High-pitch squeak from driver-side front suspension.....

[Ohio 1989GT]

I have a 1989 GT with around 200k miles on it. The paint is tired and will be getting a repaint here in May. Over the past couple months i have had a minor squeak coming from the front-left - nothing too serious or noticeable. Then as I'm getting estimates for the paint, The squeak becomes very audible. It occurs whenecer I turn the wheel (even when sitting still) or pass over bumps. I have replaced all the shocks/struts over a year and a half ago with kyb's. I really would like to get this fixed as whenever I get out of my car (my whole 150 lbs.) the suspension squeaks.

Thanks for any help.

 

[HISSIN50]

check your spring isolators (rubber deals that go around the bottom coil - keeps metal to metal contact at bay, and the resulting squeak).

new poly ones are cheap, just kind of a lot of work to install.

good luck.

 

[DropTopR]

Check the ball joints too. If it squeaks when you turn the wheel when sitting still, your ball joints could be toast.

 

[Ohio 1989GT]

check your spring isolators (rubber deals that go around the bottom coil - keeps metal to metal contact at bay, and the resulting squeak).

new poly ones are cheap, just kind of a lot of work to install.

good luck.

Thats what I originally thought, but it squeaks when i turn the wheel sitting still. I took off my strut bolts on the top and greased the bushing and the metal piece inside it. This lessened the severity of the squeak, but it is still apparent. I should have checked the ball joint at the same time. How could I test this?

 

[Ohio 1989GT]

any ideas....

please help....

 

[speedytang]

It is your lower control arm bushings. It is a bear to remove the lowers because the bolt will be rusted into the arm so you will probably need to cut the bolt head and nut off to remove the arm then have the busings pressed out or torch the rubber then cut out the shell then have new bushing pressed in. Steeda I think sold urethane bushings that you did not need to press but you used the old shells, you just cleaned out the rubber and pushed the urethane ones in. I have replaced 100's of these bushings and it is not fun and none have been easy but it will take care of the binding squeek. I use urethane press bushings but would suggest finding the ones I mentioned above so that you do not need to run around having things pressed.
P.S. If you try to press the bushings yourself you will probably crush the control arm.

 

[Pod]

I've got a similar problem. Squeak from the front drivers side. This one only seems to squeak going over bumps or pushing down on the car above the wheel. It doesn't seem to squeak just be turning the wheel.
From the above posts, I'm guessing it's the spring isolators in my case?
As far as I know, the whole car is stock. I've only just noticed the squeak as you can't hear it inside unless the window is down and you're going slowly (5-10mph) otherwise the engine driowns it out. So I don't know if the squeak is new or not.

 

[udlooz]

squeek

sounds like your rag joint on steering shaft may be the culpret too sitting in car with car off turn wheel a little if it squeeks you found the problem

 

[Ohio 1989GT]

udlooz: It will squeak when The engine isn't running but you have to turn the wheel at least a 1/4 to 1/2 turn of the wheel. btw- where is the rag joint on the shaft?

Pod: i seem to have the same noise as you- but I cant barely hear it from within the car with the windows up off the throttle.

speedytang: could the problem be the upper strut bushing b/c it squeeks when I just turn it or could it be a combination of different things?

 

[Mustang John]

Yes, upper strut tower bushing can squeak when the steering wheel turns.

 

[Ohio 1989GT]

sounds like your rag joint on steering shaft may be the culpret too sitting in car with car off turn wheel a little if it squeeks you found the problem

Where is the rag joint at?

probably really easy isn't it.......

 

[HISSIN50]

rag joint is the universal-type joint on the steering shaft, no.....

 

[udlooz]

yes the rag joint is the u joint on the steering shaft

 

[Ohio 1989GT]

thanks for all the help guys- I don't think its my rag joint b/c it only squeaks at certain points. I took off the upper strut bolt and the metal sleave was pretty rusted. so It looks like im replacing my upper strut bushings........or is there some sort of lubrication I need to do?