Squeaking Noise...like an vintage baby buggy or bed springs

[mznobull]

Happy Monday!

I just noticed a squeaking noise when driving at lower speeds (10-40mph) with very minor bumps (like a parking lot) that sounds like a vintage baby buggy or a bed frame with springs. Before I head into a garage, I'd like to sound educated so I don't get taken to the cleaners...

Any ideas on what this recent noise is?

I have not hit any curbs or potholes...my '99 4R with 120k miles is my baby

 

[Gerdo]

Have you replaced any bushings with polyurethane? (like the swaybar)
They can get real noisy.

 

[shadow247]

Have someone bounce up and down on the front bumper while you lay underneath. You should be able to pinpoint the noise pretty easily. That's all a mechanic is going to do, and charge you 80 bucks an hour to do it at that!

 

[mcaz5]

^^Agreed. I had a similar noise and it turned out to be my sway bar bushings. Mine were completely split.

 

[mznobull]

Have you replaced any bushings with polyurethane? (like the swaybar)
They can get real noisy.

Front sway bar links were replaced @ 109.6k miles...is this the same part you speak about being a possibility?
Any chance I could hear the noise if I bounce on front bumper without someone under? It's only me with no help...

Also, if this is the problem...will this require an immediate fix or do I have a week to schedule appt with garage? I'm driving 50 miles/day and work M-F....the weekend is my next free time.

 

[shadow247]

It's probably the sway bar bushings. The links are on the outside and connect to the control arm, the bushings are in the middle of the sway bar and connect to the frame. Try shooting some WD-40 in there and see if it goes away. If it does you need new bushings.

 

[mznobull]

It's probably the sway bar bushings. The links are on the outside and connect to the control arm, the bushings are in the middle of the sway bar and connect to the frame. Try shooting some WD-40 in there and see if it goes away. If it does you need new bushings.

thanks for spelling out the difference.
Chicago is experiencing very cold weather (20-15F), would this have an effect too? If the WD40 doesn't work, do I need to rush to fix (don't want to get stranded on hwy) or do i have a week or so? Is this an expensive fix?

BTW...thumbs up on your signature line!

 

[shadow247]

thanks for spelling out the difference.
Chicago is experiencing very cold weather (20-15F), would this have an effect too? If the WD40 doesn't work, do I need to rush to fix (don't want to get stranded on hwy) or do i have a week or so? Is this an expensive fix?

BTW...thumbs up on your signature line!

No it won't leave you stranded. The sway bar is not an essential piece of the suspension. Cold weather can definitely have an effect. The rubber bushings get hard when it's cold and can squeak.

 

[mznobull]

No it won't leave you stranded. The sway bar is not an essential piece of the suspension. Cold weather can definitely have an effect. The rubber bushings get hard when it's cold and can squeak.

Thanks for your advice/help!!!!!!!!!

 

[theizzardking]

liquid wrench silicone>WD40...better yet lube it with something like this...
MOTUL Tech Grease 300

 

[Ron Helmuth]

see if you can narrow it down to the front or rear of the vehicle-I had something similar occur when my rear sway bar link was rubbing-it was just slightly out of round

 

[Buckaroo]

Agree with looking at the sway bar links (my issue was with the front). Could have broken, or if replaced recently, could be loose.

Good Luck...

 

[thor999]

I had that noise coming from a rear shock mount, but my vote is for sway bar bushing.

 

[masson74]

I had that noise coming from a rear shock mount, but my vote is for sway bar bushing.

Ditto for me. I sprayed it with liquid wrench. To diagnose it I let my 8 year old jump and down in the trunk area like crazy (btw he thought this was fun and earned 50 cents for helping dad). I found the problem in a few seconds. Good teamwork and problem solved.

Dave

 

[CStrong99]

Did you end up replacing sway bay bushing to get rid of squeaking? This squeaking just started on my 99 a few weeks ago and it sounds just like you said - a bed frame with coils. Very obnoxious and a bit embarrassing. Thanks for any updates.

 

[mznobull]

I did not... every time I had someone look at it, the noise mysteriously went away. Funny that you inquiry several years later because I'm noticing the noise more frequently vs. before when it seemed like it was just in extreme cold weather.

 

[WestcoastMark]

I did not... every time I had someone look at it, the noise mysteriously went away. Funny that you inquiry several years later because I'm noticing the noise more frequently vs. before when it seemed like it was just in extreme cold weather.

I know this was a few years back, but did you resolve your issue?

 

[sportscarfan]

To add to this thread with a mysterious (and now solved squeak)...
For YEARS, my '97 has made a squeaking/chirping noise that could easily be described just as the OP did. To me it sounded like a loose exhaust heat shield. The kind of noise you would expect from a thin piece of metal rubbing against another piece of metal. Whenever I had the opportunity, I would check only to find they are all securely in place...
A couple weeks ago I randomly smacked the drivers side of my front bumper, just in front of the wheel, in another effort to find the noise and to my surprise, recreated the squeak/chirp. It turns out that the front-most part of the plastic fender liner was rubbing against one of those thin pieces of sheet metal behind it (behind the bumper corner). 2 minutes and a ziptie later, no more noise.

Great focus, but you can see the ziptie.