slowbra01 Posted August 19, 2012 Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 So the other day i went to Shark Valley here in the Florida everglades. Had a bike rack in the back with 3 bikes on it. On the way there, there was some construction. They laid down a series of rumble strips the first of which totally caught me by surprise. For those that don't know, rumble strips are pretty much portable speed bumps. Anyways, the first set was VIOLENT. Needless to say i was VERY slow on the remaining strips that i had to go over the rest of the day. On my way still to the park, i began to hear squeaking noises. Poked my head out the window and accelerated and decelerated to see if it went along the speed of the engine, thank god it didnt. It did squeek with the countour of the road. I could hear it best when between two walls or between cars, basically anything that would allow the sound to bounce back. I have to say though, it did not affect drive quality (as far as i can feel). Today, first thing in the morning i lifted up the front to see how things are looking underneath. In my head i think that something went loose when i went over those rumble strips. Can't find anything loose in the front. Have yet to look at the back. Problem is i don't trust my eyes. I'm not familiar with this car at all, or any car to immediately spot problems. I did pull and tug and push at everything suspension related and nothing budged. I'll try to make a video and post it up and maybe that would help in finding out what happened. For most, as long as the noises dont affect the ride, it's good enough. But for me it isn't. This is something NEW and is not normal and would LOVE to fix it! Please help and tell me what you guys think it could be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott87star Posted August 19, 2012 Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 Squeaks are related to elastomers (rubber, urethane) so suspect your suspension bushings and upper strut mounts. Are they still factory or has someone swapped in urethane aftermarket? The solution may be to pull it all apart and grease it well, urethane bushings are notorious for getting squeaky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowbra01 Posted August 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 I tried to get it on video for you guys. The first time around, i used a sealed case on the gopro cam and the sound was horrible. I changed cases and when i went out for the second run, the squeaking has drastically diminished. I can only hear it when im slowing down to a stop where the rest of the engine noise or wind does not drown it out. What the hell. The strut mounts are new as the previous owner changed them. Not entirely sure of what material. As of right now i can't say that i hear knocks or something loose or feel anything loose while driving. Just hearing the squeaks! What grease do i use? Seems like that would be a lot of work lol. I'll set aside some time and get it done when i can. I'm just glad that as of right now nothing seems loose. Any other ideas are certainly welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance_S Posted August 19, 2012 Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 Also remember your dealing with a 25 year old car. You don't know what's been done to it and what hasn't. Or whether the parts that have been replaced are correct. The answer isn't easy. Pull the service manual and get to know the car. The sound can be from dried out suspension bushings but there are 20 of them give or take. So it's best to continue trying to find the one making the noise. Park the car, get under it and have a friend push down on each corner of the car to try and isolate which corner is makin the noise, go from there. If you do plan on pulling the suspension apart to grease a noisy bushing, order new, they aren't that expensive and it's worth it, they probably need replacing anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caliber308 Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Check the Strut towers and Sway bar bushings. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott87star Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Marine grease or something else known to hold up well in water spray (unless you never drive in the rain). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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