Ok, well for the past week I have been hearing a squeak that is driving me nuts. I cant seem to pin point it, it doesnt happen all the time and only happens on the driver-side front. Right hand turns are usually the worst. I hear it more at slower speeds then higher. There is no vibration in the wheel, my first guess was the universal joint but it doenst make any popping noises or vibration. When i brake the noise changes tone. the pads and rotors are less than 10k old. Im due for my 60k right now, im sitting at 61K, almost have everything i need. Thought i would just wait till i got everything and make it a saturday thing. The best way to discribe the noise is a sqeaking shrilling kind of noise, as if you had a rock stuck in brake pad and you have a 1980 Cadillac with crappy suspension, and sometime it just sounds like a sqeaky belt (but its not). I am currently lowerd with Perrin springs. I have had the car for the last 18k miles never had any problems with it, nor have I ever had this noise come out of it. At a perfect standstill if i turn the wheel all the way over it makes a little bit of noise but nothing compared to what it sounds like when i turn. I have pulled the wheel off and checked the brakes, everything looks good there, checked the dust sheild as well, checked the top hat, and fluid levels on the brake. Im at the point I am about to take it to someone cause i honestly just cant put my finger on it. Does anyone have any ideas, or some pointers on where to start looking?
I checked for wear on the tophat, didnt see any. Ill check again tonight. I am fearful that is something like spindle or bearings.
i know you checked the dust shield but did you check it with the wheel on and turned completely to the right?
Nope, but I will be able to this weekend, ill have it up on the lift. I didnt however see any rub marks on the sheild, but that doesnt mean anything, it could have already been covered in dust or dirt or something. Has anyone experienced anything like this?
i have cause i had a stick come up and bend my shield and it only happened every so often when i turned and i only found it when i turned the wheel all the way... it was just close enough the fully turned and under a load or hitting a bump it would touch just enough to squeal/squeek.... just pushed it back a little and i was fine
Yeah, right. No thanks, if anything ill be raising the car from here. Its to low. I honestly didnt think they made springs this low, I guess I was wrong.
Ok, so I checked the bolts on the tophat. They are good and snug. I also pulled the cover off the tophat, exposing the bearings, and they look good as well. I checked the best i could without having a lift, didnt see anything stick or brush stuck up in the front end. After further investigating, I think i might have found the problem. Dont know how its possible, but when the wheel is cranked all the right, the balljoint is almost flush with the dust sheild. How much flex would you think would be in the tie-rod, or whatever you wanna call it, and the dust sheild? And should there even be flex.
So i have narrowed it down even more, but doesnt make me feel any more comfortable. The sound is not coming from under the driver-side front. Its coming from directly in the middle. I was able to get it to do the sqeaking nosie at a stand still turning the wheel left to right, all the way over. Is there anything in the steering assembly that could cause this?