Listen to this sound please, suspension noise.

Burint · Burint's Garage

Hello,
My car is 1986, 930. RHD.
The squeaky noise occured after hard tracking or a long distance driving.
The sound was recorded at 5km./hour, coming from the gas flap side. (left side)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2n6y4_sound-squeak-930_sport
Could you please ID which rubber part is worn out?
Could it be the grease in torsion bar is dry out?
Thank you
Burint

tonythetarga · 07-29-2007, 04:29 AM

The grease on the torsion bars in the a-arm is just to keep them from rusting. The bar doesn't move but rather 'twists' as one end is fixed and one end moves as the a-arm moves. Having said that, the a-arms have bushings at both ends and they start off equally round. Over time the rubber "flows" and becomes less on the bottom and more on the top. If it gets too thin on the bottom, the torsion bar can rub on the inside of the a-arm and cause a squeek. This is fairly hard to determine without removing pieces.
It is possible that it could also be the sway bar bushings. The ends of the bar pass through a rubber bushing on the a-arm. These bushings tend to wear a hole in the middle and from visual inspection look OK as you see lots of rubber at each end. Try this simple test. jack the car so both front wheels are off the ground. Spray a lube into the sway bar bushings then lower the car and try your squeek test. If it is quiet, I would replace the sway bar bushings which is a LOT less expensive than the a-arm bushing replacement. If it still squeeks, I would replace the a-arm bushings with Elephant poly bronze bushings as you can grease those to maintain a quiet ride. They also maintain the torsion bar in it's centered position in the a-arm. If you go to this end, check the ball joints as well as they can squeek if the rubber boot is damaged and the grease inside them dries out and the joint gets rusty.

Burint · Burint's Garage

Hi Tony,
Thank you for reply, I see the picture clear now.
Burint

stlrj · 07-30-2007, 05:19 AM

My front end sounded just like that. Turns out it was the three 17mm bolts holding the front of the A-arm came loose and broke off the threaded inserts that they attach to at the pan. Each insert is only tack welded at two points at the pan so it came as no surprise that they would break off so easily.

Cheers,

Joe