Nonstop Suspension Noise
 

So my car has had a creak in it for a little while but nothing major, just every once and a while. Yesterday I gave Liz the car to use and the creak turned into a full blown non-stop noise. It sounds like something is almost rubbing. It got so bad I didn't even want to drive it up the mountain, so it is sitting at the bottom of Mt. Rose at Raley's. Does anyone have any ideas?

I sent Robby a pm to see if we can tear it apart in his garage, but no answer yet.

Need to know more.

Wheel or engine speed related, or neither? Louder in left or right turns?

Louder under braking?

Describe the sound or take a cell phone video of it so we can hear it.

Common things it could be:
Rock stuck in or bent dust shield(s)
Sway bar bushings needing lube
Wheel bearing
CV Joint. (Are the boots ripped?)
Lose caliper
Frozen caliper or piston

Its worse turning left than right
There are no dust shields up front so thats out

The sound is just like a halloween creepy door at super slow speeds, but as the speed increases it turns into a higher pitched whine.

Its not louder under braking.

When it is making the noise, if you put in the clutch, does it go away? Based on what you said so far, it doesn't.

My bet is Right Front wheel bearing or CV joint. The former being a known issue and the later if you cut the boot at some point.

The bearing is easy to check. Jack that corner up and wiggle the wheel. If there is play top to bottom, it is almost definitely the bearing.

If that isn't it, for the CV, check the boot. If it is cut/torn, the CV has probably been contaminated and has worn.

Sounds like a wheel bearing to me too. But I haven't ever seen a CV go, so I'm not sure what they sound like... but I would expect a clicking noise rather than a squealing.

I'd guess wheel bearing. Like Scott said, CVs usually click.

If you're coming to the meet this week, I can take a listen dude!

I just fixed a new clicking I heard on the way to work this morning...my lugnuts were loose. :eek:

hes coming to my house at 4 today so if you want to come and help us you should since i dont like wheel bearings and do not have the means to pack them.

I'll be there shortly after 4:00, but without a replacement bearing, it isn't going to get fixed tonight.

And I think there is a trick to the front bearing requiring a press and seals, etc...

Depending on how bad it is, it may have taken the spindle with it.

I vote Wheel Bearing. I had one go dead not long ago...right Cory? hahaha.

Yes Matt, VERY dead! :lol:

Yeah, the bearing WILL require a press, and some new seals are GREATLY recommended. There's really no doing it without a press tho, and you'll have to pull the entire knuckle out of the car to do it. I've hardly seen any that are just starting to make noise that have taken out a spindle like Dean suggested tho. The way they're setup, that's not usually the case.

OH, and I won't be able to make it tonight, I'll be fixing Jeremy's wife's Nissan after work today...












or so he thinks... :twisted:

we decided on wheel bearing. theres no play in the wheel but manually spinning it you can hear it grinding. so whenever nick gets the parts we will tear the hub out take it to cory and get it all spriced up and back in. :)

Cool! Lemme know! If you guys pull the knuckle, and just bring me it and a new bearing, it only takes like 10 minutes to press the old one out, and the new one in!

And for reference, most of the time when Subi wheel bearings go, there is no play in them, they just growl, so that sounds about right.

thats exactly what its doing.

perfect... I will have parts tommorow, but I gotta find a time when I can come down, tommorow is out I have class til 5, thurs I have class til 5, friday is a potential because I only have work and could be down at Robby's by 3:45

friday should be good. like i said theres those two evo guys that may be around to change tranny fluids i will see what time they will be there. hopefully will get them done before your car.

Dean put the jinx on you guys! Even as ruined as Matt's LR bearing was, I haven't seen one chew up the hub like that! :eek:

Luckily, Lithia's parts dept. had a new hub in stock for it, which was another bonus seeing how one of Nick's wheel studs was broken too... Got it all pressed together, and they're probably just about wrapped up with the whole ordeal as I type!

we have been done for about 30 minutes actually. :)

that hub was ridiculous.

More than ridiculous.... Cory should post a picture of it if its still around

It's still around... at Nissan. Monday at the earliest.

yeah, I think whenever Dean says "its probably a wheel bearing" a little fairy visits your car at night and makes sure that a bearing is bad.

no the bearing we knew was bad. it was so bad it destroyed the entire hub and we had to go to lithia and get a new one.

There is a reason why the hubs and knuckes are in stock.... I hate to say it but we go through them ALOT!!!!

Cory, you must not have seen my hub after I ruined a wheel bearing at Thunderhill... looked like the Lunar surface.

Glad to hear the car's all sorted out!