Car 'squeak'

[ex-Chinese Dave]

This is an odd one. I've just had a suspension refresh (4 dampers, springs, ARB bushes, top mounts, track and steering rod ends, ball joints) and the car feels great. There are no knocks or bangs and going over speed bumps etc sounds and feels like it should. But there is a squeaking/chirping noise that seems to come from the whole car. It only does it if the car judders or shakes. It is not from the engine or gearbox. It can do it at any speed but it needs the same conditions to make it heard. One time it sounds like its from the osf, the next from under the steering and sometimes it sounds like the boot is not closed and is wobbling. I'm guessing it's always done it and the new parts have made it more noticeable. I searched on CS going back years and I didn't find anything that related. The car has also just had an MOT. The only noise I can think is similar is from my mates 206 GTi and you can hear it when you lightly wobble the exhaust tailpipe with the engine off (I think the flexi joint on his exhaust is worn near the CAT).

Any ideas as to what it could be? It's not life threatening but it reminds you that your car is 21 years old!

 

[Advikaz]

Polybushes ?

 

[ex-Chinese Dave]

Do you mean from factory or if someone has fitted them?

 

[Robbie Corbett]

You just had a suspension refresh. Did they use polybushes anywhere.

 

[ex-Chinese Dave]

Ahh, no. Just factory spec ARB bushes at the front (4 of them).

 

[Robbie Corbett]

There are only two at the front, maybe your squeak is coming from the extras.

I would lay under the car and get someone to shake it about, often its the exhaust joint.

 

[ex-Chinese Dave]

There are only two at the front, maybe your squeak is coming from the extras.

I would lay under the car and get someone to shake it about, often its the exhaust joint.

I'm thinking the exhaust, too. It has a new hanger at the rear but the sound is like that of my mates car. What can be done if its that? (I can get under it neat week)

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Sometimes soft engine mounts mean the exhaust moves more than wanted.

 

[ex-Chinese Dave]

I rocked the engine hard in all directions and it's solid, no noises or anything. I've rocked all four corners of the car hard, with and without the handbrake on, and nothing. I've had the boot open and shook it in all directions, nothing. I've opened the doors and done the same without a squeak or knock heard. I've shook the exhaust in all directions without a peep. I've had the engine running and been on and off the biting point on the clutch without the sound being heard (sigh). I've driven down a road at 10 mph and turned the steering wheel left and right quickly and nothing. Going over speed bumps there's nothing heard at all. I think you get the idea.

But....

....when the body of the car shudders whilst driving over a hole or undulation I hear the squeaking. It's not loud but it seems to come from the corners (the wheel areas). I've had the suspension refresh as stated above. It almost sounds like it's the springs that slide a little in their recesses. Does that make sense? Should there be something between the ends of the spring and where they sit that prevents this noise, or is it just spring on metal with the weight of the car holding them tight? It's an odd one but I'm sure it can only be spring related (Eibach Sportlines are fitted).

 

[Mr Underhill]

Do your springs still have the coil isolators (plastic spring sleeves) intact?

They serve multiple purposes - mainly noise reduction - stops the metal on the spring tips and damper from coming into contact with each other. They also help with Vibration dampening, spring wear and corrosion.

 

[ex-Chinese Dave]

Do your springs still have the coil isolators (plastic spring sleeves) intact?

They serve multiple purposes - mainly noise reduction - stops the metal on the spring tips and damper from coming into contact with each other. They also help with Vibration dampening, spring wear and corrosion.

I don’t know but this is what I think might be causing the noise. I’ll have to get under the car at weekend and have a look. I didn’t have those on my list of suspension parts to change, so maybe they were not on the car when I had the work done.
Do you have a part number for these in case I don’t have them? And I’m guessing it’s a strip down of the suspension to change/fit these, right?

 

[Mr Underhill]

I don’t know but this is what I think might be causing the noise. I’ll have to get under the car at weekend and have a look. I didn’t have those on my list of suspension parts to change, so maybe they were not on the car when I had the work done.
Do you have a part number for these in case I don’t have them? And I’m guessing it’s a strip down of the suspension to change/fit these, right?

They usually come with the spring - see a picture of something similar. The factory springs had a clear piece of sleeve fitted both ends of the coil.

I have the Eibach Pro_kit springs on mine and they don't have them as standard, so i bought some plastic sleeves off eBay. Just to stop the end of the coil rubbing against the metal seats at the base of the damper.

Might not be that, but it's possible. And yes, it's a case of removing the damper from the hub and taking the spring off. Try spraying some WD-40 or GT 85 in between the spring and damper first. See if that cures it. If it does, invest in some of those sleeves.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Just for clarity, where the coil meets the damper - metal on metal - where i've drawn the red arrows. Spray WD-40 in there. Worth a try.

 

[ex-Chinese Dave]

I got secondhand Eibachs and they didn’t have any plastic on the ends.
Yes, I was thinking about some PTFE spare or similar to try first.
Cheers.

 

[ex-Chinese Dave]

So, today I jacked up the car and had a good look at the O/S/F suspension and bits. The noise seems to be coming from the front O/S as opposed to all four corners, which is what I thought was happening until recently. All very odd.
The chaps at Birchdown fitted my new suspension parts recently and I have 100% faith in what they did. Nothing looked loose, damaged or out of place. The secondhand Eibachs I bought were in good condition although they had a flat area where they had rubbed together previously (before I got them). I had bought two cheap rubber sleeves that can be fitted around a spring without removing it from the car. I fiited one on the O/S/F over where the spring is flattened (about 2 coils up if you know what I mean) and then had a drive. It’s definitely made a difference in reducing the strange noise although not completely. It may be that I fit a sleeve that covers the entire spring again without removing the strut and dismantling it all. It’s all a bit odd but the noise can only be coming from the springs.