Squeaky-squeaky!!
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 251
Likes: 4
Squeaky-squeaky!! So I'm kind of a noob with suspension stuff. But my car creaks like grandma jumping on an old trampoline with even the slightest movement. Both sides of the car in the rear. As far as I know it is all original parts. 2000 WS6 with 66k miles. It is my DD. I'm guessing it is my LCA bushings. If that turns out to be the case, what is my best option for new LCA's for a "fun" DD?
I was looking at the BMR BCA001. But do I want rubber bushings for ride comfort? Thanks guys.
I was looking at the BMR BCA001. But do I want rubber bushings for ride comfort? Thanks guys.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Before you go buying anything you can check a few things real easy.
Get under the car and disconnect one side of the rear LCA and swing it down, move it around with your hand and see if it makes any noise.
Another check is the swaybar bushings like already mentioned. Under the car again, unbolt the D bushings (the bushings that connect the swaybar to the rear axle) and then bounce the car with your arms and see if there is still a noise.
If its coming from the front do the same with the front swaybar and unbolt the D bushings that connect it to the body.
Get under the car and disconnect one side of the rear LCA and swing it down, move it around with your hand and see if it makes any noise.
Another check is the swaybar bushings like already mentioned. Under the car again, unbolt the D bushings (the bushings that connect the swaybar to the rear axle) and then bounce the car with your arms and see if there is still a noise.
If its coming from the front do the same with the front swaybar and unbolt the D bushings that connect it to the body.
A good sign your LCA bushings are shot would be if you drop the LCA down as described above and the bushing is loose/falls out of the arm. That shouldn't happen on a good rubber bushing.
Do a search on end link bushings.. That would be my first look on an F body when it squeaks. Open the trunk and push up and down. If you got the squeaks, then it's 99% the end links.
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None. I've have the poly sway bar end links for 8+ years, and still work fine. No squeaks. Actually was the first thing I replaced on my car when it had 20k miles. But it was 5 years old by then..
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Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: Long Island
I wouldn't rule that out so quick. My car used to creak from the back going up and down driveways until I replaced the LCAs and the panhard with poly/roto-joint versions. My car only has 68k on it.
A lot of times age will kill bushings too, not just mileage. The newest 4th gen is already 14 years old.
A lot of times age will kill bushings too, not just mileage. The newest 4th gen is already 14 years old.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 251
Likes: 4
Well, its been rainy and in the 30's, so I'm not working on it this week. I did notice that the noise goes away after a few minutes of driving in the rain, which makes sense I suppose.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 251
Likes: 4
Before you go buying anything you can check a few things real easy.
Get under the car and disconnect one side of the rear LCA and swing it down, move it around with your hand and see if it makes any noise.
Another check is the swaybar bushings like already mentioned. Under the car again, unbolt the D bushings (the bushings that connect the swaybar to the rear axle) and then bounce the car with your arms and see if there is still a noise.
Get under the car and disconnect one side of the rear LCA and swing it down, move it around with your hand and see if it makes any noise.
Another check is the swaybar bushings like already mentioned. Under the car again, unbolt the D bushings (the bushings that connect the swaybar to the rear axle) and then bounce the car with your arms and see if there is still a noise.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 251
Likes: 4
Well, you can keep your trampoline. 
I crawled under there and hit everything with silicone spray and it didn't help much. So then I got my stethoscope and crawled back underneath and put it on everything as I pushed the car up and down. When I put it on the bottom swaybar end link bushings...viola! I soaked the crap out of em' with the spray but no change, they still squeaked. So I think they are totally shot.
Now, for a DD should I just replace the bushings (http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=p...237&superpro=0), or get the whole kit (http://umiperformance.com/catalog/in...ducts_id=291)? Not sure what difference I'd really get for a DD over stock? Besides the cool-looking red bar factor...
I crawled under there and hit everything with silicone spray and it didn't help much. So then I got my stethoscope and crawled back underneath and put it on everything as I pushed the car up and down. When I put it on the bottom swaybar end link bushings...viola! I soaked the crap out of em' with the spray but no change, they still squeaked. So I think they are totally shot.Now, for a DD should I just replace the bushings (http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=p...237&superpro=0), or get the whole kit (http://umiperformance.com/catalog/in...ducts_id=291)? Not sure what difference I'd really get for a DD over stock? Besides the cool-looking red bar factor...
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Well, you can keep your trampoline. I crawled under there and hit everything with silicone spray and it didn't help much. So then I got my stethoscope and crawled back underneath and put it on everything as I pushed the car up and down. When I put it on the bottom swaybar end link bushings...viola! I soaked the crap out of em' with the spray but no change, they still squeaked. So I think they are totally shot.
Now, for a DD should I just replace the bushings (http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=p...237&superpro=0), or get the whole kit (http://umiperformance.com/catalog/in...ducts_id=291)? Not sure what difference I'd really get for a DD over stock? Besides the cool-looking red bar factor...
I crawled under there and hit everything with silicone spray and it didn't help much. So then I got my stethoscope and crawled back underneath and put it on everything as I pushed the car up and down. When I put it on the bottom swaybar end link bushings...viola! I soaked the crap out of em' with the spray but no change, they still squeaked. So I think they are totally shot.Now, for a DD should I just replace the bushings (http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=p...237&superpro=0), or get the whole kit (http://umiperformance.com/catalog/in...ducts_id=291)? Not sure what difference I'd really get for a DD over stock? Besides the cool-looking red bar factor...
So if you just want to get rid of the squeaks then just replace the endlinks, but if you want to improve the handling get both front (35mm) and rear (22mm) swaybars.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 251
Likes: 4
Thats a much bigger bar than the stock one, for balanced handling you will want to upgrade the front bar to match that one (a 35mm front bar will be ideal), otherwise the car will oversteer quite a bit when being pushed hard.
So if you just want to get rid of the squeaks then just replace the endlinks, but if you want to improve the handling get both front (35mm) and rear (22mm) swaybars.
So if you just want to get rid of the squeaks then just replace the endlinks, but if you want to improve the handling get both front (35mm) and rear (22mm) swaybars.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 251
Likes: 4
Well I replaced the endlinks with new ones (rubber ones). Still creaks just the same! 
I torqued down the endlinks quite a bit...maybe too much?
If I was smart I'd have checked if the creaking was gone while the endlinks were off, but alas, I'm not so smart... I'll try the "D" bushings next I guess.
I torqued down the endlinks quite a bit...maybe too much? If I was smart I'd have checked if the creaking was gone while the endlinks were off, but alas, I'm not so smart... I'll try the "D" bushings next I guess.
I didn't know endlinks squeaked... oh well it was worth a shot.
The sway bar D bushings are the most likely thing to squeak, my poly sway bar bushings used to squeak, I then greased them and the squeaks went away. Rubber is less likely to squeak than poly, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for them to not squeak either
The sway bar D bushings are the most likely thing to squeak, my poly sway bar bushings used to squeak, I then greased them and the squeaks went away. Rubber is less likely to squeak than poly, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for them to not squeak either
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 251
Likes: 4
I didn't know endlinks squeaked... oh well it was worth a shot.
The sway bar D bushings are the most likely thing to squeak, my poly sway bar bushings used to squeak, I then greased them and the squeaks went away. Rubber is less likely to squeak than poly, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for them to not squeak either
The sway bar D bushings are the most likely thing to squeak, my poly sway bar bushings used to squeak, I then greased them and the squeaks went away. Rubber is less likely to squeak than poly, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for them to not squeak either
You can't really torque them because you will just squish them like you experienced until you run out of thread. You just want them to compress just a little so there is no slack in the endlink.
Loosen them up.
Loosen them up.