Front suspensions noise

[Brent Lineker]

Hi All:I am having some noise that I am not sure what it is.There is a very loud squeak and or binding noise when I push down on the right front fender.This can also be felt and heard when driving It is worse when the ambient temp is high and doesn't seem to matter if the car has been driven or not.The shock seems to rebound okay,but there is some play as i can lift the front of the car about an inch or so after, with it squeaking both up and down.I suspect a bad shock or insert but would like a second opinion.The inserts are Koni and I also have a three piece camber cross brace installed,not sure if this affects anything.

[stlrj]

Ran over curb; front end damage

Chirping Sounds Driving Me Nuts!

[Brent Lineker]

Thanks for replying;The a-arms were recently off the car and cleaned up with the old bushings reinstalled,haven't done anything to cause any damage since,but I could check to see if the nuts have backed off since then.

[RWebb]

the old bushings are likely the problem - too bad you didn't put new ones on then

choice is either new rubber (factory or SRP)
or the Elph. polybronze bushings

[Brent Lineker]

I phoned the shop that did the work before I got the car and they said they had the go ahead to put new bushings in if required but they said the bushings were in good shape so they merely replaced them after sandbasting the holes and then greasing.I suspect it may be the rubber gasket in the strut receiver?that may be making the noise and causing the vibration or binding feeling through the a-arms and into the steering.Does this make any sense or am I way off base.

[tonythetarga]

A-arm bushings don't just come off for clean up and then get reinstalled. They have to be cut off and new ones put on or go with ER Polybronze. I presume you must be referring to the sway bar bushings, which are easily removed and replaced.
What year is the car?
Another possibility is that one of the torsion bars is rubbing inside the a-arm causing the squeek.
Try and isolate which side the squeek is on. If it is both, then get a bit of spray lube and spray the sway bar bushings and try to make the squeek again. If it is gone, you should replace the sway bars bushings.
Not sure what rubber gasket you are refering to in the strut, do you mean the rubber bushing at the top of the shock tower?

[Brent Lineker]

Does the strut insert fit with a gasket or such so that the oil does not come out?also this noise is really a lot worse when the outside temp is hot,when the outside temp is cool it almost goes away.The shop did tell me that the po had them take the a-arms off and sandblast the bushing holes and they replaced with old bushings,perhaps they were the aftermarket bushings to start with.The bushings look to me that they are just black rubber but I am a newbie.

[Brent Lineker]

I phoned the shop again and talked to the fellow that did the work,he said that the bushings are aftermarket and were a hard plastic so just cleaned up greased and reinstalled.

[tonythetarga]

OH. Well the plastic bushings are known squeekers. Lots of guys drill and thread in zirk grease fittings to keep them lubed. Might want to look at that.

Polyurethane A-arm bushings - are they really that bad?

[RWebb]

huh - I didn't know the car had the poly bushings in it. They were the thing to use a decade ago. But not today.

I plant to put Chuck's (Elephant) polybronze bushings on my street use only '73, Brent. My suggestion is to either do that or get new factory rubber or arms.

[Brent Lineker]

Thanks for all the replys,this is what the shop did suggest was to put some grease fittings in.Thanks...Brent

[stealthn]

Brent,

It's most likely the A-arm bushings, like Tonythetarga said try spraying some lube on them and try the push down test again. I replaced mine with rubber replacement ones, and within a week they were squeaking like a blowup doll. I drove me insane so I bit the bullet and got the Elephant racing poly-bronze ones. I wish I would have done this first.

Goood hunting....