JantzenRX-8

iTrader: (9)

Over the past six months or so i've probably pulled the rear suspension out of my car 5-6 times. I can't remember when it started but some time during this time frame I developed a squeak which may or may not be related. It started squeaking when i had my Koni/S-techs in and now that I'm on JIC coilovers i still have the same squeak. It's getting worse too.

Symptoms:

• Sounds like a high pitch metal on metal squeak. Almost a chirp.
• Can range from a single squeak to a series of many squeaks.
• Coming from the rear of the car (sounds like the passenger side but i'm not 100%)
• Very difficult to tell if its interior or exterior. It's quite loud which makes me think its internal but the sound its making sounds like something that would be made by an external piece of the car. Plus a lot of the interior of my car has been stripped.
• Almost completely irradic. Does not follow wheel rotation or suspension travel patterns. If it does squeak because of bump in the road there is a slight delay between the bump and the corresponding squeak.
• Much worse at speeds less than 40 mph (40mph + produces 75-90% less squeaks)
• Is not necessarily worse when the road surface is worse.
• Does not necessarily get worse or better with weight transfer forward, backward, left or right.
• Seems to be worse when i first start driving and lessens as i put miles on

Things checked:

• Exhaust heat shield (by diff, drive shaft, intermediate pipe etc) - not touching anything, all bolts snug
• Jostled the exhaust every way i could and could not produce a squeak.
• Checked torque on all control arms, strut mounts, sway bar, end links, brake calipers/rotors etc
• Hit anything i could internal or external with a rubber mallet -- could not reproduce the sound
• Stood in the trunk, jumped up and down -- could not reproduce the sound.
• Heat shield above muffler has been removed for 2+ years, Nothing is touching up there.

Any ideas? I'm about to go insane tracking this thing down. It's so loud sometimes....

Razz1

All I can think of is coil strut.

Check our local form category and bring it to a club meet.

Sounds are almost impossible to solve over the net.

Wingznut

iTrader: (1)

And also in person, if they can't be easily replicated. When I was a mechanic, there was no worse job than trying to hunt down a squeak.

Have you tried hanging out in the back seat while someone else is driving, to attempt to narrow it down?

kma5783

iTrader: (7)

When reinstalling the rear struts did you make sure you transferred over the thin plastic film that goes between the strut and the body of the car?

As far as I know that film is there to prevents squeaks.

Spin9k

If it makes you feel any better, I've got a squeak there too, perhaps not identical, but could only tell if you posted a sound bite. Mine is evident when I have the back seats out and am going to track with junk/tires in the back seat and trunk. It's just a squeak, not a metal on metal knocking sound, pretty consistant. I've gotten used to it.

It seems to be over/near/around the passenger rear suspension area. There's no duplicating it standing still. Car has to be moving. It's not as loud as yours (apparently) but it does get annoying as it's the only squeaking in the car.

I think squeaks are a special thing. They result not from major movement, but from "just a little" movement between surfaces that are touching tightly, flexing weld joints, thing like that. Probably body flexing, things that are impossible to duplicate without the car in motion make it appear. With the interior back in, I don't really notice it, so it either stops or is covered up.

I've given up trying to find it, it's just part of its personality lol.

slvrstreak

iTrader: (3)

^^^this and check the suspension mounting points in the trunk
have you looked in the "rattle hunt" thread to see if anyone else has this
mine does the same thing with progress tech springs/D-specs...it seems the spring rate is too high for the d-specs and they loosen up every few thousand miles and I have to tighten them down
not enough to hurt anything...just enough to make that high pitched irritating squeak

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

when i read this thread title i thought it was about a certain spring cutting member here

JantzenRX-8

iTrader: (9)

Currently i do not have the plastic film on the top of the strut mount but the squeak is there whether its installed or not. Like i said, i've had my suspension in and out of this car a lot lately, i just happened to forget the plastic film this time but the squeaking started before that.

I've been meaning to have someone drive the car or ride in the back to help me listen for it but i just haven't got around to it.

After listening very closely the last couple of days trying to find more symptoms to post i've noticed it actually squeaks less on extremely bumpy pavement. There is a road i drive almost every day which is all broken up concrete and when im driving on it the squeak is dead silent. As soon as i get to the end of the road, stop, and turn on to smooth pavement it starts squeaking again.

Spin -- this squeak is not endearing... its infuriating! lol. This squeak cannot be part of the car's personality or im going to hate my car.

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

Are you sure it's not the famous rear windscreen squeak/creak/rattle?

slvrstreak

iTrader: (3)

mine does that one too
in the cold winter anyway

lta_ds_fs7

iTrader: (2)

I have the same problem...Mine has gotten progressively worse over the last few months...Stupid squeak >:l

JantzenRX-8

iTrader: (9)

I have a theory!

So today I decided it was definitely coming from the passenger rear strut. Just for kicks I removed the bracket that holds the top part of the strut mount to the chassis. I went for a small and careful drive around the neighborhood and at first I thought the squeak was gone but I soon realized it was still there but much quieter and less frequent. As soon as I re-mounted the bracket it squeaked like a banshee again. So I have a feeling its the top nut or part of the coilover adjuster rubbing up against something up there. To be continued...

JantzenRX-8

iTrader: (9)

^^ theory didn't pan out

took a quick cell phone vid so you get the idea.

JantzenRX-8

iTrader: (9)

Anyone?

I'm about to drive this thing into a tree...

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

I put a piece of tubing on the top of the spring where it touches the hat in my Right Rear....and it seemed to help when I had the JIC's.

Did you check the top rubbers where the shock rod mounts to the hat...that squeaked for me as well...bit of silicone on it helped diagnose it..then I took it apart and used some Prothane grease from the swaybars and it stopped

Digger1911

Pull up on the rod the rear seatbelt attaches, the rod flows at that connection.
wedge something under it and see what happens.

JantzenRX-8

iTrader: (9)

I got to the bottom of this a while back but i never posted. I just thought i would share in case anyone goes through the same excruciating squeak i did.

It took me such a long time to track this down because i was too stubborn to disassemble my coilovers. I was convinced it was something to do with how the coilover was mounted to the chassis, or the exhaust, or a broken weld or something. The last time i removed my rear coilovers i noticed one of the bolts which mount the upper mount (28-340A) to the chassis was loose. It looks like i cross-threaded it at one point and it worked its way loose. Obviously this was NOT good. After i removed the coilover i disassembled it from the mounting hardware. The bushings were completely shot and much more worn on the inside edge. After inspecting it further i noticed the collar (28-611) which centers the bushings was scalloped and it had clearly been rubbing on the upper mount. My theory is that the loose bolt allowed for some play which caused the bushing to wear on the inside edge. Once enough of the bushing wore away the collar could rub on the mount. To help confirm this theory, the other side, which was not stripped and firmly mounted did not have an unevenly worn bushing and no squeak.

I re-threaded the upper mount on the problem side and replaced all the hardware and bushings. The squeak is now gone. I hope this helps if anyone gets stuck in the same situation.