Ok I get this weird creaking (kind of like rusty door opening, but a more deeper creak) noise coming from the front here are the symptoms, i did a search no one has symptoms like this:
1) Noise does not happen brake or acceleration or changing gears
2) Noise does not happen when i go over small holes
3) It mostly happens when both wheels go off a bump for example speed bump, drive way, bridge to road transition
4) Mostly heard on the drivers side

Ok I have tried an experiment...
Today I went outside, tightened the middle bolt on the strut tower it was tight, then I found that some of the 1/2'' bolts around were loose so i tightened them up (not to the max), and I poured some oil over the strut mount, on top of that i put rags in some of the joints on the interior trim to see if that was also the problem (its not it, i checked by remvoing rags while driving), so the first bit was queit and the noise was almost gone. Its still like that now, except i'm wondering if i can tighten the strut mount bolts to the max to perhaps stop the noise completley?

check your swaybar endlinks and bushings


<img src="http://www.webgraffiti.it/gif/smile12/smile197.gif"></img>

ok i'll oil those too and i'll tighten them up also, so can anyone clarify if i'm allowed to tighten the strut mount bolts to the max (the small ones)?

Those aren't supposed to be tightened too much, that might be your problem. I read they're stupposed to be torqued to somewhere between 20-25. Someone in this forum posted the exact number just recently so you might wanna look at questions regarding strut mounts other people had - it'll be in there somewhere.

i have the number in the service manaual but i dont have a torque wrench, when I talk abotu max tightened i mean hand tight not with an impact wrench. Is that ok?

I believe the bolts (3) on the shock towers are ment to be tightened to 18 ft lbs. They are known to strip if tightened too hard.

Jay




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is hand tight ok?

STRUT BEARINGS!!!!
I have the same noise, strut bearings, planning for 95-99 mounts!
-James



After downshifting into 3rd, and redlining, might as well find 4th and find the speed limiter....its therapeutic.

the noise is practicly gone now and i didn't have it when i bought the car at 86243km now it has 89000km and i found that it sort of got worst as the season changed from winter to spring.

check the inner sway bar bushings,( that are on the subframe) They are siezied on to the sway bar. When, you go over bump the lower control arm is forced upwards causing them to make noise like a rusty door. remove and replace with new and add axle grease or non hardening silicone (dielectric silicone) to the inside of the bushing before installing. noise should be gone. Just did it to my '96.

thanks, I took a rag and poured some oil on it and smeared it over the bushings i'm gonna use some bearing or lithium grease on there too.

It may help, but i'm sure your going to have to remove them, from the swaybar and clean up rust and regrease and re install

ok cool i might do that later but for now the noise is practicly gone, I just hear a slight creak sometimes.

I think I'm having the same problem on my 00 GT. I took it into the dealer but they couldnt find a problem. I suggested that it might be the end links or sway bar bushings but they said they didnt find anything. Arrrrr..... I guess I'll have to wait until the noise gets worse before taking it back. Then they can refund my money I paid to have them look at it. Good thing it was only $25 for them to look at it and not more.

I got the same kind of symptoms.
3) It mostly happens when both wheels go off a bump for example speed bump, drive way, bridge to road transition, driving on angled entry's exit's
4) Mostly heard on the drivers side

Regards,

J

Bad strut mounts. Replace them both. See my post:

http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=11&i=83524&t=83421#83524

- Ken

'99 Z24, Manual

i saw ur post its not my strut mounts, its just that the bolts were so loose after the cold winter that they were moving around, and the suspension rubber parts were dry. my noise is gone!!!!!!!

awewsomeness

'99 Z24, Manual

^^^^
sorry i accidentally hit post. but yeah awesome and stuff.

'99 Z24, Manual

what did you do to resolve this problem Jacob B? I'm at 78,000km right now and when my car was under warranty both of my front strut mounts where relaced under warranty from GM at 40,800km. These damm things should last longer then 40K shouldnt they? If it is the strut mount then I'm going back to GM to bitch even though it isnt under warranty anymore.

But what was loose on your car jacob B? Endlinks on the front sway bar? what did you lube or grease?

See it is kind of funny because it is only coming from my front drivers side tire. I can hear it in the car. I had my hood up and pushed down on the fender but got no noise when the front of the car went up/down a little.

Regards,

You will never be able to recreate the noise pushing down on the car (not enough force). The only way to check is to drive down a bumpy road. Squeeky sounds are usually the strut mounts... either they are bad or the top strut nut is not torqued to specs.

'99 Z24, Manual

Ill find out the top strut mount nut torque specs then get out the good old torque wrench and see if it needs tightened up. Maybe does anyone know off chance?

My car started to make more creaking noises on the front drivers side. I took it back to the dealer and the mechanic guy who looked at it origionally couldnt find anything or replicate the creaking noise at the origional time.

After he herd the creaking he said that the front strut mounts needed lubed. So I let them have it and since they charged me before the $25 they just put it under that charge. Now there is no noise. Does anyone know anything about the lube trick? why would they the front strut mounts need lubed?

The service manager told me that they put the car up on the lift to take the weight off the wheels then they inject lube there under high pressure or something. But I'm happy the noises are all gone. Makes me feel alot better.

J

That lube is a bunch of @!#$. You aren't supposed to lube strut mounts (although a coat of silicone spray works well the protect the rubber). What they did just dampened the noise... it didn't solve the problem. I bet when they replaced the strut mounts previously they didn't torque the top nut correctly. The majority of shops just zip the nut on with an air wrench and that's it. Either they didn't measure torque or they cocked the strut mount pieces when they slapped them together. This is why I don't let other people work on my cars anymore.

'99 Z24, Manual

well when the noise started about a week ago everything was just fine up to that point. No noise's at all. Then it started but now it is gone b/c the lubed the mounts. But it doesnt really worry me b/c I have my pro-kit/AGX's sitting right here beside me but I'm going to wait until a pay cheque or two to install them b/c I want to put all new mounts all the way around.

So I'm going to assemble them outside the car before I even take the car apart so that I just have to jack my car up and then just drop out the old stuff and put the new stuff back in. Then I know everything is new and there shouldnt be any noises.

Thanks for the info ken. Ya I understand what your saying about mechanics doing sloppy work. I think the bottom strut bolts are like 133ft lbs or someting and the upper middle nut is like 34 ft lbs and the mount bolts are like 18 ft lbs. I will have to cheque my manual to be sure.

Regards,