1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I've finally succummed to the front swaybar bushing creak. I know the sound well having played with making Delrin bushings when I was younger. It's very cold up here in NH as folks probably already know. I guess I don't feel TOO bad about it as my friend's Accord did the same thing yesterday.
What I did: Last night, I raised each side of the car and sprayed some silicone between the bushings and the swaybar. At least I hoped that it got between. I used the little red straw attachment such as what comes with WD40. This was a silicone spray that I use for our treadmill rollers.
Results: The noise is gone. The front suspension is much smoother as well. I have a feeling this is only a very temporary solution. The fact that the silicone got between the bushings and the swaybar means that water can get in there too. Oh joy.
Interesting side effect: The front suspenion feels much smoother over the bumps/frost heaves. I used to complain about how soft the front suspension was when my car was new but it started feeling harder and harder. When I started getting the squeak, it sounded as if the swaybar was siezing inside the bushings and only twisting with considerable force (ie; large bumps). That would make the overall ride more harsh and cause you to lose more traction coming out of corners. I've seen that before when I used cheap grease with metal bushings long ago and the grease turned into a sticky solid.
I'll post again in a few days with an update on how this holds up.
Bill
posted by 64.3.16...
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