Right now i have a little over 7,000 miles on my xb and i am experiencing a squek noise coming from the front. It only happens if it is cold outside while i drive over a bumpy rode going really slow or if the car has been sitting for a day or so. I lowerd the xb when it had 1000 miles on it and i also put 18inch rims with 215/35/18 tires on it. It has been increasing in accurance. The car is still riding the same, but i have been told the noise is the struts going out in the front. Can anyone help me out. By the way, i installed goldline springs if that helps out anyone.

 

To tell you the truth all lowered cars do it. When you lower a car you take out some suspension travel. You also change the spring rate. (you probably know this stuff) When you do those things you put more stress on the rest of the suspension and the car. What you're hearing is probably the bushings and strut top mounts. You can grease the mounts but not sure about the rest of the suspension.

 

struts don't usually make a noise when they're going out from my experience. they just stop rebounding.

 

Thank you. By the way, when i installed the springs i was told that the stock springs would have a thin dampner around the springs itself. My stock springs did not have any dampner on it. Could by any way the springs actually be bottoming out on each coil? What i mean it are the springs coming in contact with each other and that is what the noise might be?

 

Ok it could be a couple of things...first and more then likely its your springs compressing and hitting up againist each other where there is no padding. Second check your top bolt that hold the whole strut together. When we installed my buddies he had a squeeking and that was it...make sure its tight. If you only tighten it outside the car more then likely its loose.

 

i had the same "clicking" problem with the top of the strut. i was able to fix it by putting a jack under the strut to compress it and tightening the nut on top.

 

I also beleive that they sell a wrap for the coils to avoid the clatter from the hitting eachother.

 

Did you use a spring compressor? Sounds loose

 

I didnt use a spring compressor. I used tightened the strut outside of the vehicle and and then tightned the top bolt while it was installed by using the weight of the car. The only way of finding out if its properly installed would be to take the struts out i suppose. When i try and tighten the top strut bolt while its in the vehicle, i can see the whole strut rotate along with the tightning of the strut bolt. Where can i buy those spring covers at? How far should i compress the spring when i re-tighten the strut bolt?

 

did you take off the spring coil cover from the stock spring and put it on the new spring? That cover can make a huge difference in spring noises, it stops them. The coils than touch the rubber instead of each other.

 

Make sure the strut nut inside the top hat is tight. Even tightened to the recommended torque, I had mine loosen after a year. Its from these pothole, uneven pavement ridden freeways and streets of CA.

Isn't there a road tax applied to the price of gas for such road repairs and maintenenace?

 

My stock springs did not have any such spring padding when i took them off. Believe me, i was suprised because i was already aware of the clashing noise that can come from the springs after being settled. I live in california as well and i have to agree. Sometimes i feel like i am looking for oncoming potholes more then whats going on around me. DONT DRIVE IN LA! Just like how the song go, walkin in la... walkin in
la-aa.. no body walks in la.

 

Pretty much, we just sit there in traffic.

 

i put a jack up under the wheel to compress the strut while it was still installed and was able to tighten the nut on top to get rid of the clanking.

 

I think i will give that a try. I dont really feal like taking off, then putting back on the springs in the front. Not that its hard, but im just lazy. Plus there is a strut bar now in the mess of things and thats a pain to get a socket on it. Thanks for all the help.