Suspicious Front Suspension

M

mister_pond

Member
:
2003 Protege 5
Over the last week the front of my car has been creaking loudly when the car falls onto the suspension (speed bumps, rapid changes in road grade, etc.). My mechanic is away for two weeks so I want to hear what you think this might be before I take it to a local random mechanic (I don't have anything against them but I have issues trusting new professionals).

I've already applied a liberal amount of lubricant to my front bearings and the sound persists. Should I get this fixed asap?
 
Yes, check the endlinks first. If they are good and everything else seems nice and tight, check your PS motor mount. I was getting similiar sounds over speed bumps and some groaning when turning the wheel. Took it to three places and no one could diagnose it as the suspension was tight....but mount was torn to s***. Replaced it and no more sound.
 
Okay. I'll pop the hood tomorrow and tighten them up. I expect some audible stress because it's minus 15 degrees celsius fairly consistently here, but it sounds like the gates of hell opening. Otherwise I'll definitely check the mount. Thanks.
 
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The bolts may be tight, but the endlinks themselves wear out. Just because the bolt is tight doesn't mean they aren't the source of the problem. I would just consider replacing them, as it is an easy job and relatively low cost.
 
MazdaSpeeder said:
The bolts may be tight, but the endlinks themselves wear out. Just because the bolt is tight doesn't mean they aren't the source of the problem. I would just consider replacing them, as it is an easy job and relatively low cost.
Click to expand...

^^this....and if it is loose, it may be worn out to the point where you cant tighten it all the way. if you do swap front endlinks, get the ones from a 2002 ford escape. they're thicker and sturdier

Screenshot2012-08-12at120430AM.png
 
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End links do not cause squeaking they cause a clunk, grease your sway bar bushings or replace them

I've been dealing with it for a few years and I'm finally getting around to it, once it warms up it will stop
 
If I can't get my hands on a Ford Escape OEM part, what brands should I be looking at?

OEM Mazda
Mevotech
Beck Arnley
etc.

There's so much I don't know about cars - which is why I'm jumping into playing with mine. I ain't going to learn by watching youtube videos.
 
things it could be:

sway bar bushings
endlinks (as tweety said, that'll make more of a 'pop', than a squeek...)
Ball joints
upper strut mounts
control arm bushings or damaged arm entirely

thats about it, other than obvious stuff like a damaged strut assembly, broken spring, etc...those would be more noticeable than just a noise though...

its easy to test the end links and sway bar bushings...just disconnect both endlinks from the front struts...and drive around to see if there is any noise...if the noise is gone, the end links are toast, and the bushings probably need a little grease...at least replace the endlinks (brand won't really matter, all of them share the same annoying design, but i do agree that the 2002 Ford Escape units are a good upgrade)...and try to get some lubricant on the bushings (they're pretty deep in there, but you should be able to reach them...if you still have noise, you know its not the end links...

also, check the ball joints at the bottom point of the suspension (just behind the lower section of the front brake rotors)...that joint should have a thick rubber boot, that is in good shape...if its ripped or torn, or you can see grease coming out...you're getting somewhere...sadly though, the entire control arm needs replaced then...while the joint itself is pressed into the arm, its nearly impossible to find just the ball joint...
 
^very good advice - but because disconnecting the endlinks is such a beotch - just spray liberally with silicone grease and then drive/see if it fixed it.
 
How many miles/KMS on the car? Have the struts been replaced if they have.. when?


How EXACTLY did you lubricate the wheel bearings properly? That worries me...a little.
 
P-Funk! said:
^very good advice - but because disconnecting the endlinks is such a beotch - just spray liberally with silicone grease and then drive/see if it fixed it.
Click to expand...

My front links actually came off with very little effort at around 120K and re-used them. Still going strong at 170K....it's those damn rear links that suck a$$.
 
^^ i'm at 157,000 miles...and 2 of my 4 original end links remain...1 stock front, and 1 stock rear...both replacements were just straight up Napa links, as they had them in stock right when i needed them...

its just a BS design...all they need is a simple hex just inside the ball cup, flush with the sway bar... so you can hold the damn thing still..NOT some box end wrench around a bad allen key that strips out just by looking at it wrong...whoever designed that can gtfo...haha i hate those things...
 
Put the torch to it. The cups on mine were all plastic,.. it started to bubble, then just fell off. Then you've got the whole ball to get your vice grip onto.
I had a clunk in the rear end and didn't know where it was coming from. I just wedged a pinch bar in between the end link and some where and reefed a bit. The movement in the ball was obvious. The others had no movement. You can probably do that on even the sway bar bushing and definitely the ball joints. It might even squeak to let you know it needs some grease.
As far as which end link to buy,.. I'm gonna buy the one with grease nipples and a fat bar that connects it up (next time). I don't remember who made that one but I don't believe in "maintenance free non serviceable parts" if at all possible. (same goes for ball joints,.. my boots are shot but I got a grease needle that hooks up to a grease gun and squirted grease every where I could think of but I didn't think of the sway bar bushing The needle is sharp and is designed to poke through the boot to deliver grease to it. You can also cut the end of the extender tube that comes with a can of liquid wrench at an angle to sharpen it to get some lube on cables like the parking brake and others. You might have to start the hole with a needle so you don't rip it and let crap get in.)
I had a squeak that was definitely a squeak not a clunk or thud,.. a definite creaking sound (it was a different vehicle mind you) it turned out to be the bushing at the top of of the strut,... And how come nobody mentioned pushing up and down on each corner of the car when it's parked and try to locate the sound with the help of a friend,... That's right up there with kicking the tires on a new car.

This is what Rock Auto offers but only the fronts have grease nipples ??

MOOG Part # K80258
Front

CAD$17.25

It has what Installshield II said: "Wrench flats at the base of the stud allow for the use of sockets for easy installation."
But it's not the installation I care about I wanna be able to get the damn thing off.
 
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ccrunner2011 said:
How EXACTLY did you lubricate the wheel bearings properly? That worries me...a little.
Click to expand...

You don't, they're a sealed unit, you just replace them when they wear out,.. Same with the rear but you replace the whole hub assembly,.. way easier than the front. Lift up each corner of your car and grab the top and bottom of the tire and rock it back and forth then do that on the left and right of the tire to check for free play. (the service manual gets all carried away with that measurement, with a micrometer but if you give it a shake and you feel looseness then it's definitely time to think about replacement). On the front if you have movement left and right but not up and down it means there is slack in the steering linkage. The pinch bar can help to check for slack in the tie rod ends and probably just about any ball type joint you can find on the car as long as you can wedge it in there and get some leverage,... try different angles in case it's tight the way you're pushing it and it needs to go the opposite way..
(I had a Tracker with a full inch and a half of movement in the wheel,.. the only thing holding the entire wheel to the vehicle was the bearing, (it was huge though with half inch balls in it). If that bearing ever fell apart, the wheel along with the half shaft from the differential would have come flying off,... It didn't really have any symptoms, (Trackers are pretty sloppy vehicles though,... they invented the rollover) I was just lucky I decided to grab the wheel and give it a shake while I had it up)
 
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Yep, they will get loud enough to where it sounds like your runing super swampers and your ears are right next to them doing 80 mph
 
ccrunner2011 said:
That's my point....(boom05)
Click to expand...

OK now I get it,.. I had to re-read everything,... I thought you said how do you lubricate.....That worried me too.

He's probably got grease or WD-40 all over his rotors and calipers by now,... we should probably advise mister_pond to wipe that off.

I missed all the sarcasm,... pretty funny when I added it back in.
 
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