HELP! replaced front control arms but still have creaaking steering!
 

I have a problem with my 2000 Boxster in that the steering column creeks when i steer. It happens when I drive and when im parked up and try to steer. Unfortunatley this problem does not happen all of the time - its as if somehing happens whilst driving that brings the probem on.
To cut a long story short I took the car to the garage who suggested the problem was the front control arms. They didnt get to experience the problem as it didnt happen when I got there. They replaced the front control arms costing me a fortune and in fairness I have no squeeking now as I go over bumps - so they worked in that respect.
However, just yesterday the creaking problem was back worse than ever - can anyone suggest what this creaking may be? The sound rather reminds me of stretching a thick piece of rubber under tension if you see what i mean.

I would be grateful for any help.

Thanks

The creaking is most likely coming from dirty strut bearings (number 11 in the figure below). Symptoms include a creaking noise when turning the wheel at slow speeds or at rest. It is not dangerous to leave it as is, if you can take the noise. If not, disassemble, clean, and regrease or replace if you want.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...Picture2-4.png

I got the same problem. It begin really occasionaly, and now it squeek every time I'm doing slow manoeuvre in a parking. I was going to start a thread about that today, When I just saw this one! :)

Could it be something else too? like a Dryed bolt-joint ?
Is there a check you can do to be sure where it come from?

Could that be also the source of an other noise when I sometime stand-up from in the car, as the suspension raise up, I get a harsh noise?

Thanks :)

a few things. first, in the picture of the strut, #11 isn't actually a bearing. it's labeled as a bearing, but it's really just a piece of foam rubber and won't cause the squeak.

the squeaks are usually one of three things. in order of commonality, they are:

ball joint (replace control arm, ball joint isn't servicable)
sway bar bushing (lubricate bushings)
tie rod (replace tie rod)

Boxtaboy thanks for the technical answer - I may attempt this repair myself if I jack the car up - is it possible to get to these parts with the car simply jacked up?

Where did you manage to get the diagram and diagnosis from - i could do with getting a book like this myslef but not sure if they have a Haynes manual type thing for a Porsche.

On another forum a person suggested the rubbers/bushes on the coloumn itself? Does this make sense do you know?

vipola - that problem gettin in and out of the car is your control arms. I had the same problem plus you could hear it going over bumps. Ive had them replaced and you wouldnt know now othe than a bit of squeeking at the back as they have not been replaced.

Thanks again

insite just noticed your reply as i way typing my previous one. Ive had the control arms done - the squeeks have gone but the vreaking steering has not. The sway bar and tie rod - are they things I can do and do you know where I get get more information on how to replce/service these. Ive just forked out £850 and cannot afford to take it to the garge again so i could do with doin this myself. what do you reckon? and are the tie rods expensive?

Thanks

Not sure if you can get to these parts with the car simply jacked up, as I havn't done this job myself, but I don't see why not.

I got the diagram from a posting on another boxster forum from when a fellow was helping someone else with the same problem you speak of. I would try to ask your question on a technical forum like Renntech.org to gather more thoughts before tackling the job. Good luck.

BoxstaBoy: is it possible to get the thread you are talking about? :)

My noise getting up from my car is comming from the rear and only happened 2 time.. I don't really care of taht one.. but the steering noise is quite annoying specially when you arrive in a parking..

By the way, can It broke something worst or it's only the 'annoying noise' ?

the tie rod ends are $80 each. to finish diagnosing this, first, disconnect your sway bar links. see if the noise goes away. if it does, you found your problem.

if it doesn't, try to narrow down which side it's coming from. then, swap tie rods (mark their positions so alignment doesn't change) and see if the noise switches sides. if so, you found your problem (switch the tie rods back to their proper sides no matter what; they'll be slightly different lengths).

usually what you describe is the lower control arm, though. how many miles on the car?

Go on PPBB.com and do an archived search for "strut bearing" with a date range of more than 1 year, and you will see lots of threads on the creaking steering problem. I'd give you a direct link, but when you do an archive search, it won't give a direct link.

insite the car has done 51k. Its a 2000 2.7

'bearing' is really a misnomer as there is no actual bearing there. the strut top-mount can wear out and creak.

ecswtrav - it would really help to have someone pinpoint the source of the noise. put the hood up and have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth. try to figure out approximately where it's coming from.

I don't disagree with you insite. Just that folks refer to the creaking steering issue as a problem with the boxster's strut bearings, which you aptly point out are not really bearings, but actually sort of a mount. I will say that the problem I'm referring to is not a squeak or squeal in the steering as you turn the wheel, but a distinct creaking noise. This has often been diagnosed on other forums as a strut bearing problem, and only appears when you turn the wheel slightly at slow speeds or when at rest...not when you're at full lock.

opened up the front and removed the plastic cover with the front right strut below it. This was where the noise was coming from so I decided to spray some lubricant down. Surprisingly I have not heard the problem since. Iknow this is probably temporary but its worked for now.
I will take the strut apart or ask a garage to when the problem next arrises.

Thanks for your help

Old thread - New information
 

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!