Solid Axle In! Now trouble-shooting rear squeak (help).

[Albert SVT]

Recently installed a built 8.8 rear out of an '02 GT in my '04 Cobra. Install went perfect, with no issues except for this really annoying squeak coming from my passenger side rear... and it's driving me insane, mainly because I've spent so much time trying to hunt it down (the last 5-6 days straight).

Here's the sound:

Started off noticeable going over small bumps. It's gotten progressively worse, and almost sounds like a rusty wheel that constantly squeaks on all but the most perfect roads. It hasn't gotten louder, just more frequent now. It's also sounds the same volume from the oustide (followed my car in another car to listen) as it is on the inside. And it's only on the passenger side. The driver's side is perfectly quiet. Also, I can't duplicate the sound by bouncing up and down on the trunk (while the car is at a stand still ofcourse).

Here's my rear suspension setup:

1. FRPP upper control arms.
2. Maxmium Motorsport standard lower control arms (urethane bushings at the chassis connection, and teflon lined sphericals at the axle connection).
3. Strange 10-way adjustable shocks.
4. Bullit rear springs (with standard rubber isolators top and bottom).
5. Airlift air bags. Both set at 10 psi.
6. Currently not running quad shocks (didn't install them yet).

All parts are brand new, never before installed.


Here's what I've done to troubleshoot so far:

1. Checked to make sure springs wasn't rubbing against any part of the body. Clearances fine.
2. Regreased the urethane bushings on the LCAs.
3. Lubed parking brake lines against anything it might touch or rub.
4. Checked the air bags for binding in the springs. Clearances fine.
5. Lubed top shock mount bushings.
6. Jiggled cat-back in case rubber exhaust hangers were making noise. No noise, they were quiet.

Nothing so far seems to help. Any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Albert

 

[SublimeRT]

Albert, I installed my solid axle about a month ago and have the same problem as you. Started off as a little squeek on some bumps, and it's gotten progressively worse. The squeek is also driving me insane. Hell, mine squeeks if you sneeze in my car's direction. Haha. My drivers side is nice and quiet and the squeek is just as loud outside the car, like yours. I have UPR double adjustable upper and lower control arms with spherical bushings in both ends, Strange 10-ways, and Moroso springs with no isolators. I just figured I had a 'noisy' set-up......but looking at your parts list, you pretty much got rid of all my 'noisy' parts.

I'm thinking it's the pass. side torque boxes flexing a little. I'm going to get them welded up soon to see if that was the problem. And it's just a good idea considering the kind of torque these cars make. You also might want to look into some torque box reinforcements. I've even seen welded up torque boxes crush in these cars; the reinforcements will prevent this. I got mine from UMI Performance. Good prices, good service, and a good product.

BTW - with the control arms you have, the quad shocks are useless. Don't waste your time with 'em.

-Blaise

 

[Albert SVT]

Thanks Blaise. Glad to hear I'm not alone. Strange how we have the identical noise on the passenger side with different parts. I'm planning on getting the UMI torque box reinforcements actually. Even though I was planning on the torque box reinforcements anyway, I hope to god it gets rid of the squeak. Would be a nice bonus benefit!

 

[Albert SVT]

Blaise, quick question: What made you think that maybe the torque box was the issue? Did you hear of other people with the same issue?

 

[SublimeRT]

Well I may be wrong, but I was just thinking about the way a car torques over under full throttle and for reasons that people usually put airbags in the right rear springs to keep a straight launch. The car squats down (or wants to) on the right rear the most, so it just seems like that's the one that sees the most stress. Any thoughts?

-Blaise

 

[SublimeRT]

I just put some Energy Suspension isolators in front and rear and changed the rubber bushings in my Strange shocks to the Energy Suspension ones and the squeek is much more quiet now, but still there. I'm pretty sure it's the torque boxes. As soon as I get to Houston I'm going to find a shop to weld them up, them I'll report back. :coolman:

-Blaise

 

[Albert SVT]

Good deal. Did you ever find out what the cause of your misaligned rear wheels was?

 

[ChicagoMike]

This could be it:

SQUEAK FIX THREAD: http://www.chicagosvt.com/forums/showthread.php3?t=5330

pics are there at the bottom of the thread. It's happening to a LOT of cobras now for some reason.

 

[SublimeRT]

Albert, my drivers side upper control arm is a UPR double adjustable one, and the jam nuts to adjust it loosened and it unscrewed quite a bit, making it longer. I'm glad it didn't unscrew to the point it came out! :uh oh: These uppers and lowers will be replaced with solid BMR control arms ASAP. The UPRs are nothing but headaches.

ChicagoMike, thanks for the info. I'll have to check that out. :coolman:

-Blaise

 

[Dana]

Please let me know if you guys find the solution to the squeak. I seem to have it too and mine does not seem to be the panels in the trunk. We checked those and all the welds are in place.

Thanks,
Dana

 

[JB]

.... It's happening to a LOT of cobras now for some reason.

TIME is taking its toll...

poor and missing welds will only worsen as we put miles on them ....we twist our unibodies with torque and pound them over potholes and uneven roads

and for anyone who doesn't already have full-length, welded subframe connectors.....GET THEM!

 

[Albert SVT]

Well, I finally figured it out. Mine was a two-part problem/squeak.

First was that my e-brake cable was a couple notches too loose. The self-racheting mechanism dropped itself down a couple notches when I disconnected the ebrake cable at the rear calipers and pulled the e-brake all the way up to get the center console out. The loose cables squeaked like hell with the slightest movement. I figured this out when I was under my car and tapping around with a dead head hammer trying to isolate the squeak.

Second was that my brake pads were squeaking. Don't ask me why they were squeaking, but there was one spot on the passenger rear rotor's rotation that made a slight squeak. I figured this out by running the car on jack stands and listening with a stethoscope (sp?). I went ahead and had both rear rotors turned. That helped a lot but there was still a faint squeak, so i went ahead and installed new rear pads and sprayed the backs with anti-squeal.

That all pretty much did the trick, thank freakin' god. Now on to fixing the shock tower clunk.

 

[Wings65288]

good thread, subscribing. i wonder if mines going to do this

 

[Tide612]

Here is what i think. I personally have started a thread about a noise like this about 6 months ago and so have others. It seems to me that everyone has one thing in common and that we are all using the same shocks. Everyone that i know is using the Strange ADj shocks. I am going to replace mine with some self adj bilsteins and see if those help with noise. BUT I THINK THAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT WE ALL HAVE IN COMMON.

 

[Albert SVT]

Here is what i think. I personally have started a thread about a noise like this about 6 months ago and so have others. It seems to me that everyone has one thing in common and that we are all using the same shocks. Everyone that i know is using the Strange ADj shocks. I am going to replace mine with some self adj bilsteins and see if those help with noise. BUT I THINK THAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT WE ALL HAVE IN COMMON.

Tide,

Did you start off with no squeaks and eventually get them later on? Just wondering because it's been about a week since solving my squeak issues and I haven't heard one peep out of the rear end. I'm curious in case I start developing a squeak again down the road.

Thanks,

Albert

 

[Tide612]

iu have not tried what you said to do but i will try it. thanks for the advise.

 

[SublimeRT]

I thought about the shocks too, but it's not likely that everyones Strange shock in the pass. side only is squeeking cause that's where people are hearing the squeek coming from.

 

[Albert SVT]

Blaise, did you get your tq boxes welded and reinforced yet?

 

[SublimeRT]

Not yet, Albert. Hopefully sometime next week or next weekend I'll get it done provided I can find a good welder by then.

 

[393Bird]

Hey Blaise, good to see you are kicking. I am sure you will find someone there to do the welding. I am looking for someone to do some welding for me also. I am finishing up my hood now, then on to the next project, the exhaust. I want to get rid of the dumps before Winter. Since it has the fuel cell, pumps and lines in the rear, I do not want to run it out the back, and too low to run them under the sides in front of the rear tires. I decided to make it unique and run them out "through" the side.

http://members.tccoa.com/392bird/sideexhaust.htm