Shock or Spring (need help please)
 

1998 Boxster, 72K:

Really need some help identifying this issue (before I attempt a fix).

Front passenger side (right) noise that sounds like shock or spring. Started hearing fairly loud squeak noise - almost like if you pushed down on a spring bed. Louder when car is moving very slow (then heard less).

Any thoughts??

thanks, Dave

Wheel bearing?

Don't think it's wheel bearing. When the car is stopped and not running, if you push down on the front right-side, you can thern hear the creaking noise (and seems to be from the spring or shock area).

the nylon ball joint races are NOTORIOUS for this. there's a simple cure. cut a tiny hole in the ball joint boot & spray in some WD40. problem solved.

Could be one of the bushings, a shock, spring, ball joint, etc. You're going to have to go through all of the suspension components, one by one, to isolate and identify the cause of the squeak.

When I had a similar issue, I put the car on four jackstands and then took the wheel off and used a jack to lower/raise the suspension assy to try and isolate the problem to a particular component.

Maybe someone else can suggest other (better) ways to perform this kind of check.

Wd40= Solvent
 

WD40 is a solvent not a lubricant. you need to lubricate not wash it away

Class time... Everyone go to [url]www.wd40.com[url] and go to the automotive page.

WD-40 Lubricates, Cleans, Protects, Penetrates & Displaces Moisture... And does so much more!

That, and the ball joints are DRY bearings. Use the wd40.

How difficult is it to access the bearings??

Novice here - only done some minor projects.

thanks.

very easy. turn your steering wheel all the way to the side. behind the wheel, look for the part in the picture. cut a tiny slice with an exacto knife where i've highlighted in red. put the WD40 spray tube into the slice & give it a good squirt. go for a drive so the WD40 gets evenly distributed & cleans out the nylon.

Thanks much for the help.

Appreciated!

Same thing for the rears if they are noisy?

same procedure front & rear. FYI, i went through so many of these things (replacing the squeaky ones) that i finally got fed up & cut one apart. i tried everything from packing them w/ grease, adding zerk fittings, light lube, etc. Turns out the solution is MUCH simpler. WD40. during this process, do yourself a favor & check for play in the ball joints (i.e. grab the wheel & try to move it in & out or side to side). if there's play, replace the control arm. if there is none, spray away....

The suggested fix worked perfectly.

Thanks again!

glad it worked out. take care.

What to do with the hole after you spray WD40? should it be closed somehow?

I did not close the hole.

Good question though. But seems to be fine.

no real need to close up the hole. it's tiny. since this is a dust boot & not a grease boot, leaving it alone is fine.

I am going to try this tonight. Thanks for the help/advice.

I will also try this fix.
Thanks

It worked like a charm for me. Thanks guys/gals.

Oh, I did the drivers side (thought the noise was coming from there) and itturns out it was the passenger side. Did both. :)

Man I had a nice "squeak free" ride in to work today. If anybody is having this squeaking/spring issue then try this out. Thanks INSITE

It does work like a charm, for about a week in my case. If I remember when I have the car in the air, I hit the boots again with WD40, but usually I just live with it. Its only really loud going over slow rises or dips, like driveway entrances.

Followed your advice from 05-31-2011 post to newjersymike about nylon ball joints causing loud squeaks. Problem has plagued my 1997 boxster off and on for several years. Tried your WD40 suggestion with instant success for the right front wheel joint! Thank you !

Charlie

Quick Fix Question
 

Hi... I seem to have the same problem... 99 986, just started happening after 3 hour drive on windy road..hot day etc,,,, car seems to handle fine but squeaking on front passenger side is very bad...smaller squeak when wheel moves vertically over say a bump... but really loud when turning the steering right or left ( unbearable ), so my question is assuming it's the bushing, in the ? control arm? Sway bar? ( Novice here ) is
there an issue with doing this...kinda like taking something for the symptoms of an illness to make them go away... but not curing the diesease...if you get my meaning? is there a chance of some catastrophic failure by just masking the squeak?..ie will one wheel go in one direction and the other in another?

I'm having it put up on a ramp tomorrow, and asked the Mechanic to look over the front suspension / shocks everything...just incase ( just had a set of bielstiens put on the back ) one rear shock was gone... was price but was well worth it.... nice tight ride now.
Any Input anyone?

Paul
Imacman 99, 986

I'd find a way to close or tape the hole well. The boot is there (sealed) for a reason. One speck of sand is all it needs to start the problems.

If you clean the surface with a good alcohol wipe and hit it with a touch of industrial silicon it will seal the hole. Cleanliness and adequate time to cure are key.

All Done
 

Thanks for the response, I Took it to my P Mechanic ( Very hard to find up here in Newfoundland... and his shop is busy with some Targa Racing work for some clients.)

They were very familiar with the issue, they put it up on the lift, and injected the grease, and also did rust check treatments on both left & right suspension parts. It only took a few minutes, didn't charge me anything for it, and it worked perfectly.

I decided to replace the parts on both sides, so I had them order in the arms... they were only $85 each, so I figured it's just as well to replace them both... it will also be an opportunity to check/torque/tighten the front end as long as they have it up in the air.

About a month ago, I had a bad "Knock" on the right Rear, so I had it looked at and the right rear shock was blown, so I had them replace the rear shocks. They installed Bilsteins... was a bit pricey for the shocks... but was well worth it no more Knock/Bang and the ride is great. Replacing the rear shocks was not easy, without the "Porsche Shop Compressing Tool thing-a-ma-bob"... to too big dudes to remove & install them.

Thanks

Paul
IMACMAN, Newfoundland 99,986 Triple Bl

Hey guys - I am looking to do this as well. What's the best way to access the ball joint area with the car on the ground? I turned the wheel all the way, but it's a tight fit with the wheel on. I can squeeze my hand in to touch the ball joint, but it's tight to do accurate puncture of the joint and put wd40 in.

Also, should I just use the straw with the WD40 can and cut a hole, or is it worth it to try and use a grease gun or something like that?

Hi All,

The North Texas Boxster Enthusiasts did this mod at one of our events….with a twist!

Instead of CUTTING on your boots. GET A SYRINGE and INJECT the WD40. Spray it into the cap, suck it out with a needle, tap three times to look like a doctor (optional), and inject into the boot AT THE HIGHEST POINT THAT DOES NOT TOUCH METAL - so as not to foul the needle. There are four locations per wheel.

I go down dirt roads to find houses, this fix has saved my sanity. So far, I have done it twice in a year of ownership and driving dirt roads daily. So once a year may be more then enough.

The trick is to use the needle as it will not leave a major hole like cutting the boot would. Your mileage may vary….but they ARE QUIETER MILES! Enjoy!

Any chance of more info or pics of those "four locations per wheel"? Syringe idea is great. Where did u get yours from?

Newbie question (apologies) : Any chance of a pic / description where the ball joint is?

As my first project with the new (2000) boxster - I have taken a look but struggling to spot it. . .

Any help appreciated!

L

turn your steering wheel all the way right. look behind the left wheel down low. you will see a control arm that connects the wheel to the car. the ball joint will be at the outermost point of this control arm.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1371485669.jpg

Thanks insite- useful pic.

Strangely it seems to come and go. . .returning when I drove today so will give this a go tomorrow and report back!

L

I need to do this as well. When I push the rear corners down, they creak.

So this took me longer than expected - once you have the right tools its easy & works a treat! Zero annoying creak

Started out with a spray can of grease - this was too thin and harder to control: Being close to the brakes I gave up on this plan.

Instead i bought a syringe from amazon and used some thicker grease. Also with the syringe it meant I could do it without taking the wheel off (with my 18" wheels I couldn't see the part on the fronts even on full lock) instead just feeling for the rubbery bit.

As info for others - I used this cooking syringe from amazon : www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001HZMOII. Pretty well made & did the job.

Cheers guys for the help!