Weird Squeaking Sound

[maximos]

Lately whenever I go over bumps and the like I can hear this squeaking sound coming from beneath my car. I can only assume it's suspension related but I have no idea what. Within the past few months I've installed Eibach springs, Koni shocks and struts, and Steeda C/C plates. When I took my car to be aligned they made a note saying that one of my ball joint boots was torn. Now I know that by itself means nothing, but a couple months ago I was driving on the highway at night and there was a black metal toolbox sitting in the middle of the road - I didn't see it - bent my wheel up pretty bad and I believe is the culprit behing the torn boot. Do you guys think the impact messed something up? Balljoint probably going bad?

 

[1TallMF]

Squeeking in the front end is a tell-tale sign of a balljoint going out, or at least a possibility. It took me a while to figure the squeeking I was hearing over bumps was a balljoint. My old one was still tight after it was taken off though, just noisy.

 

[saleenadam]

I had an ugly squeaking noise coming from what I thought was the suspension underneath the car on mine about a year ago everytime I hit a bump or rolled up and down the driveway. I jacked up the car countless times oiling things up and looked at the strut and shock mounts for quite some time before I found the problem. What it actually was is the two pieces of the metal body of the car rubbing on each other underneath the back dashboard between the back seat and the shocks inside the car. I knocked them around a bit with a mallot and never had the problem again, just a free idea for you to check.

 

[maximos]

I knocked them around a bit with a mallot and never had the problem again, just a free idea for you to check.

What did you knock around? I should also mention that this has become progressively worse since the night of the impact.

 

[saleenadam]

^I wish I could take a picture to show you the two pieces i'm talking about but my speaker box is mounted in a way that makes it impossible without a few hours work. But if you pull out the piece of trim that hides the shock towers the squeaking was coming from a couple of body metal pieces basically on the back of the rear seat. I found it just by pushing on everything until I heard the annoying noise and then hit the metal pieces until they didn't rub anymore anymore.

 

[maximos]

Did your sound seem like it was coming from the front of the car?

 

[xr8d302]

+1 for balljoint is pooched.

 

[Bosko5.0]

where does it sound like its coming from front/back. i know if you have a bad axle bearing it swqueaks alot.

Did you get any tools from the box?
hitting the the box wouldn,t tear your boot, but time will.

 

[maximos]

Unfortunately I didn't get any tools from it, it was a nice Husky black diamond plate one too. I tried to take it to Home Depot because it had a lifetime guarantee, but they wouldn't swap it out for a good one because I didn't have a receipt. As for the boot, I just figured that the impact moved the balljoint in such a way that caused it to tear. I'd like to replace the ball joints myself, are there any how-to's floating around?

 

[Bosko5.0]

me my brother and my dad replaced the ball joints on his 94 150 econoline van PITA getting then off we had to use a huge heavy duty vise to hold the ball joint puller/press(heavy duty c clamp) we had to use a 15 ft. steel pole just to get leverage for me(130) and my brother(145) both on it just to break them free, we even tried a 1/2" impact wrench at 175 psi that didnt work, the easest part was getting them back on oil the ball joints then press them in of course youll need a press .

but that was on a van so i dont know how hard it would be on a mustang also it would probally help to spray pentrating oil on them night before.


when i do myne iam just going to purchase some new control arms with bushings and ball joints all ready installed.


If you plan on doing them yourself good luck

 

[maximos]

So the balljoints are definitely getting replaced...Anything else that I should look at while I'm under there in case the BJ's aren't the problem?

 

[Methodical]

Maybe consider upgrading to the "03 lower control arms if you can do the work yourself. The cost of the new balljoints plus labor may be more than getting the '03 LCA and installing yourself. That means no pressing out old ball joints - just remove old lca and toss and install new lca.

 

[@smodeus]

I'm having that same kinda of horrible squeaking sound from the front end, and my mechanic says it's my control arm bushings that are shot. oh and my rack & pinon are gone too.