Suspension Noises
#1
Suspension Noises
I was plagued with suspension noises last fall that have finally been fixed. I thought I'd share with you all what the problem turned out to be. The sway bar bushings (front and back) were the culprits. An application of waterproof silicone grease solved the problem. In tracing the problem I had Tarett Engineering supplied rubber boots installed on the drop link bushings. Although the drop links weren't the source of the noises, it was an elegant solution to a non problem. I would recommend these boots to prevent wear on the drop link bushings, if you drive in rainy/dusty conditions.
#2
Were these the stock bushings? Did you undo the sway bars to apply the grease inside the bushings or did you just smear it around the bushings?
Last edited by ruf_turbo; 05-02-2010 at 06:50 PM.
#3
I was plagued with suspension noises last fall that have finally been fixed. I thought I'd share with you all what the problem turned out to be. The sway bar bushings (front and back) were the culprits. An application of waterproof silicone grease solved the problem. In tracing the problem I had Tarett Engineering supplied rubber boots installed on the drop link bushings. Although the drop links weren't the source of the noises, it was an elegant solution to a non problem. I would recommend these boots to prevent wear on the drop link bushings, if you drive in rainy/dusty conditions.
#4
I was plagued with suspension noises last fall that have finally been fixed. I thought I'd share with you all what the problem turned out to be. The sway bar bushings (front and back) were the culprits. An application of waterproof silicone grease solved the problem. In tracing the problem I had Tarett Engineering supplied rubber boots installed on the drop link bushings. Although the drop links weren't the source of the noises, it was an elegant solution to a non problem. I would recommend these boots to prevent wear on the drop link bushings, if you drive in rainy/dusty conditions.
A reminder of how frustrating and tedious problems with modding could be (had this been stock, we would have dropped the car at the dealer with the instruction "fix it"), and the importance of having a good tuner.
#5
This was a hard problem to pin point, since the noises usually occurred only during warm weather (which we don't get much of here) and after the suspension "warmed up". This made it hard to reproduce the noises for a shop technician. When people ask what did it sound like, I can only say it sounded like the car was coming apart at the seams. More annoying than anything else.
I'm not sure if this was due to an improper installation or not, but my tech didn't charge me for the work, so I'm happy.
#6
Glad you resolved the problem. It's definitely a strange one.
#7
Trending Topics
#8
BUT WAIT! There is more. I just got back from a 1800 mile trip to the bay area via back roads. The noises are back in spades. I mean now it sounds as if the front end of the car is coming apart. Fortunately I was able to get one of my dealer's techs to ride with me in their parking lot while it was making all these weird noises. They think they have diagnosed the problem and I take the car in for repair this Thursday. None of the other "fixes" solved the problem.
I will post the next chapter of this saga after I get my car back from the shop.
I will post the next chapter of this saga after I get my car back from the shop.
#10
The latest suspect for suspension noises is the upper strut bearing. The mechanic found dirt and sand contaminating the bearing. He cleaned it up and lubricated it, and said that should do it. Removing and replacing the bearing would entail taking apart the suspension and a realignment.
WE SHALL SEE IF THIS FINALLY CURES THE PROBLEM.
The service adviser said both turbo's and GT 3's are subject to this problem. Seems strange to me that Porsche wouldn't have designed better protection for preventing contaminants from getting into the bearing.
WE SHALL SEE IF THIS FINALLY CURES THE PROBLEM.
The service adviser said both turbo's and GT 3's are subject to this problem. Seems strange to me that Porsche wouldn't have designed better protection for preventing contaminants from getting into the bearing.
#11
The latest suspect for suspension noises is the upper strut bearing. The mechanic found dirt and sand contaminating the bearing. He cleaned it up and lubricated it, and said that should do it. Removing and replacing the bearing would entail taking apart the suspension and a realignment.
WE SHALL SEE IF THIS FINALLY CURES THE PROBLEM.
The service adviser said both turbo's and GT 3's are subject to this problem. Seems strange to me that Porsche wouldn't have designed better protection for preventing contaminants from getting into the bearing.
WE SHALL SEE IF THIS FINALLY CURES THE PROBLEM.
The service adviser said both turbo's and GT 3's are subject to this problem. Seems strange to me that Porsche wouldn't have designed better protection for preventing contaminants from getting into the bearing.
#13
Thank you all for your inputs. First to properly clean the bearing may require its' removal, but if I were to do that it would make more sense to just replace it. Either way would require an alignment when the suspension was put back together. No one here suspects the shock absorbers themselves. (We have three cars here in the Seattle area all exhibiting the same symptoms with mileages ranging from 24K to 52K.)
#14
I have an identical problem to Larry's because mine is his Cobalt twin. I spoke with the service advisor at our dealership and he went further in telling me that the noises might have been magnified because of the fact that the aftermarket Bilstein coilovers uses aluminum mounting points as opposed to steel ones like the OEM setup. As Larry said, the noises exist in GT3's, etc but not to the degree in which we'd both been hearing. I also started experiencing the same noises after the very same 1800 mile (although mine was 2700 miles) trip that Larry went on. I'm taking mine in next week and I hope that cleaning/lubricating the mounts fixes the issues too.
#15
Is your suspension stock and what did the noises sound like? Occasionally i get a clunk from the front end but think it may just be the gt3 lower contol arms and the camber set up but am not sure. P dealer had a quick check last time car was in but says all is fine, nothing loose etc.