Front Suspension Creek

[ffelan]

c2 cab with HR springs

I had this creek before we put the springs on.... only does it when hot... not when cold? soulds like it comes from lower ball joint?

we regreased top mount bearing when we did the springs?

any ideas?

thanks in advance.....

[P.Viby]

Haha. I have the problem that it creeks when it is cold outside.

More grease !! :-)

[Aiello]

I have a 997 ragtop with the H&R springs. I would strongly advise anyone to use a different set-up or spring manufacturer. In my case the H&R springs are way to soft. My ride, steering and overall handling is loose and weak

[umn]

...

I had this creek before we put the springs on....  only does it when  hot... not when cold?  soulds like it comes from lower ball joint? 

we regreased top mount bearing when we did the springs?

...

Hi Paul,

It's almost always the top ball bearings. Well known problem, particularly when it't hot. Re-greasing doesn't really help, they need to be replaced. Problem is that it's not a permanent solution. I'm on my third set (all replaced under warranty and now I've just learned to live with it.

Cheers,

Uwe

[Stefan]

It could be the lower control arm bushing. Try nailing it with a non-silicone lubricant and see if the problem temporarily goes away. If so, you have to replace the whole thing (and get an alignment) to fix it.

[Paul Fraser]

It's almost always the top ball bearings. Well known problem, particularly when it't hot. Re-greasing doesn't really help, they need to be replaced. Problem is that it's not a permanent solution. I'm on my third set (all replaced under warranty and now I've just learned to live with it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Forgive my ignorance, but what top ball bearings are these and where are they (I have the same cold-no-squeak, hot-squeak problem)?

[PeterC4]

I've had this condition on both the front and back. The creaking was very noticable when it got very hot or cold. Control arms were replaced and that did the trick. And you need an alignment afterwards.

Edited October 3, 2005 by PeterC4

[discoganya]

I thought I should resurrect this thread with a question I had:

I had the same symptoms as above -- creaking front suspension noise when car is warmed up. I sprayed Wurth HHS 2000 on almost all bushings and joints I could find up there ... but that did not help. I took it to the dealer this morning and he calls me back saying that both the front "ball joints" are bad. He says it will need a special order from Germany. $400 for each side, + Labor + re-alignment = $1,600 total. Ouch! My car is out of warranty, so this will be out of pocket.

What do you guys think? I'm a little suspicious of the dealers advice -- could he be faking the problems for more work? Moreover, if I don't fix the problem for a few thousand miles, will there be additional damage to the car?

TIA

[discoganya]

I had a good discussion with the Tech and he basically convinced me that he knew what he was talking about. We went under the car and he showed me the exact cause of the problem.

Could someone tell me the part number for item 17 below? It seems the ball joint at the red circle has lost it's grease and is the source of the creaking. The tech said that parts will have to be specially ordered from Germany. I just want to call around and make sure that is the case ... so if you know the part number, please let me know.

TIA

Edited November 8, 2006 by discoganya

[Loren]

I had a good discussion with the Tech and he basically convinced me that he knew what he was talking about. We went under the car and he showed me the exact cause of the problem.

Could someone tell me the part number for item 17 below? It seems the ball joint at the red circle has lost it's grease and is the source of the creaking. The tech said that parts will have to be specially ordered from Germany. I just want to call around and make sure that is the case ... so if you know the part number, please let me know.

TIA

Please let the image completely upload before submitting the post - thanks.

[discoganya]

Please let the image completely upload before submitting the post - thanks.

Done ... hope you can see it now

Edited November 8, 2006 by discoganya

[Loren]

That image is for a GT3 (or GT2) with adjustable camber shims.

Do you want the stock (non-adjustable) part or do you want the race/track part? TRG and a few others sell the track parts.

[discoganya]

That image is for a GT3 (or GT2) with adjustable camber shims.

Do you want the stock (non-adjustable) part or do you want the race/track part? TRG and a few others sell the track parts.

I have a stock 996 C2 ... so I believe I need the stock parts. I've seen some on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Box...sspagenameZWD1V

My dealer says that the ball joints (at the red circle near #17 in the photo) are gone bad. He says that parts for this repair will have to come from Germany... And he's quoting about $1600 (parts, labor and realignment). That's what I'm not sure of ... should I buy parts myself, DIY change the control arms and get the car aligned ... or should I trust the dealer (stealer) and pay bigger bucks to get the problem solved.

[Loren]

The correct part number for your model year is: 996.341.053.16 -- MSRP $303.13 each. You might want to check with Sunset Imports (Porsche Parts at Dealer Prices) for a better price.

Remember you would need an alignment after replacing these parts and if you have PSM you will need to check the steering-angle sensor calibration.