Intermittent Squeak from Left Front Wheel - Ideas?

[Eidolon]

I'm getting a random, rarely occurring, thankfully not very loud squeak from the front of my car. It sounds like it's coming from the driver-side front wheel area. It started up tonight in the 20-degree weather after I ran over a small piece of wood that kicked up and hit the underside of my car, giving me cause to tap my brakes hard. It went away after I slowed down a bit. I've had it happen without an episode of sudden braking, though, and in warmer weather.

But it sounds like that bike with the squeaky wheel you had as a kid: turn it upside down, spin the wheel, and *squeak-squeak-squeak* as it spins.

The dealer checked the LCAs and strut tower bushings last time I was in and said they were all fine. I pulled off the strut tower cap on the passenger side, glanced at the bushing, and it did look OK to me. I haven't pulled apart the suspension to check the LCAs myself.

Has anyone else gotten a squeak like this? Any other reasons you can think of for such a squeak to occur that I should check? Brakes? Bearing?

Thanks for the help, all.

[Chewy]

Take a picture of the top of your strut towers with your caps on... LCA's and radius rods have never made a squeaking noise on mine. ALWAYS a loud clunking noise.

I'd guess strut tower bushings and bearings. If they're stock, they're JUNK! Too soft for anything this heavy. Pedders units are MUCH better.

Chris

[Eidolon]

Drat, I thought I had a pic of them on my camera phone. I'll get a shot a little later today. The strut tower caps do look like they've risen; and judging from this post by TeddyInSTL, the rubber may not be visibly delaminating from the core, yet the bushings are still crushed.

I also found another spot a potential squeak may come from. Sliding the Vararam intake up and down atop the radiator produces a squeak as the hard plastic of the Vararam slides up and down on the front metal support of the radiator. The hood itself should hold the Vararam in place, though, and keep that from being the source.

[Chewy]

Drat, I thought I had a pic of them on my camera phone. I'll get a shot a little later today. The strut tower caps do look like they've risen; and judging from this post by TeddyInSTL, the rubber may not be visibly delaminating from the core, yet the bushings are still crushed.

I also found another spot a potential squeak may come from. Sliding the Vararam intake up and down atop the radiator produces a squeak as the hard plastic of the Vararam slides up and down on the front metal support of the radiator. The hood itself should hold the Vararam in place, though, and keep that from being the source.


Yes, I get NO squeaks from my vararam.

The stock bushings are a dual compound rubber whereas the Pedders are a single HARD compound rubber. They literally look identical to the stock units but are much longer lasting. Always replace with new bearings.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours... lol

Chris

[Eidolon]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours... lol
Chris

Ooooh. Deal!

http://eidolways.com/images/G8/struts/StrutCap1.jpg

http://eidolways.com/images/G8/struts/StrutCap2.jpg

[Chewy]

Are the tires pointed straight ahead?

Yours could be replaced. I'm not saying that it's the cause of the sound but it easily could be. Best bet is to have a friend or wife turn the wheel with the hood up while you listen to it.

Check this out... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnC2_a2QnF8

[Eidolon]

Watched the video, and the squeak doesn't sound quite like that. It's higher in pitch and occurs on straightaways with no sawing of the wheel.

In those pictures of my strut caps, the tires aren't pointed perfectly ahead. They're probably about 20 degrees to a side, since I just pulled into a parking space.

Still, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they were collapsed. They're the stock bushings and have 30,000+ miles on 'em.

Best part? I asked the dealership to check 'em when I had it in a little over a week ago and they said they were fine, that the black marks on the towers came from going over humps that unloaded the suspension and caused the caps to hit the towers.

[Chewy]

No matter the brand, the caps ARE there for THAT reason. It's the ONLY thing that keeps the strut from falling out of the car if you remove all of the lower linkage. When you lift the car they bottom out on the strut tower. Mine was squeaking because the Pedders strut was clocked incorrectly. Once they clocked it and re-replaced the bushing and bearing, it hasn't made a peep! LOVE IT!

It's a POS design IMO and the Camaro has the same one... BOO!

Chris

[Eidolon]

No matter the brand, the caps ARE there for THAT reason. It's the ONLY thing that keeps the strut from falling out of the car if you remove all of the lower linkage.
Oh yeah, I'm aware of their purpose. But I posited to the dealer that the rubbing came from earlier contact before the bushings collapsed because, before, the caps were always closer to the towers. They looked and said it was just bumps.