Front suspension noises in 156 (JTS) - again.

[Davidm1600]

Hi all, and I do realise that many have contributed to similar topics re this (eg. Wanaski offered some excellent advice), I am just simply trying to clarify something to try complete sorting out my 156.  I recently had my mechanic replace the worn/tired front shocks with new Bilstein B4s and the result is excellent, I need to replace the rears to complete this aspect of improvements and will do this shortly.

However, like many my car, given it has reached 118,000kms  had some minor suspension knocks, squeaks etc noises.  So in trying to get this sorted I had my mechanic also fit up new upper control arms and this appears to have got rid of the dull clunking sound I was experiencing as well as the really annoying squeaking sound my car made when driven.  However, I still seem to have another noise coming from the front end which sounds more like a creaking sound and I am a little baffled as to what might be causing this.  I did buy some new sway bar bushes but havn't had these fitted yet given that involves dropping the front end, and perhaps it might be easier/quicker to replace the swaybar, rather than splitting the housing on the bar, plus new drop links.

My question is, has anyone else experienced such creaking sounds, and if so could it be due to the lower control arms, the swaybar bushes or even the drop links ?  I would like to get this resolved, but would prefer to know what precisely might be the cause, and therefore what parts to order, given I am getting them in from EB Spares in the UK

[bix]

Hi David,
I suspect that if your shocks and uppers were worn, then the lower wishbones may also be worn. Anti-roll bar noise is a common problem and for the sake of ~$50 extra, you'd replace the drop links also. I replaced uppers, lowers, shocks, ARB bushes, drop-links and tie-rods all in one sitting (around 110,000kms) and am very happy with the result.

[colcol]

Sometimes when you replace the Anti Roll Bar Bushes, it is not enough, as the worn bushes can get dirt and mud in them and grind the Anti Roll Bar away, so the new bushes will fit the now worn out Anti Roll Bar like a cucumber in a Bowler hat, thats when you have to buy a new Anti Roll Bar assembly, which, i reckon would be expensive to freight from the UK to Australia, when the Anti Roll Bar starts to get noisy, don't let it go, replace the bushes before you have to do the whole Bar, a stitch in time and all that, Colin.

[bix]

I purchased the Eibach anti-roll kit with stiffer bars and nylone bushes but still requires you to split and reweld the original brackets.

[Davidm1600]

Ok, thanks guys, I think this was my kind of thinking on all of this but merely wanted to sound it out to see if I was on the right track or not.  I reckon I will have to check out what the costs are and get cracking on ordering some more parts, well that is once I have paid the current bill, which also included the belts change etc.

Col, the freighting cost from the UK, surprisingly isn't too bad, especially given how good our exchange rate is with the UK pound at the moment. When I told my mechanic the cost of parts etc that I could get out of the UK, he was impressed noting he couldn't supply them for that sort of cost.