Thank you all very much for your help. I will try and fix the problem according to your instructions this weekend. I am so grateful to you guys since here in Switzerland nobody has really ac lue what concerns C5s.

Best regards from Switzerland,
Andreas

 

I have have taken away the sway bars and bushings and put on a synthetic grease as you recommended. The noise is now much less but there is still some creaky noise left. Do you have any idea what that could cause? Thanks a lot for your help.

Best regards,
Andreas

 

Well, I originally put a very light viscosity grease on my front bars and they still creaked. I then redid it with a thicker grease. Did you use a heavy synthetic grease like for front wheel bearings?? Did you put enough on there so it oozed out of the bushings??

You might also have the creak in the rear bushings. Sometimes its hard to know where the noise is coming from. Try greasing the rears also.

If you still have the problem, you might try removing them again, cleaning the bushings...... and let them dry completely and using a thicker grease.

Basically what your hearing is friction between the metal bar and the bushing. If the bar's coating is rough or if the bushing is defective you'll get the noise no matter how much lube you put there.