Front end creak - all of the sudden
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Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Northwest NJ
'90 300E Blk/Tan
Front end creak - all of the sudden
Thursday last week, I took my '90 300E in for a front end alignment because it was pulling. The front end made no noises, it just pulled a bit. The shop called and told me that the front end was fine, the tires were the problem. We had them put on a new set of Pirelli P40's, and sure enough, the front end was fine.
Saturday, my wife had the car and was driving over a rough stretch of road. When she arrived at her destination and had to turn hard left into a driveway, the front end made a creaking sound like all of the rubber steering bushings were suddenly dry. It only seems to do it when the car is below about 20mph, and it seems to eminate from the front left side. It is quite loud. If I jack the front left corner up and then turn the wheel hard left (or right)there is no sound. It only happens when it has weight on it.
I took the car an an hour and a half ride to a football game yesterday and when I left it was creaking. When I got to the stadium, it seemed to have stopped, but by the time I got back home it was doing it again.
I looked underneath and can't find anything to grease. The rubber seals on the link ends do appear to be weathered and flaking, but there is ample grease inside them. It has gotten colder here in the last few days.....
Has this happened to anyone before? What was the problem? It is hard to believe that all of the sudden all of the links ends have gone bad......
Saturday, my wife had the car and was driving over a rough stretch of road. When she arrived at her destination and had to turn hard left into a driveway, the front end made a creaking sound like all of the rubber steering bushings were suddenly dry. It only seems to do it when the car is below about 20mph, and it seems to eminate from the front left side. It is quite loud. If I jack the front left corner up and then turn the wheel hard left (or right)there is no sound. It only happens when it has weight on it.
I took the car an an hour and a half ride to a football game yesterday and when I left it was creaking. When I got to the stadium, it seemed to have stopped, but by the time I got back home it was doing it again.
I looked underneath and can't find anything to grease. The rubber seals on the link ends do appear to be weathered and flaking, but there is ample grease inside them. It has gotten colder here in the last few days.....
Has this happened to anyone before? What was the problem? It is hard to believe that all of the sudden all of the links ends have gone bad......
Last edited by Andy_M; Oct 15, 2007 at 02:47 PM.
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1994 E320 Dragon Wagon
I chased a phantom sound like that and the fix may surprise you. I had creaks and thumps coming from the front end. I could turn the wheels back and forth with no creaks. I bounced the fenders - silent. I placed a 2X4 board under the jack points and using a jack stand, as a fulcrum, lifted and bounced that car like a carnival ride. No sounds.
I read sway-bar bushings can be the bugger. Swapped out all 4 bushings and the car is fine. The center pair, attached to the body, can be lubricated with spray lube to test. The bar rotates and twists with applied torsion in turns or on broken pavement. The bushings will squawk under torsion conditions. You can't duplicate this with the car static in your driveway.
The wheel end sway-bar bushings get hammered out and the bar thumps when worn. Grab the bar and pull near the wheel. There should be no motion.
I read sway-bar bushings can be the bugger. Swapped out all 4 bushings and the car is fine. The center pair, attached to the body, can be lubricated with spray lube to test. The bar rotates and twists with applied torsion in turns or on broken pavement. The bushings will squawk under torsion conditions. You can't duplicate this with the car static in your driveway.
The wheel end sway-bar bushings get hammered out and the bar thumps when worn. Grab the bar and pull near the wheel. There should be no motion.
