Quote:
Originally Posted by insite
'bearing' is really a misnomer as there is no actual bearing there. the strut top-mount can wear out and creak.
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This is incorrect. The strut bearing is in fact a bearing.
The housing may be plastic, but inside there are two metal races and a teflon ring that carries the ball bearings. Most importantly, it is not completely sealed, and dirt can work its way into the bearing over time. However, it can be cleaned and repacked easily. Maybe not worth the effort for a $40 part, but I repacked it on the spot when I discovered it was a bearing, with great results.
As for the squeak, I always noticed a mechanical sounding creak/squeak/groan when moving the wheel at a standstill.
I didn't think twice about the squeak as I was planning a full suspension refresh, but after all that work I noticed the same creak a few days later, still there!
The only thing I didn't replace was the strut bearings, so out of confusion, I dropped the wheel hub and removed the mount and bearing to inspect. It was certainly a bearing, and mine was a sandy bearing. I cleaned and repacked it on the spot since I didn't have a replacement on hand, and it did the trick. The bearing turned smoothly after repack (less sandy), and after install, no more creak/squeak.
My take is that it wasn't worn out, but just dirty (My car has 90k on it) There's a lot of weight, but not a lot of spinning going on at the strut mount. Still feels great and no creak after a few thousand miles. If I had better information maybe I would have just replaced it initially, but this worked just fine too. Hope this info helps someone get rid of a steering creak!