Scion xA 2004 rear suspension squeaking noise
 

Hello,
I own a sicon xA 2004 1.5L and i am experinecing rear squeaking noise during bumps and bad road condition. I googled it and found most of the car's rear sway bar bushing cause the noise. I tried to find it out in my xA but I can't figure the sway bar or what bushing to change.. can any one suggest me where is the rear sway bar and if there is no stock sway bar..how to solve the issue. I snapped few photos...thanks in advance, I would be grateful for kind advise.

is there anyone to help me..what is this pipe/bar along the rear axel..?

Congrats...you've found the sway bar.

Ahh great..now there should be bushings..btw why we all are suggested for the after market sway bar? Whats wrong with the stock one?

I'd start with spraying something on all of the bushings for the trailing arm and sway bar...WD40 or maybe a silicone spray to see if that helps with the squeaking. My xB does the same thing and I'll be checking it next time I am under the back end of it...if you do need to replace bushings, which would be a huge pain, I'd recommend looking at Energy Suspension for some polyurethane bushings as they will 'tighten' up the handling over rubber bushings, last far longer and cost less than the $50 Toyota wants for each rear bushing.

As far as sway bars...unless you're going to be Auto-X'ing I'd save your money. The rear sway bar is fine up to a point although an additional sway bar, that's right...you keep the stock one also, stiffens the back end a little.

I've got a Whiteline on mine, what at one point was considered the absolute best sway bar option, but they are now out-of-production and I had to go to the UK to get it. Don't know if I would go through the hassle again but it'll go nicely with the KW Variant 2's I'll be doing later this summer.

In your 1st and 2nd pictures it looks like you have cracked trailing arm bushings. That could be a noise source. No idea how hard they are to change.
In your 4th picture there seems to be oil everywhere (or is that water)?? If it's oil, that means the shock has failed. put a new pair on
In the 5th picture, it appears that the sway bar is bent??? IDK, do they all look like that??

I don't know if they're cracked as the stock rear trailing arm bushings are funky...Energy Suspension makes polyurethane bushings for the rear trailing arm for about $50.00. Outside of having to drop the trailing arm to replace them it doesn't look like too bad of a job and I'll be doing it when my rear disc conversion goes on.
Yep...they all look like that. I think the 'bend' is part of what provides the anti-sway functionality. And the stock sway, from what I can tell, is kept in place when using any aftermarket sway bar, so it's really an add-on sway.

My car was in the jack for washing & I took all those pictures. I couldnot locate my sway bar bushing..my bad! any link for these bushing to order. Nevertheless thanks for the in depth suggestions..much appreciated :icon_biggrin:

While washing my car I took all the five pics & found the arm bushing onle. I swa the sway bar but I think there is no bushing...or else i failed to locate rewar sway bar bushing..can you pls give me link for energy suspension bushing for both arm & sway bar bushing..thanks