6 replies to this topic

[reggiethemini]

hi all,
i have a british open classic and have recently found a rather annoying creaking noise from the front of my car. it happens when i push the car or drive it. but when i jack it up and turn the wheels theres nothing? could this be my pot joints or is it worse??

reggiethemini

[03jkirk]

it could be coming from the suspention try greaseing the top arm, ball joints and remove the shock and smear grease all in and around the bushes at each end or replace these if they have worn out.

[reggiethemini]

i also suspected this, but in the last few days changed all cones and knuckle joints and fitted new shocks - what a total pig those cones are, even with the correct tool l!!
However - its still there, haunting me , like a bad dream.......

[03jkirk]

try puttin grease on the bolts that hold the shocks on and give the bushes a lil squirt with WD40 or somnthing as the rubber can move causein a creakin noise agasint the metal. and ensure all grease nipples have been grease put plenty in pushin out all the old dirty grease

[gus88]

Seized bottom arm bushes made mine creaky. Took some getting off, but all good now.

[jaydee]

Are you using poly subframe mountings?

[tiger99]

Siezed bottom arm bushes? They are rubber, so can't sieze. They deflect in torsional shear, and do not rotate on the shaft. But they can make a noise if they are failing. And only use rubber grease on bushes and cones, NEVER oil. Silicone grease is ok too, but it is best to never have silicones near your car if it is ever going to need a respray, as traces go everywhere and are a swine to remove. Halfords used to have rubber lubricant in aerosol form, which was ideal.

But I suspect the subframe mounts. If they are a mixture of poly and solid, or rubber and solid, the creaking is probably caused by structural cracking in the shell. If they are all rubber, I suspect that the toeboard mounts have failed. They always do, and it is not easy to spot, because the metal debonds from the rubber but stays in place. Best change the whole lot to solid, and improve the handling. If the toeboard mounts have failed, examine the bulkhead cross member, and the inner wings just ahead of the subframe towers, very closely.