Front End Creaking Noise

[Ricks70Duster340]

70 Duster with Dr Diff spindles & new lower ball joints. QA1 UCA & LCA and K-Frame. PST adjustable strut bars. New tie rods, idler, & pitman arms. I upgraded the entire front end at once but there was no noise before doing so.

I get a creaking sound especially when going over bumps and using the brakes. Here is what I've done to try to isolate the problem:

- Removed shocks & sway bar & drove car. No change in sound.
- Installed different disc calipers & pads (to verify it is not just the pads rattling)
- Visually inspected the frame & UCA mounting areas for cracks that may be causing the noise
- The LCA rubber bushings look to be intact

I'm at a loss here.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

Sound like the dry poly bushing blues are playing a tune. A good oil bath with a spray bottle on parts will find and cure it. Or reinstall OEM parts

 

[Ricks70Duster340]

Sound like the dry poly bushing blues are playing a tune. A good oil bath with a spray bottle on parts will find and cure it. Or reinstall OEM parts

The only poly's I'm using are on the UCA's. Guess it would be easy enough to spray them down and see if that does it. No way to lube those the way they came.

 

[QUINN FORBES]

My poly LCA bushings did that for while on my daily driver but it did go away after a few weeks on its own. I’m guessing they settled in after time and use!
Drove me nuts and almost replaced them.
I would try the spray on your uppers.

 

[domdart]

My Dart was creeking, it was the LCA bushings. One was almost gone. I think it was because my strut rods were too loose.

 

[YY1]

Old rubber UCA's are creaking on one side of mine.

The other side are new and don't creak.

 

[Professor Fate]

I get a creaking sound especially when going over bumps and using the brakes. Here is what I've done to try to isolate the problem:

- Removed shocks & sway bar & drove car. No change in sound.
- Installed different disc calipers & pads (to verify it is not just the pads rattling)
- Visually inspected the frame & UCA mounting areas for cracks that may be causing the noise
- The LCA rubber bushings look to be intact

The only poly's I'm using are on the UCA's. Guess it would be easy enough to spray them down and see if that does it. No way to lube those the way they came.

Things are binding.
When you rebuild the front end, all the attachments, i.e. lower control arm pivot pins, UCAs, strut rods, etc. need to be assembled LOOSELY. Then drop it down on the ground so full weight is on the suspension. Bounce it a few times. Now get under there and tighten everything up. What happens is if you tighten everything up while the car is up in the air, the bushings all get tightened in their "fully extended" positions, and when you drop it onto the ground, it puts them in a bind; then when driving the car the suspension compresses even more when hitting bumps and road irregularities, increasing the bind. This is especially true with rubber components. It can load the bushings beyond their designed limits.
So, loosen everything up (not sloppy-loose, just not tight), get the weight on the front end and tighten everything up. Lube everything up while you're under there.
BTW, poly bushings usually come with a packet of "poly-friendly" grease to use during assembly, MOST are not installed dry- but I don't know which ones you used.

 

[missing linc]

Things are binding.
When you rebuild the front end, all the attachments, i.e. lower control arm pivot pins, UCAs, strut rods, etc. need to be assembled LOOSELY. Then drop it own on the ground so full weight is on the suspension. Bounce it a few times. Now get under there and tighten everything up. What happens is if you tighten everything up while the car is up in the air, the bushings all get tightened in their "fully extended" positions, and when you drop it onto the ground, it puts them in a bind; then when driving the car the suspension compresses even more when hitting bumps and road irregularities, increasing the bind. This is especially true with rubber components. It can load the bushings beyond their designed limits.
So, loosen everything up (not sloppy-loose, just not tight), get the weight on the front end and tighten everything up. Lube everything up while you're under there.
BTW, poly bushings usually come with a packet of "poly-friendly" grease to use during assembly, MOST are not installed dry- but I don't know which ones you used.

Exactly.

 

[Darter6]

Did you grease the ball joints ? Buddy had the happen on a fresh rebuild. Lower ball joints were dry out of the box.
My 2 cents.

 

[moparlvr166]

Can you duplicate the noise with someone pushing down and up on one side at a time when you're sitting in car with foot on the brakes?

 

[72bluNblu]

70 Duster with Dr Diff spindles & new lower ball joints. QA1 UCA & LCA and K-Frame. PST adjustable strut bars. New tie rods, idler, & pitman arms. I upgraded the entire front end at once but there was no noise before doing so.

I get a creaking sound especially when going over bumps and using the brakes. Here is what I've done to try to isolate the problem:

- Removed shocks & sway bar & drove car. No change in sound.
- Installed different disc calipers & pads (to verify it is not just the pads rattling)
- Visually inspected the frame & UCA mounting areas for cracks that may be causing the noise
- The LCA rubber bushings look to be intact

I'm at a loss here.

What did you do to determine the length of the adjustable strut rods? They need to be checked for binding through the entire range of motion of the suspension and adjusted accordingly until there is no binding.

Things are binding.
When you rebuild the front end, all the attachments, i.e. lower control arm pivot pins, UCAs, strut rods, etc. need to be assembled LOOSELY. Then drop it down on the ground so full weight is on the suspension. Bounce it a few times. Now get under there and tighten everything up. What happens is if you tighten everything up while the car is up in the air, the bushings all get tightened in their "fully extended" positions, and when you drop it onto the ground, it puts them in a bind; then when driving the car the suspension compresses even more when hitting bumps and road irregularities, increasing the bind. This is especially true with rubber components. It can load the bushings beyond their designed limits.
So, loosen everything up (not sloppy-loose, just not tight), get the weight on the front end and tighten everything up. Lube everything up while you're under there.

Yes, exactly so. The QA1 LCA's come with rubber LCA bushings, so, they have to be tightened with the LCA in its ride height position, just like the factory parts.

BTW, poly bushings usually come with a packet of "poly-friendly" grease to use during assembly, MOST are not installed dry- but I don't know which ones you used.

All of the poly bushings available for these cars need to be lubricated. It's just the fundamental difference in how they operate compared to rubber. Poly specific grease should be used, and used generously.

Sound like the dry poly bushing blues are playing a tune. A good oil bath with a spray bottle on parts will find and cure it. Or reinstall OEM parts

There is no oil you can "spray" that is proper for lubricating poly bushings. But maybe a guy that's never successfully installed a poly bushing shouldn't be giving advice on poly bushings?

There is no reason to use OEM parts if you can follow instructions, the QA1 parts the OP is using will outlast and outperform everything OEM as long as they're properly installed and maintained.

 

[RustyRatRod]

The only poly's I'm using are on the UCA's. Guess it would be easy enough to spray them down and see if that does it. No way to lube those the way they came.

Before you spray, get a helper to put their hand ON the UCA on each side while you jounce the car up and down. They will feel the noise if that's what it is. At least you will have it verified and won't be chasing a ghost.

 

[72bluNblu]

The QA1 UCA's should have zerk fittings on them at the mounts, seen here

All you should need is a grease gun and some poly grease if it's those

Hotchkis Sport Suspension 3101 Hotchkis Sport Suspension Super Grease | Summit Racing

 

[Oldmanmopar]

There is no oil you can "spray" that is proper for lubricating poly bushings. But maybe a guy that's never successfully installed a poly bushing shouldn't be giving advice on poly bushings?

There is no reason to use OEM parts if you can follow instructions, the QA1 parts the OP is using will outlast and outperform everything OEM as long as they're properly installed and maintained.

No **** . I was telling him to do that so he knows what one squeaks so he knows what one to throw away. I knew you would chime in with your bad advise when ever a suspension issue comes up. GOD

"Good Buddy" LMFAO

You can never give any advise without quoting members and making a dick out of yourself. Why don't you ever just say what you have to say and leave it at that without all these quotes. You Think You The Man ? or what ever you go by.

 

[72bluNblu]

No **** . I was telling him to do that so he knows what one squeaks so he knows what one to throw away. I knew you would chime in with your bad advise when ever a suspension issue comes up. GOD

"Good Buddy" LMFAO

You can never give any advise without quoting members and making a dick out of yourself. Why don't you ever just say what you have to say and leave it at that without all these quotes. You Think You The Man ? or what ever you go by.

Only a fool would throw away a brand new UCA that uses poly bushings because there's a squeak. All it needs is a little grease, if it's even the problem. Hell for all we know it's the rubber LCA bushing making that noise!!! And that's the thing, the OP replaced his whole suspension so the source of his noise could be any number of things. Jumping to conclusions because you don't understand how to install and maintain poly bushings isn't helpful.

I quote lots of people, you're the only one that's ever gotten upset by it. This is an open forum, anyone can quote anyone else, if you don't like you should stop posting. You're not even giving advice in good faith if you're telling him to do stuff so he can throw away a perfectly good part that just needs proper maintenance. That's not even bad advice, it's malicious. Spray a poly bushing with a bunch oil or crap and you'll just wash out the real grease you need in there to keep it lubricated and make things worse in the long run. You're just looking for a fight, and it's getting really old and boring. All you do is run around in these suspension forums giving terrible advice and talking crap, and members just looking for help are getting their threads deleted because of your nonsense and name calling.

Personally, I would take advice from someone that's actually run the parts in question and has done it successfully. That's not you.

 

[junkyardhero]

presented without comment, a play in three acts:

I get a creaking sound especially when going over bumps and using the brakes.

- The LCA rubber bushings look to be intact

I'm at a loss here.

Sound like the dry poly bushing blues are playing a tune.

The only poly's I'm using are on the UCA's.

....

find out what squeaks and throw it away. reinstall OEM parts.