cheekoo

Hey All,

I hear some squeaking noises whenever I apply brakes to stop or drive slowly over a bump. Heck even if i press the front part of car by hand, it does some squeaking noise.
It seems like front suspension or shock absorbers to me.
Any ideas?

TIA

TunaTheFish

Are you on OEM suspension?

cheekoo

yes. All OEM.

Skirmich

Bushings?
Shocks are highly unlikely to make sound.. Suspension is just a metal spring which itself cannot make sound..

cheekoo

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ght=suspension -> can that be the issue?

@skirmich.. i don't know.. any tips on how to shortlist the problem?

Skirmich

Ball Joints do make clanking sound when going over small bumps (Being there, Done that) but At hand push I dont think they should make sound..

But you should know more! How much time since you replaced your ball joints? how about Shock Top Hat? I dont know your maintenance History so Im only guessing here TBH.

cheekoo

I don't think any of these been replaced yet.
2000 TL with 135k miles

cheekoo

stealership wants 79.99$ for diagnosing the issue

Skirmich

WoW 14 years with Stock Ball Joints!.. Get them Replaced ASAP I can Guarantee you they are Done for by Now..

Dont pay Stealership! Go to a Pepboys or a Kragen with Susp Shop they should make a Diagnose sometimes for free.

TunaTheFish

Pepboys +1

BuffaloGreek

I had the same issue on my 2000 TL-P. I heard it everytime I went over a bump. I even put some dents in my fender pushing on the car, to show a friend the sound it made

Anyways, I replaced sway bar bushings for under 10 bucks, and really simple to do.

I would try that first as it's cheap and easy.

I later got the dents worked out of the fender

cheekoo

@BuffaloGreek - lol @ dent in fender. I will watch out for that

Will go to pepboys tomorrow morning. talked to them, the guy said they will charge 20 bucks for inspection, which is neat compared to 80 at stealership.
Once i know whats the problem, will report here and take it from there.

thewrangler99

Les Schwab does free brake and suspension check!

3.2TLc

Yeah, if you're still all original with suspension, it's due for a inspection.
Could be a dry worn bushing, ball joint or end link somewhere in the front suspension.

cheekoo

So I went to les Schwab first - they told me I need to replace all 4 struts. And it will cost me 529 for 4 struts and 168 for labor + 84 for wheel alignment. 834 in all with taxes.

Thought of taking second opinion, and went to pep boys. they atleast lifted my car and a guy did some inspection. They told
1. Ball joints I should replace now. He showed there was some play there..
2. Sway bar frame bushing - I should do it soon. As it generally goes bad with time.

ball joint - 64 (part) + 235 (labor)
Bushing - 36 + 170
+ alignment
= 748 total.

I have no idea what to do now, replace anything or both or none.

Although at Pepboys, there was no squeeking noise coming from front. I test drove with the mechanic and tried hard braking and driving over bumps - nothing at all..

Any suggestions, please??

cheekoo

any DIY possibilities?

Skirmich

Yah If you could only save the Labor on Struts with DIY. I usually just leave Aligning (Only Becouse of Machine) and Do my Struts myself.

You can DIY the Sway Bar Bushing is not that hard (Time Consuming yes, but Not Hard at All).



Basically you Should really Start to Learn to DIY becouse it Seriously Lowers the Maintenance Costs of the TL.

3.2TLc

Yeah, DIY can save ya a bunch.....when compared to the hourly rate charged at these chain stores. Also, the parts are the suggested retail pricing. These guys always find other things to jack up the bill and profits !

If unable to do this work yourself, you can still save money by checking part prices at a place like Rockauto.com, buy quality brand parts at a discount and then have a friend or small local repair shop do the labor work of installing these parts at a great savings.

cheekoo

thanks for your responses. so, which part should i change? struts, or bushings or ball joints?

I have done smaller DIY's like spark plugs or brake pads. But this stuff seems hardcore to me

Skirmich

Dont do Ball joints First without Struts or they will be Damaged in No Time.
1.- Struts 2.- Bushings then 3.- Ball Joints < In that Order.

3.2TLc

Hey Cheeko, do you plan on keeping your TL for awhile ? If the car is still in good overall condition, assuming that things like the T-belt service has been done and the tranny is good.....the suspension will require some attention.

If you're unsure of wanting to spend alot of money, try to isolate the source of the noise on a cold morning with the help of a friend pushing down on the car while you pinpoint the area where it's originating from. If ya find a spot where it appears to be coming from, spray some WD40 on the area.....if it quits squeaking, then ya know something is worn or dry.

If on the otherhand, you wanna hang on to your car and don't mind spending some serious money on PM, consider this an opportunity to upgrade your car's suspension for a safer and quieter ride. Perhaps even do a mild lowering for a better look. It's best to have most all of this work done at the same time to prevent duplication of labor involved. So, ya gotta ask yourself, Is the old gal worth another $1000 ????

cheekoo

yeah..thats a tough one.. checked kbb, and it says TL is worth 3400 or something..
spending a grand on suspension, and i don't know whats next.

cheekoo

i would love to keep it though. i love it when the car responds well to when i take fast turns, or push it hard on freeway ramps or when starting from a red light...
maybe i should write in utah (rocky mountain) regional forum if someone can help me do it and i can pay him something (not as much as stealership)