Shock/ rear suspension noise

**90ARAPAJ** · 10-26-2011, 02:03 PM

I have eibach lowering springs in mine and my car has 47,000 original miles. Probably 45,000 on the shocks. Well anyways recently more than ever the rear end of the car makes a weird noise like the struts are bad on it every time i back into my driveway going slow. Its like a croaking noise or when i hit bumps are or sometimes even when i takeoff. What is it?

**Knight** · 10-26-2011, 02:37 PM

Could be the shocks, panhard bar bushings, sway bar bushings, ect. Your best bet is to see if you can replicate the noise while underneath the car - carefully, of course - and narrow down where it is occuring.

**justinmc978** · 10-26-2011, 03:47 PM

people ignore the fact that chassis lubrication should be done AT LEAST every 10,000 miles/1 year. this includes hinges, bushings, balljoints, linkages, basically anything that moves. give the car a once-over with WD40, white lithium grease, and a grease gun all where applicable and it will stop.

**wileyCoyote** · 10-28-2011, 09:06 PM

i don't think i've ever lubricated any chassis components

**pajeff02** · 10-29-2011, 03:04 PM

I don't believe that any of the stock suspension pieces are greasable.

**Redrokit8** · 10-31-2011, 07:04 PM

I recently acquired a 2002 WS6 that at that time had 8000 miles. It had very noticeable squeaks and groans mainly from sitting so long without the suspension being exercised. I hit every bushing with silicone spray and even the upper and lower coils of the springs. After sitting overnight all of my dry sounds were gone. I'm not sure if that fix would last and won't know because a lot of those parts with rubber bushings have been replaced. But for the short while that I had all original underpinnings the lubricating made a big difference.

***SMWS6TA*** · 11-03-2011, 08:59 PM

OP, I had the same problem - turned out that it was my passenger LCA bushing that connects to the sub frame. When I had my SFC's welded on the guy might have over torque them. When I replaced the LCA's with UMI's noise has stopped.

Jeff is right in that factory suspension can not be service. Only way to do it is to take off the bushings and spray silicone spray like Redrokit8 did. But really?, if you're going to do that might as well upgrade.

**justinmc978** · 11-04-2011, 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

I don't believe that any of the stock suspension pieces are greasable.

mine has them installed, if they arent you have to remove the plugs and buy fittings.

**pajeff02** · 11-04-2011, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by justinmc978

mine has them installed, if they arent you have to remove the plugs and buy fittings.

You are going to make me go look, aren't you? It'll be a while though as the car is being stored in the trailer right now.

**justinmc978** · 11-04-2011, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

You are going to make me go look, aren't you? It'll be a while though as the car is being stored in the trailer right now.

unless it's one of those many quirky things that only '98s have, I assure you they are there

**Firebirdjones** · 11-04-2011, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

You are going to make me go look, aren't you? It'll be a while though as the car is being stored in the trailer right now.

You don't have to look Jeff, nothing under there will be servicable with grease fittings. Niether my 2000 or 2002 SS have anything even remotely servicable on the suspension. Not even the balljoints or tie rods are greasable.
If you find grease fittings on any of that stuff, it's been replaced. Most of your aftermarket suspension parts (especially Moog) are servicable with grease fittings.

Heck, you can't even repack your wheel bearings, even that crap is sealed and non servicable.

**justinmc978** · 11-04-2011, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

You don't have to look Jeff, nothing under there will be servicable with grease fittings. Niether my 2000 or 2002 SS have anything even remotely servicable on the suspension. Not even the balljoints or tie rods are greasable.
If you find grease fittings on any of that stuff, it's been replaced. Most of your aftermarket suspension parts (especially Moog) are servicable with grease fittings.

Heck, you can't even repack your wheel bearings, even that crap is sealed and non servicable.

that's interesting, because my haynes manual even has pictures of them on the car...

again, from the factory they didnt come with fittings, but you can remove the plugs and screw fittings in.

**Firebirdjones** · 11-04-2011, 06:21 PM

Yeah, Haynes shows that stuff, because I think some of the illustrations or descriptions are somewhat generic. The factory GM manuals I have for the later model 4th gens don't show any suspension parts being servicable. It describes it as simply needing replacement if there is a problem.

I did however, replace my outer tie rods at 70,000 because of wear. I used Moog parts, and they now have grease fittings

Should provide a longer service life this time around.

It's always been a pet pieve of mine, not just GM, but all the manufactures have been building the cars this way for quite some time now. Guess they don't want you to service anything anymore.

For the original poster, my 2000 SS has suspension squeaks too. Since it has factory poly bushings on the sway bars, that seems to be the big culprit for me. I can spray them with silicone, but it's only temporary. 3-4,000 miles later it's back.
I've been meaning to pull them apart and apply what should be a more perminant solution of synthetic grease to the sway bar bushings, just haven't had the ambition. Those poly bushings need a sticky lubricant anyway, otherwise they are noisy.