Honda Car Forum

Hi Everyone

Well I have a 91 Accord EX with 240,000 Kms and it has always run like a
charm. The usual glitches but there are no complaints here.

About 1 month ago I started to get a squeak in the left front end. When
I say squeak, it turns heads and makes people look! It sounds like
rubber to rubber or very dry rubber.

It has continued to grow to the point when I turn the steering wheel
mostly from the center position from left to right, it is really bad.
It also will squeak when I push down on the fender to exercise the
suspension. The same goes when I break and accelerate.

Now this sounds easy to fix, just spray WD40 or oil on all of the
suspension parts but that didn't work.

Here is what I have changed to this date:

Top Ball joint with the Y member ( Are elbows that attach to fenders
adjusted on jacks or with wheels on ground?)
New struts and springs (Found both springs broke)
Bushings for torsion bar on left side
lubricated everything I could disassemble or get my hands on

The noise is definitely from the left side but it is driving me nuts.
Any suggestions would be great.

Steve

Cut a water hose 2 feet long. Attach one end to ear. Also great for
catching crickets.

> Well I have a 91 Accord EX with 240,000 Kms and it has always run like a
> charm. The usual glitches but there are no complaints here.
>
> About 1 month ago I started to get a squeak in the left front end. When
> I say squeak, it turns heads and makes people look! It sounds like
> rubber to rubber or very dry rubber.
>
> It has continued to grow to the point when I turn the steering wheel
> mostly from the center position from left to right, it is really bad.
> It also will squeak when I push down on the fender to exercise the
> suspension. The same goes when I break and accelerate.
>
> Now this sounds easy to fix, just spray WD40 or oil on all of the
> suspension parts but that didn't work.
>
> Here is what I have changed to this date:
>
> Top Ball joint with the Y member ( Are elbows that attach to fenders
> adjusted on jacks or with wheels on ground?)
> New struts and springs (Found both springs broke)
> Bushings for torsion bar on left side
> lubricated everything I could disassemble or get my hands on
>
> The noise is definitely from the left side but it is driving me nuts.
> Any suggestions would be great.
>
> Steve

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 19:58:17 -0400, SJD <dudkas@sympatico.ca> wrote:

>Hi Everyone
>
>Well I have a 91 Accord EX with 240,000 Kms and it has always run like a
>charm. The usual glitches but there are no complaints here.
>
>About 1 month ago I started to get a squeak in the left front end. When
>I say squeak, it turns heads and makes people look! It sounds like
>rubber to rubber or very dry rubber.
>
>It has continued to grow to the point when I turn the steering wheel
>mostly from the center position from left to right, it is really bad.
>It also will squeak when I push down on the fender to exercise the
>suspension. The same goes when I break and accelerate.
>
>Now this sounds easy to fix, just spray WD40 or oil on all of the
>suspension parts but that didn't work.

Spraying will not get anything inside the boots of ball joints.

>Here is what I have changed to this date:
>
>Top Ball joint with the Y member ( Are elbows that attach to fenders
>adjusted on jacks or with wheels on ground?)

All suspension joints should be torqued with the wheels on the ground. Do
you mean you replaced the top ball joint?

>New struts and springs (Found both springs broke)
>Bushings for torsion bar on left side
>lubricated everything I could disassemble or get my hands on

How did you lubricate? My guess, since it happens with the steering as
well as vertical suspension motion is that the bottom ball joint is dry -
you won't get anything in there with a spray though. If it's not worn, it
might be worth trying to get some fresh grease in with a grease gun fitted
with a needle adapter but don't pierce the rubber - try to get the needle
up between the rubber and the stud... which may mean bending the needle and
pulling the rubber away from the stud with a hook device. This is easy if
you take the lower arm off the stud of course.

Of course it could also be any of the other bushings or ball joints.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

Thanks George

I will give that a try this week-end. You are right I don't want to
pierce the boot and change another ball joint. A very frustrating thing
to find...easy to fix once you find it.

Steve

George Macdonald wrote:
> On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 19:58:17 -0400, SJD <dudkas@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
>
>>Hi Everyone
>>
>>Well I have a 91 Accord EX with 240,000 Kms and it has always run like a
>>charm. The usual glitches but there are no complaints here.
>>
>>About 1 month ago I started to get a squeak in the left front end. When
>>I say squeak, it turns heads and makes people look! It sounds like
>>rubber to rubber or very dry rubber.
>>
>>It has continued to grow to the point when I turn the steering wheel
>>mostly from the center position from left to right, it is really bad.
>>It also will squeak when I push down on the fender to exercise the
>>suspension. The same goes when I break and accelerate.
>>
>>Now this sounds easy to fix, just spray WD40 or oil on all of the
>>suspension parts but that didn't work.
>
>
> Spraying will not get anything inside the boots of ball joints.
>
>
>>Here is what I have changed to this date:
>>
>>Top Ball joint with the Y member ( Are elbows that attach to fenders
>>adjusted on jacks or with wheels on ground?)
>
>
> All suspension joints should be torqued with the wheels on the ground. Do
> you mean you replaced the top ball joint?
>
>
>>New struts and springs (Found both springs broke)
>>Bushings for torsion bar on left side
>>lubricated everything I could disassemble or get my hands on
>
>
> How did you lubricate? My guess, since it happens with the steering as
> well as vertical suspension motion is that the bottom ball joint is dry -
> you won't get anything in there with a spray though. If it's not worn, it
> might be worth trying to get some fresh grease in with a grease gun fitted
> with a needle adapter but don't pierce the rubber - try to get the needle
> up between the rubber and the stud... which may mean bending the needle and
> pulling the rubber away from the stud with a hook device. This is easy if
> you take the lower arm off the stud of course.
>
> Of course it could also be any of the other bushings or ball joints.
>
> Rgds, George Macdonald
>
> "Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??