FLIP-4-SHO Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Good morning all. I have a creaking sound coming from the strut towers lately and seems to be getting worse. It is when I am steering slowly rt or left while creeping forward or back. I noticed it naturally when everything is off, radio, ac, ect. so I can hear. Had my son get in car and try so I can hear outside car as well. And sure enough it is loudest when I put my ear closest to the top of the tower where bolted to body with the 4 bolts. Both sides. One more than the other. I removed my suspension over the weekend enough to make sure the arrows were pointing the correct way, looking down thru holes in body fender, and to make sure I did not mess up on that. One was good for sure and the other I believe was also. While checking that one it rotated on me so there may be a question on that one. Passenger side. Both for sure are good now. Arrows pointing away from motor. It still makes sound. It maybe that top bearing? Or it may be the steering rod below? Although doubtful cuz of the sound is greatest at top not below. Or the top of springs with rubber boot inside top cap. Anyone else hear this going on. It is definitely a sound you would notice. I am at a loss. Any Ideas? It has only been a few months since the springs were put in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbulldog Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 What year is the SHO? I'll enter the symptoms to see what the "System" says.....:RpS_wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbulldog Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 It keeps referring to the spring supports and of course, any aftermarket modification there is no explaination. I attached the PDF of the front end suspension. Hopefully you find the problem! Brian [ATTACH=CONFIG]483[/ATTACH] conv_367.pdf conv_367.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIP-4-SHO Posted April 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 What year is the SHO? I'll enter the symptoms to see what the "System" says.....:RpS_wink: 2011......... Thanks for the PDF....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got5onIt Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Dirty spring isolators? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIP-4-SHO Posted April 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Dirty spring isolators? I think I may have to look again. This time I will look into that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got5onIt Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Dirty spring or shock tower isolators? Strut shaft hitting tower? I had this same issue on my SRT jeep. It ended up being the top strut shaft hitting the shock tower due to the angle it sat from being lowered. Stuck a rubber bushing on it and lubed it, no more squeak. I tried to find that squeak for months, pulled the shock/spring assembly numerous times ensuring spring alignment was fine. I'm not sure how far our struts protrude into the shock tower? I will go out & look.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcoBrick Bob Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Which lowering springs do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIP-4-SHO Posted April 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Which lowering springs do you have? H&R's The spring is not fully contained. About a half coil to contact with rubber insert under strut cap & bearing. So as I slowly lower car I always Jiggle to find proper seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIP-4-SHO Posted April 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Well, I just ordered the top plates with the bearing in it. $48 n change. I will install and see if it fixes it. Honestly most of the noise is coming from the passenger side. And that is the side I am most unsure if it was mounted in there properly. The bearing just may be toast. Listening to drivers side it is a lot less and could be just noise resonating from the passenger side across the shock tower brace bar. Note to self: Haste makes waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve o Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Out of curiosity dbulldog. Whats the torque spec for the cv joint nut? #1 on pg 2. I torqued mine up to 200ft/lbs. Is there anywhere I can get a pdf service manual for a 12 sho? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcoBrick Bob Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 H&R'sThe spring is not fully contained. About a half coil to contact with rubber insert under strut cap & bearing. So as I slowly lower car I always Jiggle to find proper seat. My H & R's were installed by local tire/alignment store. No issues whatsoever in my Flex in over a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbabes Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 I didn't add springs but I believe the sound you are hearing is the same that I had. When making a Right turn of 90 degrees or more I would hear a tic tic tic sound for the duration of the turn. ford fixed it and told me it was a loose strut mount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbulldog Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 steve o Out of curiosity dbulldog. Whats the torque spec for the cv joint nut? #1 on pg 2. I torqued mine up to 200ft/lbs. Is there anywhere I can get a pdf service manual for a 12 sho? Hi Steve O: I got ahead of myself with the post. I don't know where you can get a PDF of the manual. My info comes direct from the PTS site, which I am fortunate to have access too.:whistle: It also appears that Ford does not want you to reuse the wheel nut because they coat them with a heat activated locking compound. From the manual: All vehicles NOTICE: Do not tighten the front wheel hub nut with the vehicle on the ground. The nut must be tightened to specification before the vehicle is lowered onto the wheels. Wheel bearing damage will occur if the wheel bearing is loaded with the weight of the vehicle applied. NOTE: Apply the brake to keep the halfshaft from rotating. Using the previously removed wheel hub nut, seat the halfshaft. Tighten to 350 Nm (258 lb-ft). Remove and discard the wheel hub nut. NOTICE: The wheel hub nut contains a one-time locking chemical that is activated by the heat created when it is tightened. Install and tighten the new wheel hub nut to specification within 5 minutes of starting it on the threads. Always install a new wheel hub nut after loosening or when not tightened within the specified time or damage to the components can occur. NOTE: Apply the brake to keep the halfshaft from rotating. Install a new wheel hub nut. Tighten to 350 Nm (258 lb-ft). Install the wheel and tire. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve o Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Thanks for that information, wow did I get that wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIP-4-SHO Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Ok. It was an easy install. Installed the new Brackets and it quieted it down on the creaking but not completely. It is definitely still there. Seems tighter (the feel while driving). Checked everything out all looks good. Moved components back and forth if I could while up on jacks. I did make one observation thou. The end of my H&R springs that mount to the top brackets seem to end abruptly. On the stock ones the pitch of the spring slows a bit to make more contact with the bracket than the H&R's. This may cause bearing for bracket to wear prematurely. All pressure in a smaller spot on the rubber area for bearing. Looking at the brackets I took out they seem to be worn for sure. Not as tight. Not convinced this is the origin of the noise yet. Although it sure sounds like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got5onIt Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Can you shake/push the car and replicate the squeak? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIP-4-SHO Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Can you shake/push the car and replicate the squeak? No.... Only when rotating steering wheel slowly. Left or right. not moving or moving slowly forward or backward. I am stumped on this one.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve o Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 lower ball joints? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIP-4-SHO Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 lower ball joints? ? Doh-no.... I did move everything around while up but that is without the weight of the car. Everything seemed just fine and tight. The car is basically new...... 8k miles on it now. The only thing that might have been damaged, due to installing back wrong and still in question if they were and only one at that, may have been the top brackets that I just replaced. But now that the creaking is still there I can only wounder just how bad those brackets actually were now. Someone at work here told me to put this paste never-seize between the top of the springs and the rubber as a lube. I believe someone said that here too. I will try that next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcoBrick Bob Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 For a while, I had the same creak when the car was almost stopped and I turned the wheel hard left or right.... Never happened when I was moving over 3 mph though... Think it might be partly due to the tire releasing from it's grip when turning at slow speeds or when stopped. Haven't heard it in last couple months... Never worried me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIP-4-SHO Posted June 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Well Guys, the creaking is gone. I believe I have fixed it. My Eibach springs came in a week or so ago. I finally had the time to put them in. :clap2:NO MORE CREAKING. YAY!:clap2: The upper bearing rubber area where the spring mounts is I believe the difference. The Eibach's meet the bearing rubber area with more coil contact. At least 80% before the weight of the car is applied. The H&R's I had in was about at most 30-40% contact. I really liked the slammed look of the H&R's compared to the Eibach's that's true. I have a pic in my profile album of the H&R's with the spacers. Yes they rubbed. Almost got the rub to go away by reducing the thickness of the spacers. The Eibach's are a much more desirable ride for me. Smoother towards the stock ride yet firmer than stock. It is much lower than stock but not as much as the H&R's thou. About .7 in front and .9 in back at fender edge difference between H&R and Eibach. H&R being lower and stiffer of a ride. The Eibach's seem to me to be a more OEM ride height that should have been from ford to start with. It looks normal OEM. When I bought the car the stock back end was so much in the air and front as well I could not believe it. Well at least the creaking is gone with the bearing getting more even contact with the spring. Here is a pic of the H&R's and how they meet the upper mounting bracket out of the car. And here is a pic of the Eibach's. This is my own conclusion. My own opinion. This is just the only difference that I could find for the noise. And this is the only thing that fixed it. I just could not live with the noise and worry about something being wrong. You may not have the same experience I have had and that is good. I am just surprised more people have not had this yet with their H&R's. Now on to maybe spacers like I had and making my set or just get the dang wheels I want. Mikes sure look good. Ha Ha, Curse you Mike, Now I have to maybe spend more money than I wanted to. Hope everyone had a good weekend.:RpS_thumbsup: Back to work tomorrow............. BLA:wave: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcoBrick Bob Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 You can check out Mike's wheels at TSW site. Site shows pix, inventory, sizing, offsets, & weight. Two styles of RotoForged wheels.... Interlagos (Darreli & I have) and Nurburgring (Mike & Scrming have). Both come in Gunmetal, polished face, or bronze. Best price I have found is from Discount Tire. They are special order but come in about a week-10 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpd1151 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Now onto just getting the dang wheels I want. Mike's sure look good. Ha Ha, Curse you Mike, Now I have to maybe spend more money than I wanted to.... Flip, if it helps you out at all..... I used the link below to price match (actually they beat it by $44) the TSW wheels I bought through my local NTB. Maybe you can do the same with w/e company you end up ordering from :noidea: Hope it's of some help to you my friend :thumb: http://www.elementwheels.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TSW%2D2085NUR%2DgTSW%2D2010NUR%2Dg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.