Today in the extreme cold (25F, yes, that's extreme in Dallas) the front struts are groaning and creaking when turning the wheels at parking lot speeds, especially when backing up.

Is it a function of the adjustable suspension being allergic to cold?
Or is it something horrific?

 

Sounds like the helper springs rotating on the perch a common issue on p cars and coilovers in general.

 

Ahhh, you warm weather guys don't have a clue LOL. It's the bushings in the suspension system, urethane bushings get much harder in colder weather than rubber ones, most cars use a type of rubber, I believe our BS's come with urethane. You did not mention it but I'll bet the sound goes away after about 1-2 minutes of drviving and the suspension working....right? You should have heard the noises my Jeep (I have a 5 inch Sky Jacker lift with urethane bushings) was making yesterday morning when it was 3 degrees Another thing to keep in mind is the shock itself will act differently due to the colder temps, again once the shock gets compressed and cycles a few times it will heat up and get back to normal

 

I bet at that temp your tires are as hard and slick as a rock.

 

In my case it has nothing to do with the weather!
Correct. As soon as the first couple of groans & turns in the parking lot are complete, it goes away like magic.

SL2003, you can certainly notice the difference. They must be great fun in the snow!

 

Mine does not see snow, I own an new ML 320 cdi, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited and a Dodge Ram Dually for when the white stuff falls. I feel sory for anyone that has to drive and AMG or other high powered rwd car in the snow and ice. We got dumped on with about 5 inches yesterday and they are saying we are going to get another 4-6 tomorrow...ughhh

 

I hate duallys in the snow. I had an F-350 when I was in Jersey a few years back and that thing floated like there was no tomorrow in the white stuff despite weighing north of 9k empty and having 3k of cement in the back to try and make it stick some. What tires you got on the Wrangler, AT or MT- that thing will handle the snow for your no worries.

 

It's suppose to be sunny and 36 Friday and all the snow should be gone after rain and a hi of 41 on Thursday. I will be going down and driving the BS, see if the dealer wants to make a deal. So I can take it home and park it in the garage until the weather turns nice in the spring.

 

Interesting you mention that about duallys....I was on the grapevine this morn while it was snowing and very slick and my GMC 3500 with Michelin LTX AT's never lost traction in 4WD. Love my dually.

 

I run 35" Nitto Mud Grapplers on the Wrangler Unlimted, they are actually not the best tires in the world for the snow, the large blocks don't sipe enough. The ML is the best in the snow. I'm looking to add a Hummer H1 to the collection in the next week or two but I can't find a no/low milage white one so I might have to settle for a white H2 SUT.

 

Buy what they drive in parts of the world where if your rig quits in the wild you die. Get a Landcruiser/LX Lexus. I know it is not what the hip hop guys drive, which I think is a plus but it is the best built, quality 4 wheel drive SUV in the world.

 

I live in SOCAL and eventhough it nevers gets that cold here, I have the same noise coming out of the front of my car when the wheel is turned all the way to either direction. Of course only at or near start up. The noise does go away relatively fast, after the car is warmed up.

 

Glad the GMC is working out for you. I'm buying an 09 2500HD in the new year so sticking with SRW. If I towed though, I'd too go with a 3500 dually. I suppose the traction may depend on the whether the roads were gritted and the depth of the snow, or it just could be that the IFS GMCs seem to be much more rounded on-road than the heavy duty F-series trucks. 6.6D w/ally transmission I'm sure makes easy work of Grapevine.

Jim- I'd keep looking for that H1, if you've got the patience. I don't think the H2s stand up to abuse anywhere near as well and the Alpha H1s brought great power improvements to the turbo diesel.

 

Cruise set to 70mph and it never downshifts once going up and over the grapevine...amazing tranny.
RE the H2's....total junk IMO. Not to mention they have S10 tie rods that snap like twigs when shock-loaded - take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxrdwXXat14

 

I know H2's are not the greatest but I think they look cool and are decent everyday drivers and it should be able to haul my trailer to the local tracks when I don't feel like hooking up the big hauler. I located a 2006 H1 Alpha in white equiped how I want it, but it has 29k miles on it and they are still asking $81,000 for it. I'm obviously not against dropping the coin but the milage scares me a bit.

 

Those H1's are bad *** tough...but so slow they can't get out of their own way. Get a dually man. You could pick up a brand new 08 for next to nuthin...

 

I already have a dually (see above), I have a Dodge Ram 2500, I bought it with intensions of putting a plow on it to plow my shop and truck lots but never got around to buying the plow. I'm just not really a pick-up truck kind of guy. It will tow the hell out of my trailer, but I like a little more of a WoW factor with my every day drivers. I did have my shop guys pimp out the dually pretty well, I have a ultra low profile LED light bar on top HID headlights and replaced all the marker lamps with LED units painted all the black molding body white and put some new wheels and bigger/wider rubber on it.

Regular H1's are slow, but Alphas are not, the Alpha came with a 6.6 turbo diesel and Allison 1000...a little ECU tune and they are movin even quicker.