Creaking Suspension

[theboogieman1]

So when I get in my car after setting for a while, I hear really bad creaking from the suspension up front. It normally only happens at low speeds until the car is a bit warmer but it's really bad. Anybody have an idea if my suspension might be going? I've got about 108,000 on the car and I looked under to see if there was anything apparent but all looks good. The bushings still look as if there in good condition. Is it time to upgrade or is it something else?

[SLC_S4]

Probably control arms.....even if the boots look good, they could still be bad. Have you checked to see if there is any play in the wheel when you jack it up?

[IamEzraM]

don't confuse the scraping sound coming from your brake pads/rotors when it sits for a while, the rotors are prone to rusting in moist conditions, it'll take 2 minutes to rub all that rust off, but then it won't make any noises. Like the previous mention, you can't really tell the condition of your bushings just by looking at them, and when they wear down, it's metal on metal whenever the suspension moves. If you are still on stock control arms, chances are they need to be replaced at 108k.

[WMi_S4]

control arms probably....my stock suspension did this also, once I put coilovers on, it went away, making me think something was blown in my stock suspension

[theboogieman1]

don't confuse the scraping sound coming from your brake pads/rotors when it sits for a while, the rotors are prone to rusting in moist conditions, it'll take 2 minutes to rub all that rust off, but then it won't make any noises. Like the previous mention, you can't really tell the condition of your bushings just by looking at them, and when they wear down, it's metal on metal whenever the suspension moves. If you are still on stock control arms, chances are they need to be replaced at 108k.

It's definitely not the brakes, it happens when the car bounces or I sit in it it'll creak. Also when pulling out and turning the wheel it'll do it as well. It could be the bushings though, what do you guys think would be the best solution for fixing this for the best price. I do want to get coilovers within the next couple months, should I just do it now or just worry about possibly changing out the control arms? Thanks for the help

[theboogieman1]

control arms probably....my stock suspension did this also, once I put coilovers on, it went away, making me think something was blown in my stock suspension

That's kinda what I was hoping for really.

[oneohone]

My A4 does the same. I believe its the blown shocks.

[mholme]

Get the car up on all fours and give everything a physical inspection. Shake the wheels, pull up on them too. See if you can recreate the noise.

[theboogieman1]

Get the car up on all fours and give everything a physical inspection. Shake the wheels, pull up on them too. See if you can recreate the noise.

So I went out and did the best inspection I can, especially cause I gotta go tire by tire with the car jack. Everything felt tight and I couldn't recreate the noise but I did find this up front.


I'm thinking this could be part of the problem up front. But I do also have this REALLY annoying sound coming from my rear passenger side as well. At first I thought it was my brake but I had stuff tightened up and it is still there and getting worse. It sounds like a really high pitched clanking sound that happens at low speeds and I though I heard it a bit when I was lifting up the front end. Any ideas on this as well?

[IamEzraM]

that bushing looks shot, it's hard to tell visually, but that is what mine looked like when the mech said they were bad, and I thought it looked ok. That tear on the outside means there's nothing left behind it. Rear end sound, possibly wheel bearings

[theboogieman1]

I'll try and get some audio clips up of both sounds to see if any of you have heard the same things. I put the car up and banged, pushed, and pulled on the back tire and I couldn't get it to make that sound. Only when I was jacking up the front did I hear it a bit.

[mholme]

If that rubber is seperated in that picture(hard to tell), that bushing is done.

[theboogieman1]

If that rubber is seperated in that picture(hard to tell), that bushing is done.

Yeah it was separated on both sides on the same arm. Any ideas of the sound coming from the rear? Also what would be the best way of replacing the control arms? I was checking out ECS but there are a bunch of different packages. Any thoughts?

[mholme]

Yeah it was separated on both sides on the same arm. Any ideas of the sound coming from the rear? Also what would be the best way of replacing the control arms? I was checking out ECS but there are a bunch of different packages. Any thoughts?

Not sure what the rear noise could be, maybe the shocks are going if all other components checked out.

What do you mean best way? as far as a DIY goes? It's probably not going to be very fun if you can't get the pinch bolt out.. If you can afford the whole kit, go for it, your other bushings are bound to go at some point. Otherwise, just get the one you need to fix it.

[torment]

Mine is doing it as well. Right after I got my springs put on but i had all the CAs replaced at the same time. Sounds like Mickey Mouse is riding on my bumper.

[theboogieman1]

Not sure what the rear noise could be, maybe the shocks are going if all other components checked out.

What do you mean best way? as far as a DIY goes? It's probably not going to be very fun if you can't get the pinch bolt out.. If you can afford the whole kit, go for it, your other bushings are bound to go at some point. Otherwise, just get the one you need to fix it.

I meant best way on what to buy, and what I should do while in there. I plan on getting coilovers within the next month or so and thinking I should just do everything together. Are the full kits really over $1000?

[S4_NE]

do it all at once when you get your coil overs, also dosen't hurt to get all new bolts an dnuts as well, ECS sells a nice kit for teh front end as well as bolts/nuts for teh rear as well, good luck, what coil overs you going with?

[theboogieman1]

do it all at once when you get your coil overs, also dosen't hurt to get all new bolts an dnuts as well, ECS sells a nice kit for teh front end as well as bolts/nuts for teh rear as well, good luck, what coil overs you going with?

I've had my eye on the Startup Racing Vogtland GT's for a while now, so that's what I plan on going with. They are finally in stock and not backordered now, so trying to find the time to pull the trigger. They are long overdue.

[theboogieman1]

Ok, so here are the sounds I recorded. Looks like the creaking up front is more than likely my upper control arms but wanted to post a sound clip for anyone else that my be looking for the same sound.
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Now that one isn't so bad but this one is too ghetto to ignore and I really need to find the source asap. Any body heard this before?

[AudiTechS4]

upper control arm inner bushings and/or sway bar links

[theboogieman1]

upper control arm inner bushings and/or sway bar links

Is that for the rear or front sound? I've tried banging on stuff in the back but can't seem to recreate it unless I'm driving. You would think with a sound that bad in the rear it would be easy to recreate.

[AudiTechS4]

sorry the front, disconnect the 2 cups holding the front sway bar(4x13mm nuts)and move the sway bar around. that shoud tell you is the sway bar mounts on the ends are causing the noise

[theboogieman1]

Thanks!

Anybody have any ideas for that awful sound coming from the back?

[theboogieman1]

Ok, so I finally narrowed it down just now to the brakes in the back. I pulled my tire off and banged around again with out any luck. On my way home I was driving over the lane markers to make the sound and when I would push on my brakes the sound would go away. That is until I let off the brake and it would come back.

Now with this, any ideas of what could be going on with the brakes to make this rattling sound?

[theboogieman1]

So here's the update.

Ends up that my rattling that was coming from the back was one of my brake pads. The inside pad was missing the spring completely and so the pad was just rattling around in there. So now I have no rattling anymore. Figured I'd give and update incase anyone else has this problem.