I also removed the lower bolt. There's no load once the top of the strut and the other end of the drop link is unbolted. The wheel carrier is just held by the LCA. I even removed the fork arm.

Honestly, I would probably just bond it in the right location and call it a day(strong epoxy) . That rubber piece just acts as a spherical joint allowing the shaft to change axis without binding. The reason it failed as you can spot by the polished surfaces is micro compression cracks. Porsche lower control arms are also notorious for that. Its when the loading and unloading especially in compression creates tiny cracks that get bigger and bigger with time. I know Aluminium is a different material, but it is the easiest one to spot.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1486140867.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1486141185.jpg

That is why when you sprayed lubricant it stopped making noise. The rubber surfaces stopped working against each other vs stretching as you were theorizing.

As long as the rest of the rubber looks good, go ahead and glue them back together and enjoy the cheap fix.

If the bushing is broken down, just replace the mount. They are not that expensive
Don't mess with trying to repair it

Wow, thank you for your scientific explanation WorkInProgressK!
What you say makes a lot of sense and is totally in line with what I've experienced and theorized. This issue didn't effect the handling of the car at all. If there had not been the creak I would have never noticed something was wrong. I suppose these bushings are in the same condition in most 986s they just don't creak. The shaft in my other strut can also be turned a bit in both directions and makes the same creak while rotating still it doesn't make the creak while driving.

If anyone feels like contributing please just remove the rubber cap and try turning the 21mm nut on top of the strut.

Btw, I've already replaced the strut mount I just didn't have time to take & post photos of the old one before.

Videos to see and hear what the creak was like.

This is the creak. The car made it when going over speed bumps or on rough roads. I couldn't replicate it for a long time (I always just pushed down on the car) as it only occurred when I grabbed the car at the wheel arch and pulled it upwards first. The creak went away when I turned the shaft just a bit by turning the nut on top of the strut.
creak - Sendvid

This is the same creak while the shaft is turning in the top mount.
creakwhenturningtheshaft - Sendvid

Since I'm not much of a DIY guy can you tell me what kind of money I should expect to pay for new shocks and struts on my 98 Boxster with 80M miles on it?

Also, is it a job that can be done at a "good quality shop" ( that works on my other non- Porsche cars) OR should it be done at more of a Porsche specialty shop?

Is yours making the same creaking noise?

I can't help sorry. I started doing everything I can on my own.
I don't think this requires a Porsche specialist though. It's the usual MacPherson strut most cars have.

@Rob175 - I recently paid $800 AU (approx $600 US) for a well regarded but not Porsche specific place to fit mine. I bought the shocks myself as they were cheaper to ship from the UK than to buy locally (??) and had them fit them, so that cost is just for labour and new bumpstops. I'd guess it'd be a little bit cheaper in the US because we generally pay more for labour here too.

Thanks for the reply. I suppose the best thing to do is to get a few estimates. Probably a couple from Porsche "experienced" shops and one from my normal go to repair shop that typically doesn't do a lot of Porsche work but has talented mechanics that do good work.

Well.......the shop that specializes in German cars wants about $2500 for new shocks/struts...... haven't gotten any other quotes yet, so nothing to compare that to.

Rob -

I'm in the middle of buying everything necessary for shock/strut replacement (except for springs) for my 2000 base. The part total at ***** (without shocks) is about $930, shocks from ****** are 675 Euros shipped to USA. If the $2500 is JUST shocks - none of the other stuff that should be changed - seems stiff.

Jim