Suspension Creak After Coilover Suspension

[JamJay]

Hi all,

I know this is a query for the Leon Cupra R but you use the same front suspension setup on the S3 as far as I am aware.

I noticed this weekend that the front drivers side is creaking when going over bumps in the road, it sounds like a 'rubber' creak if that makes sense, not metal on metal (but I could be wrong). This happens when I crawl over a speed hump but also with bumps in the road surface at slow speed, say under 15mph. When the car gets up to speed, 20mph+ then the noise is completely gone and for example, a trip onto a rather uneven section of the M25 yesterday caused no noises at all.

The top mounts and bearings are new and so are the front wishbones including all bushes. There are 10mm spacers on the front and the noise didn't seem to increase after fitting, the wheel is also on tightly.

So what do you think it could be?

I hardly use the car so excessive abuse won't be the cause and I've not hit anything hard. I think I heard this noise a little while back, shortly after fitting the coilovers but has since become more audible with the freezing temperatures.

Maybe it's a case of whipping off the wheel, jet washing the components of dirt and regreasing?

Any info much appreciated, I'd like to put this noise to bed on the weekend.


Thanks

 

[bengal]

Off the top of my head i would say anti roll bar bushes......

 

[Welly]

Drop links would be my guess...

 

[Aaronneal]

i have the same annoying problem, almost embarrasing, when your in a nice car making horrible noises! would like to know what solves it for you....

 

[JamJay]

Thanks people. Interesting, feeling on SCN points towards top mounts first & then ARB bushes. Hmmm, well I think I'll give the top mount a go first as it's most easily done, then check the drop link but it was ok 4wks ago and then the dread aARB bush which is a right pain to get to .

I know what you mean Aaron, dead embarrasing.

 

[Broken Byzan]

Rubber creak is normally ARB bushes and / or the wishbone bushes.

I would spray the wishbone bushes with wd40 and then try that if it's still there do the same on the wishbone ones, that should narrow the search down.

The wd40 wont stay around but at least you know what bush to change
Drop links normally clunk as do top mounts uin my experience

 

[JamJay]

The wishbone bushes are new, as are the complete arms so they should be a-ok. I'll whip the wheel off this weekend and try your methods though and see what's what, if no joy then I'll grease the top mount. I hope one of those will solve it, if not then I'll have to start stripping things off.

One thing that might be worth mentioning is that when I push down on the car to make it bouce a little, as much as you can with stiff coilovers anyway, there is no noise.

 

[Broken Byzan]

Silly Idea

when the colies were fiitted was the front arm bolts relaxed and retightened to reset the bush position as you are supposed to do the bolt up when the weight is on the car.

Seeing you have lowered it, it's possibly stressing the bush beyond it's normal range of movement

 

[JamJay]

Front arm bolts? The only bolts that were undone on the front arm were the ball joint bolts, is this what you mean? The ball joints were new (few weeks previous) so I aligned them with the marks they had made when fitted and initially aligned.

 

[scoobyra]

Sounds like ARB bushes to me buddy. I have the same issue with mine accompanied by a clonking noise every now and then

 

[Perplexer]

I had this creaking on my 2002 S3. The garage said it was the anti roll bar, so had that changed. The mounts were worn, but upon testing the creaking was still there.

They then replaced the wishbone mounts (I think it was these) with some purple upgraded bushes which nailed the issue.

 

[JamJay]

Thanks for more input

I've had the wishbone bush creak, that was awful and after changing them, it went. I'm going for ARB bush I think but this s*dding weather might put things back a week.