So I got a 2002 SS Camaro...I've had it for about 3 months now and little squeaks and rattles and vibrations keep appearing...just as soon as I think I get one solved another pops up...so here's the list

1. It sounds like a ball joint up front that sometimes squeaks going down the road and when I stop and get out of the car it will make a big squeak...but it's super inconsistent...it hasn't done it in a couple weeks but it always comes back...I greased it so any ideas

2. It's a high frequency buzz that sounds like it's coming from the rear hatch glass and sounds like a loose nut or bolt...happens cruising in 6th at about 70-75 then goes away...but only when I'm on the gas

3. Seems like the door lock sliders...you know the little red ones...rattle like crazy...ahhhhhh

4. A squeak that sounds like it's a rear shock or spring...I pulled down on the car when I was under it and I just couldn't pinpoint it by myself...I sprayed every bushing and shock end and spring with a ton of wd40 and it went away for like a day haha...(sidenote) passenger rear sits about an inch lower than driver...bugs the **** outa me...think it's related?

5. Car has aftermarket lca's and torque arm and panhard rod....the lca's and panhard rod have heim joints on the ends...when I go down my driveway (gravel) or a bumpy road sounds like the back of the car is falling apart...would stock parts alleviate this or just aftermarket parts with bushings?? I got the car with all these parts on it so don't know if when they were put on is when the problems started.

6. And at low speeds it sometimes feels like I've got a clunk in the steering

7. Passenger door speaker seems to buzz when a little bass hits it...that normal or it blown?

Well I guess that about sums it up haha...I love the car but I'm super **** about noises and rattles and this car is full of em...Any help is gonna be great

 

First of all, welcome to the Fbody - get used to the noises lol.

As for #2, I had a similar problem, I tracked it down to the spring that opens the rear hatch. I took it out, and now I use the key to open it lol.

good luck!

 

Thanks...now for the other ones....cmon people...make me have the first quiet fbody ever

 

If your super **** about noises you bought the wrong car. Mercedes S-series would be a better fit.

In the mean time:

#1 sounds like a dry sway bar bushing. Remove it and slather the inside with lithium grease. Might as well do both while the bar is dropped.

 

Yea...that was my next guess behind ball joint...thanks...keep em coming

 

#7. pretty sure only blown/busted speakers rattle/buzz.

 

3 outta 7....keep em coming

 

The door lock sliders should press into the metal rod. They are probably loose. Soundproofing and the black weather stripping placed strategically is your friend. I have no rattles whatsoever but I did sub frames early, stripped and soundproofed the whole interior, and dampened all the panels.

 

It got sfc's within a month of new haha

 

You do realize when you fix the 7 you have now... there will be more...??? Just my .02 ... I don't even bother with the rattles anymore... I just let the exhaust and the bass drown it out... Solution... get Lt's ORY and a Cutout... and 2 12's and forget about it...

 

I've got ORY and LT's and just a bullet muffler...these are just some loud noises that bug me...I can live with some of the small rattles but when my girl gets in the car I have to turn the radio down and the windows up...so all the noises drive me crazy

Anybody have any ideas about the panhard rod making so much noise on bumpy surfaces?? Is that kinda normal??

 

Go buy a VW.......

 

Haha...dude you hit the nail on the head...I've had tons of vw's...loved every one of em...I finally get something fast and new and the noises drive me insane...you have some you wanna get rid of??

 

Mine squeaked like crazy over bumps it was the control arm bushings

 

Gonna put some of my buddy's stock lca's and panhard rod back on there and see if that gets rid of the rearend death rattle

 

#2 Possibly a failing GM 10 bolt rear. Very common with M6 cars that have been run hard.

Pull the diff cover, clean and inspect the differential and gears. If everything looks good replace the cover and oil. (probably needed to be changed anyway)

Materials needed:
2 bottles of quality synthetic diff fluid (make sure it has lsd additive or buy some to add to the oil)
Diff gasket (or you can use RTV sealant)
Grease to coat both sides of the gasket prior to install. (makes the next oil change easier)

 

#3 there's a little piece of felt that is supposed to help with that but it may be worn. When you have the door panel off to tighten the slider/replace the speaker, you might replace that felt with something simmilar to take up the slack.

 

#4 When you lubricate the sway bar bushings up front, do the rears as well.

Check it out: http://syclone.motocrew.com/CG5/swaylube.htm

 

#5 Heim joints have very little play but they do rattle and sqeak when dry. Spray the jesus out of them with white lithium grease spray. This will be a constant maintinance issue if they get wet often.

I have some heim joints on my Jeep suspension. I'm going to try some of this http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/index.htm next time. It's sold at bike stores and is used on chains and such. It's a dry wax lube that protects and keeps dirt out of the moving bits.

 

#7 if you have an upgraded Monsoon system good luck. It sounds like the speaker is blown. The Monsoon system is an odd beast that does not directly work with aftermarket speakers. There are 3 solutions:

1. buy factory used speakers on e-bay
2. get a new head unit and rewire the car
3. Do a little electrical work on your new speakers.
Buy some 2 or 3 way speakers for the doors
the wires for the main speaker and the tweeter will go to a single plug
you will need to disconnect the wires from the plug and solder the plug from your blown speaker to the new speaker. The old plug will have separate leads for the primary speaker and the tweeter.
If you coppy the setup of the old monsoon speaker onto your new 2-way speaker you can use a standard 4ohm speaker.


The speakers behind the front seats are for bass only so just get one way speakers for those.

If you replace all those the next speakers to blow will be the tiny 2ohm tweeters in the rear. You can directly replace those with 4ohm after market units.