Gosh the squeaking I have coming out of front end is driving me nuts. While parked or driving. While parked, I merely have to hint of turning my wheel and it squeaks. Its obviously not an up and down issue since the noise appears while car is parked and wheel is turned left and right.
What can it be?
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I have had the same issue with my Stratus last winter. It only gets real bad when it gets cold out. I have sealed bearings, I don't have a grease cert anywhere to be found. I think is is more of the spindle arms (right terminology?) that when the tire is turning, where most of the weight of the vehicle support is through that area of rotation. I was thinking about spraying some like white lightning grease on the outside of the rotation, maybe it might help. I haven't had the issue rise yet this year, fingers crossed. I could jump up and down on the driver door frame (by seat, not the door) and I could get it to produce, so it could have been shock related. As you turn the wheels, the suspension adjusts too, so that is another area. For me I think it is a combination of the two for my circumstance. I'll let you know when it starts happening to me.
Oh, I have a Hayes manual too, and I have called the dealer on this last year. They both say there should be grease certs, but I don't have any.
sounds like one or both of your lower balljoints is bad. this is a common issue around where i live(potholes and bad weather half the year). i would start there
I agree 100% on the balljoints, I had the same issue here in good old michigan-pothole capital of the world on my 98 stratus. I ended up replacing both control arms- 4 months apart, since they conveniently have the ball joints pressed into them. And you will find that chrysler decided that they wanted these to go out, so there is no grease fitting. My best advice, replace it, then take some good grease, and a basketball inflator needle, hook that into your grease gun, and wiggle the needle down into the rubber ball joint housing, and pump it full to make the new one last. Good luck, I hope that I am wrong though, and that it isnt the ball joint, the control arms were a pain, had to torch out all bolts due to corrosion, plus the added kick between the legs of the front end alignment following replacement of the control arm on each side. LOVED IT!!!! Again, good luck!
i would agree with the ball joints if the prob didn't happen when the car was parked. i've had ball joint issues myself. this is what i'm thinking: new belts stretch after being installed, might need to be snugged up. i've also had an issue were the "V" of the belt did not match the "V" of the pulley, the belt would wear a bit and screech, i'd sung it up, a few days later i'd be out there again. took about a month to stop, by then both "V's" were the same.
Ok you know how they go back to the diagnosis and find out what really was the problem?
I pulled the strut out. Strut I might add is very different than standard strut assembly. This one has a fork connection.
Anyway, once out, I removed the spring and inspected the inner and outer bushing on the strut tower. The top most one was clearly visible when lifting the hood. In fact there was no bushing, just dust. The other one that goes under the wheel well inside the strut assembly, was in PERFECT CONDITION.
Translation....a two hour job could have been done in 10 minutes by merely replacing the bushing in the engine compartment.
The passenger side also squeaked and CLUNKED (due to lack of a bushing). I merely unscrewed the nut lifted off the washer and removed the corpse, placed a new bushing in and placed washer and nut back on in all of 5 minutes.
Since the one half of the bushing assembly is in pristine condition, you can buy just the one set of two bushing and use half on the driver side and half on the passenger side.
Cost for me was $12.00 for both sides. But I could have gotten away with only a $6.00 tab since I only used two of the 4 bushings that I bought.
I'll have to inspect mine...I get a knock noise when I go from stop to go. I had read things on here about the engine mount becoming loose. Well when it was in getting the headlight switch fixed, I asked them to look at that. They said they retorqued it after inspecting and it was fine. I still get this knock though, I think it could be this part of the suspension now. I don't have any leaks underneath as of yet. I was just under there looking around with this last oil change. So again, I'll check mine out. That's where the strut goes into the top under the hood and such right?
Yes, just look under the hood. You will see a single strut stud on both left and right sides close to the windshield. If you dont see a big fat bushing under each nut/washer, then thats your problem. You will need to change them anyway if they are original.
Last edited by pixelpadre; 12-12-2008 at 05:10 PM.
2000 front end squeaks like an angry pig
