Squeek in the front suspension

1TallMF · May 23, 2006

I've been having a squeek in the front end for a couple weeks now, I only hear/feel it when the front dives a bit and springs back up after coming to a stop. I can also push up and down on the front fenders and I can hear it squeek quite loudly. My question is that I've noticed that my sway bar bushings (stock rubber) are a bit worn and cracked last time I was under the car. Could worn sway bar bushings cause the squeek that I'm hearing? Just wondering if any of you guys have had this before and what it turned out to be...

HISSIN50 · May 23, 2006

I was thinking more along the lines of worn spring isolators or strut bushings. About any bushing that moves under compression of the suspension could be doing it, as could that large mouse that lives under your car.

I'd have one person push on the car to make the noise while trying to hear it from underneath.

Good luck and bump.

LoudToy958 · May 23, 2006

By what your describing, I'd bet sway bar bushings. The best way to find out, is to remove them, clean them up and grease them. Nice thin coat all the way around. If that stops the noise, you can leave them, or replace them.

Or, you can just replace them alltogether, and save yourself from having to do it twice, but it does sound like sway bar bushings to me.

1TallMF · May 23, 2006

Sweet, I'm hoping thats what it is since they are easy to get to, I'll probably just replace them and see what happens. However if it turns out to be the spring isolators, any ideas how much they run? I'd just go for stock rubber ones since I'm not in the mood to wait for shipping for a polyurethane set. For some reason I'm thinking they're not cheap. Nothing up here is cheap

spock2001us · May 23, 2006

I've gone through the squeek thing....it is so embarrassing when it happens. On mine, it was the ball joints, but they squeeked all the time especially when turning the steering wheel...(not just when bouncing up and down).

On a different car, it squeeked badly when bouncing up and down and it turned out to be the bushings in the front and rear control arms....which were a total pita to replace.

The sway bar bushings are cheap, $20 or so for both sides and simple to replace...so I would start there, after that things get a lot more involved...not real expensive for the parts, but a lot of work.

The Green GT · May 23, 2006

This is WAYYYY of topic, but one time a friend of mine had a truck that was doing that and he knows NOTHING about cars. I told him it was his double sippie-cups and he went to autozone and asked for some new double sippie-cups.

Man I wish I could ahve cought the dudes reaction on camera.

1TallMF · May 23, 2006

Some people are very gullable, its just too hard to resist.

Well, took the car for a drive to the parts store this afternoon, and had to order the sway bar bushings, they're $13 (CDN) each so I'll start with that and hope for the best. On a side note, I had a nasty surprise when I looked under the car though. Last night I was coming back from a two hour road trip when I ran over a dead racoon in the middle of the road. I didn't have time to swerve to avoid it so it passed right under my car and hit the k-mamber brace at about 70mph. Needless to say, there was alot of furr and red goo under there I'll need to power-wash that before I work on it

I just thought I'd share Sorry to those eating dinner at the moment.... I won't bother with pics of the carnage.

94tang · May 24, 2006

went thru the squeaky stuff myself.....turned out to be a bad ball joint which actually broke on me.....luckily i was just moving the car around at home and not on the road....that what have sucked many times over!

1TallMF · May 24, 2006

After listening to it a bit more yesterday, I'm thinking its the swaybar bushings, because it makes no sound when I turn, and its only when the suspension loads or unloads on a bump or when breaking. I had my ball joints and whatnot checked and regreased on a hoist last week, so those check out, and my tie rod ends are brand new. I haven't ruled-out the spring isolators though. Anyways, I'll get 'er done on the weekend and hope for the best. Thanks for the help guys

HISSIN50 · May 24, 2006

If you think its the anti-sway bar, check the end link fasteners. The poly ones on my fox vert like to loosen up - when I back up or go over a speed bump, I hear a metallic click. That tells me that I need to snug the nuts back up.

STANGateURlilSS · May 25, 2006

i got to say that when i first bought my 95 cobra.. that thing squeaked like no other.. all the bushings were rotted.. and when i replaced the stock springs.. i did not install spring isolators.. and the car never squeaked.. from what your saying to me it sounds like the bushing or the endlinks..

1TallMF · May 26, 2006

Well, I had a chance to check everything under the front end today and it seems my ball joints are whats squeeking. They feel nice and tight, but they squeek when they move. This sucks. Why did Ford have to put non-greasable units in there Anyways, I might just go with the 03 Cobra front control arms upgrade rather than just change these suckers out. Would penetrating oil be able to quiet these things down in the meantime?

Methodical · May 26, 2006

1TallMF said:
Well, I had a chance to check everything under the front end today and it seems my ball joints are whats squeeking. They feel nice and tight, but they squeek when they move. This sucks. Why did Ford have to put non-greasable units in there Anyways, I might just go with the 03 Cobra front control arms upgrade rather than just change these suckers out. Would penetrating oil be able to quiet these things down in the meantime?

Go with the 03-04 control arm (Summit Racing). Probably cheaper but more work if you do it yourself (do price comparison). I installed them on my ride when I did the coilovers and 17X9.5s tt - No rubbing at all.

spock2001us · May 26, 2006

1TallMF said:
Well, I had a chance to check everything under the front end today and it seems my ball joints are whats squeeking. They feel nice and tight, but they squeek when they move. This sucks. Why did Ford have to put non-greasable units in there Anyways, I might just go with the 03 Cobra front control arms upgrade rather than just change these suckers out. Would penetrating oil be able to quiet these things down in the meantime?

I tried to oil and lube the ball joints, but I could not get them to shut up....so I finally replaced them. They are cheap, maybe $30 each or so, but a pita to remove and install. Looking back, I should have bought the Cobra arms (with the ball joints) and just replaced them. I tried to replace the bushings in the stock arms, but I could not get the arms off, the bolts are rusted and frozen inside of the bushings....someone told me to use an air-hammer, but that is another project.

1TallMF · May 26, 2006

Yeah, figured as much. I won't waste my time crawling under there to try and oil them up then. I'm placing an order on the cobra arms next week in that case. Might not get a chance to put them in until July 1st though, apartment living sucks ass without a garage

HISSIN50 · May 26, 2006

I agree - get the loaded arms.

The factory Ball joints actually do pretty well (I'd bet you got some decent miles out of yours) but when the ball and socket start to get some slop, that's it. And this can lead to squeaking.

Good luck - oh, does Aaron have a garage? If not, wait till he's gone and drive your car into his place and work in his living room.

1TallMF · May 26, 2006

HISSIN50 said:
Good luck - oh, does Aaron have a garage? If not, wait till he's gone and drive your car into his place and work in his living room.

Thats a pretty good idea!

Actually, he's told me that there's a fully-equipped military-use garage with hoist that all military personnel are allowed to use. I could always see if he can let me use it... If not, I'll just steal his military ID

LoudToy958 · May 26, 2006

1TallMF said:
Thats a pretty good idea!

Actually, he's told me that there's a fully-equipped military-use garage with hoist that all military personnel are allowed to use. I could always see if he can let me use it... If not, I'll just steal his military ID

Yeah, all the bases seem to have one. The here is pretty nice. They call it a Hobby Shop. Here they even have a full paint booth, media blaster, hydraulic press, and any other major tool you might need.

I was thinking, since your doing ball joints, you might want to look at your outer tie rod ends too. I had some sqeaking not too long ago, and it was a combination of the ball joints and tie rod ends. Mine sqeaked when I turned though. Not when I pushed on the suspension........

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