Squeaky Creaking Noise

[gvaldez]

Greetings,
I'm Troubleshooting some annoying noise from 2002 KJ and thinking others my have experience with this. @lfhoward, I've seen your recent suspension work. It looks amazing, I feel I might be going down similar path.

Here is a link to video recording of the noise. It's all from the same side and focused on the UCA ball joint though I don't think the UCA ball joints are the source since these were replace a few years back.

Squeaky Creaking Noise

Recording creaking noise from 2002 Jeep Liberty KJ.

rumble.com

Things I've tried.
- Lubricated the front upper and lower ball joints and the outer tie rod ends, via the syringe method. On one side, the lower ball joint and tie rod end boots are split. Tried to seal them up but I'm sure these will not hold the lubrication. Beyond the split boots, the joints don't appear to be bad.
- Replaced the sway bar bushings and sway bar links.
- Sprayed lubricant on all the remaining bushings front and back.
- Randomly check bolts in the under carriage but they all appeared to be tight.


Any thing I missed? Otherwise, I may start with replacing the LCA ball joints and tie rods.

Thanks,
Gerry

 

[Johnny O]

Greetings,
I'm Troubleshooting some annoying noise from 2002 KJ and thinking others my have experience with this. @lfhoward, I've seen your recent suspension work. It looks amazing, I feel I might be going down similar path.

Here is a link to video recording of the noise. It's all from the same side and focused on the UCA ball joint though I don't think the UCA ball joints are the source since these were replace a few years back.

Squeaky Creaking Noise

Recording creaking noise from 2002 Jeep Liberty KJ.

rumble.com

Things I've tried.
- Lubricated the front upper and lower ball joints and the outer tie rod ends, via the syringe method. On one side, the lower ball joint and tie rod end boots are split. Tried to seal them up but I'm sure these will not hold the lubrication. Beyond the split boots, the joints don't appear to be bad.
- Replaced the sway bar bushings and sway bar links.
- Sprayed lubricant on all the remaining bushings front and back.
- Randomly check bolts in the under carriage but they all appeared to be tight.


Any thing I missed? Otherwise, I may start with replacing the LCA ball joints and tie rods.

Thanks,
Gerry

Get you some Moog greasable lower ball joints. Literal problem solvers.

 

[gvaldez]

Get you some Moog greasable lower ball joints. Literal problem solvers.

Thanks Johnny O, Moog are the ones I plan on ordering.

 

[Johnny O]

Thanks Johnny O, Moog are the ones I plan on ordering.

Make sure you get the ones with the zerks, lasts forever when you can grease flush them. I managed to destroy one in the desert and got a free one once I limped back to a town

 

[gvaldez]

Make sure you get the ones with the zerks, lasts forever when you can grease flush them. I managed to destroy one in the desert and got a free one once I limped back to a town

Will do, thanks.

This one.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C59XI8/?coliid=I2TOLOX9PPUVEN&colid=140OTDTJCRWZK&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[lfhoward]

I recommend Moog Problem Solver ball joints as well. Mine are silent now. I didn’t have noises like yours before, but the lower ball joint boots had been annihilated and would not hold grease.

As for the bushings, if you go that far, I think it may be worth it to go for aftermarket arms with bushings pre-installed. I have heard the Mevotech ones on Rock Auto are decent. I was wanting to keep mine Mopar (with Moog bushings), but it was a ton of work. I used a 20 ton press and the Harbor Freight ball joint service kit and the add on kit. Even with that, it was a literal puzzle to figure out how to press some of them in and out. But hey, I got a shop press out of this repair that I will use for years to come on other things. How about some pinion bearings, LOL?

One thought I had listening to the squeaking noise in your video, is did you have any suspension work done lately? If the bolts that go through the bushings were tightened on the lift, and not with the weight of the Jeep on them, you may be stressing your bushings as they move up and down at ride height. This could possibly make a squeak, as the bushings twist. This is a guess, and may not be right.

 

[gvaldez]

I recommend Moog Problem Solver ball joints as well. Mine are silent now. I didn’t have noises like yours before, but the lower ball joint boots had been annihilated and would not hold grease.

As for the bushings, if you go that far, I think it may be worth it to go for aftermarket arms with bushings pre-installed. I have heard the Mevotech ones on Rock Auto are decent. I was wanting to keep mine Mopar (with Moog bushings), but it was a ton of work. I used a 20 ton press and the Harbor Freight ball joint service kit and the add on kit. Even with that, it was a literal puzzle to figure out how to press some of them in and out. But hey, I got a shop press out of this repair that I will use for years to come on other things. How about some pinion bearings, LOL?

One thought I had listening to the squeaking noise in your video, is did you have any suspension work done lately? If the bolts that go through the bushings were tightened on the lift, and not with the weight of the Jeep on them, you may be stressing your bushings as they move up and down at ride height. This could possibly make a squeak, as the bushings twist. This is a guess, and may not be right.

Thanks lfhoward,

I did get a lift installed just over a year ago so I'll check those bolts and make sure these are torqued. Will also read up on, Mevotech. Sounds interesting.

Gerry

 

[gvaldez]

Perusing the forum today and realized I never provided an update on this thread.

Problem resolved. I ended up replacing the UCA with JBA's, lower ball joints and outer tie rod ends. Did all this at the same interval which completely resolved the squeaky noise. That was several months ago and noise hasn't returned.

Captured some video when I was doing this so might edit a video someday. Maybe someday.... : /

Cheers,