****#x!*!Suspension Squeaks!

[Ironman88]

'87 Targa

Suspension squeaks are driving me nuts. Coming from the front.

I've used a good quality spray lubricant on the sway bar bushings. Still squeaking.

I can even get the squeaks to occur when I open and close the drivers door with the car parked in the garage. (Squeaks coming from the front suspension - not the door.)

What else / where else should I be looking to get at these varmints?!?

[Locker537]

Front control arm bushings? Mine squeak. It's a project for this winter.

[Ironman88]

Originally Posted by Locker537

Front control arm bushings? Mine squeak. It's a project for this winter.

...meaning that you're replacing them??

How many miles on your car?

[proporsche]

well? it is probably your torsion bar cap..it rubs against the alu.suspension piece..
here

[Locker537]

Originally Posted by Ironman88

...meaning that you're replacing them??

How many miles on your car?

Yes, mine have been squeaky for awhile. I can replicate the noise by bouncing the front end up and down.

Car has over ~120K miles, and lots and lots of track use. I'm pretty confident they have been replaced, likely more than once at this point.

[Locker537]

Originally Posted by proporsche

well? it is probably your torsion bar cap..it rubs against the alu.suspension piece..
here

Ivan - is this another good way to diagnose worn control arm bushings?

[proporsche]

yes......prior the replacement you can just lube this bottom part.. remember how many turns you do on the adjusting screw-mark it..
Ivan

[fanaudical]

What materials are you running in the bushings? Stock rubber? Polyurethane seems to squeak regardless of what you do...

[Ironman88]

Originally Posted by fanaudical

What materials are you running in the bushings? Stock rubber? Polyurethane seems to squeak regardless of what you do...

Stock rubber (original to the car when new.)

[Ironman88]

Originally Posted by proporsche

well? it is probably your torsion bar cap..it rubs against the alu.suspension piece..
here

Thanks. I'll start chasing this one down...

[hitch911]

I slipped a small metal shim under the torsion bar cap and the annoying squeak stopped. Also plan to replace bushings.

[smadsen]

You can't lube your way out of this problem. Well, maybe for a few miles.

I went Elephant Racing poly bronze 15 years ago. The front is easy DIY & you can do the rod ends & ball joints & service the steering rack "while you're there." Otherwise will go forth to eternity sounding like a Conestoga wagon rolling over the prairie.

[Ironman88]

Well, it's not the torsion bar cap. Dagnab it.

[Ironman88]

Originally Posted by smadsen

You can't lube your way out of this problem. Well, maybe for a few miles.

I went Elephant Racing poly bronze 15 years ago. The front is easy DIY & you can do the rod ends & ball joints & service the steering rack "while you're there." Otherwise will go forth to eternity sounding like a Conestoga wagon rolling over the prairie.

I may go the turbo tie rod upgrade route for that part of it.

I'll get this addressed one way or another.

[proporsche]

Originally Posted by Ironman88

Well, it's not the torsion bar cap. Dagnab it.

If not the cap most likely the bushing is worn and the torsion bar itself is rubbing -by now it lost its coating...before the big job, again you can remove the cap and slide out the bar .On the bottom you will see the shiny place where it rubs....apply some grease there...always remember where the adjusting screw was.....

Ivan

[gled49]

When the bushings wear the torsion bar rubs in the back of the A arm. Pull the front T bars out a couple of inches and u might see the paint rubbed off the bar, dry and maybe rusty. Grease it, reinstall and see if noise is gone. Of coarse the bushings are still worn out.

[Ironman88]

The car has low mileage - less than 20k on it. (All indicators on the physical car, as well as service documents etc suggest that this mileage is accurate.)

So based on that, it's hard to believe that the bushings could be worn out. Certainly the rubber has aged with time - no question about that.

The seller that I purchased it from had the undercarriage dry ice blasted. Perhaps that had some affect on creating some of the creaking - I don't know.

Colder temps here are no-doubt exacerbating the issue.

The car drives / handles just great - no issues. But the squeaks are getting to me...

[proporsche]

well ,next time start with this info that would help...also make a sound recording of the noise or video ..that would help too;-)Does the noise come when you push on the fender? try each side..or not?

Ivan

[Tyson Schmidt]

It’s not about mileage, but also age. The front bushings are a pretty soft rubber. The bushings near the torsion bar adjust are taking all the force is the torsion bar springing. The heavier later cars have it the worst.

[Ironman88]

Originally Posted by proporsche

well ,next time start with this info that would help...also make a sound recording of the noise or video ..that would help too;-)Does the noise come when you push on the fender? try each side..or not?

Ivan

Ivan,
When I push down on the driver's side front fender I can hear the squeak.

On the passenger side, when I do the same thing - no squeak.