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Ive got a creaky front end

easttorks964cab

Well-known member
Joined
2 Jun 2008
Messages
163
Hi guys,

just took the old girl out for the usual Saturday spin, now ive noticed she's creaking at the front. if you bounce the front end it creaks from both sides, but seems worst from the front o/s. ive not noticed this before. I noticed it just now when at very low speed.

any thoughts?

cheers
chris
 
Ive heard that it can be caused by droplinks being worn.
 
thanks for the input chris, I have the same car as you, a 1998 ocean blue c2.

any more thoughts to add anyone?
 
It can also be the coffin arm ball joint , the track rod ball joint .. ive had a shock absorber doing this .. a lot of things it can be so an easy enough check to figure it out ..

To check the o/s then wheel on a full right hand lock .. lay by the front wheel and put your hand on the coffin arm ball join .. get someone to carfully bounce the car .. obviously make sure your safe .

N/s and its a full left lock .

You will feel it in your hand if its that .. do the same with the track rod ball joint .

Shock is a bit harder as you can only touch the coil spring but also worth checking.

Sound vibrations will travel through metal so your after the strongest "feeling " you get with your hand on that component .. you can also hear better when your down there so that might be enough .


For drop links then the oposite lock from above ( you are at the back of the wheel not the front) .

If you cant bounce the car and lets face it the wings can be a bit soft then pull upwards on the wing .. you only need a small movement normally to get them to creak .
 
Brilliant, thanks Demort.....I'll try this. will it feel very obvious once ive got a hand on the correct part?
 
It does to me :)

Its about all you can do other than stripping off parts or useing something called a chassis ear but thats a lot of fafing about when the old bounce and feel test works .

Its hard to explain what you will feel but you will feel it .
 
thanks Demort, got ya. ive just had it in both locks and now I cant get the ***** to creak!! i'll see how it is after I take it for another spin.
 
lol .. thats typical .. you have a noise for ages but when you take it into the garage its dissapears and they cant find anything .. in this case then dont worry .. it will come back as soon as your not in a position to check it .. it always does !
 
I've found the standard grease in the coffin arm ball joints isn't particularly good and after a few years dries out or gets hot and escapes making the joint creak on full lock. If there is no play in it you can inject fresh grease into the joint with a syringe and needle.

Alternatively before you fit new ones strip the boot off and wash the standard grease out completely, fill them with Kluber Staburags NBU 12/300 grease, once fitted to the car coat the retaining nut and exposed thread of the joint with PCB lacquer. Every 50K miles or so clean and regrease them. They'll outlast the car like that as mine are currently on 106K miles and have no play at all. The PCB lacquer stops the nut and exposed thread rusting as it forms a water tight barrier over the fastener but is brittle enough that it doesn't jam the nut when removing it - this way the exposed part of the joint never corrodes.
 
Last Summer my car began creaking on hot days when I turned the steering, after I had parked for a while the problem would go away but would soon return = Coffin arm ball joints.

I injected silicone spray grease into the boots to confirm the problem but after a week the creaks would be back, as ppbb suggests, a better grease would have quietened things down for longer as the joints still seemed ok.

I elected to replace the coffin arms as they are not expensive however it's a slippery slope as you might as well replace A, B & C whilst you are in there and before you know it you've refreshed the whole suspension. Having said that though for a few days spannering and ~£1600 90% of my suspension is brand new and should give me years of enjoyable trouble free driving.
 
poppopbangbang said:
I've found the standard grease in the coffin arm ball joints isn't particularly good and after a few years dries out or gets hot and escapes making the joint creak on full lock. If there is no play in it you can inject fresh grease into the joint with a syringe and needle.

Alternatively before you fit new ones strip the boot off and wash the standard grease out completely, fill them with Kluber Staburags NBU 12/300 grease, once fitted to the car coat the retaining nut and exposed thread of the joint with PCB lacquer. Every 50K miles or so clean and regrease them. They'll outlast the car like that as mine are currently on 106K miles and have no play at all. The PCB lacquer stops the nut and exposed thread rusting as it forms a water tight barrier over the fastener but is brittle enough that it doesn't jam the nut when removing it - this way the exposed part of the joint never corrodes.
Great advice. :thumb:
 
ppbb, sounds like a good idea to keep the joint properly lubricated. Did you inject by puncturing the rubber boot as it seems like the only way in without dismantling the joint which I am reluctant to do until it is necessary!
Thanks
 
I used a pin to pierce the boot, it's rubber so the hole will stretch to inject in some grease, I then sealed with some rubber sealant to make it waterproof again.

I can't recall if you can disassemble and lift the boot, spare boots are available on eBay, but I took the easy route.
 
ian_alex said:
ppbb, sounds like a good idea to keep the joint properly lubricated. Did you inject by puncturing the rubber boot as it seems like the only way in without dismantling the joint which I am reluctant to do until it is necessary!
Thanks

Use a hyperdermic. It is thin enough and sharp enough that the rubber boot will seal again once removed, you can put a smear of RTV over it if required.
 
My front end creaking was due to failing top mounts. Once replaced the noise was gone.
 

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