Creaking rear suspension

[soldave]

Something I've noticed over the past couple of weeks.  If I push down on the rear of the car, or sometimes when someone gets into the car, there's a creaking noise coming from the rear.  Imagine a stereotypical haunted house door and you've probably got a good idea of how it sounds.  Creak going down, creak coming back up, stop.

 

Indicative of rear shocks that need replacing, or could it be something else?

[dixi4uk]

Progressive squirts of WD40 would identify where the creak is occurring.

Once isolated investigate further. It sounds like a worn bush allowing metal to metal contact.

 

Have fun,

[black eclat]

Creaking rear suspension is likely to be the lower link arm, item # 26, seizing on the either the hub carrier stud, item # 25, or the diff mounting stud, (not shown).

If it is, the best way to solve this is to withdraw the link arm, clean and grease both studs and refit. Left ignored, the danger is that the stud(s) will snap.

 

 

The lower link is item # 26 in the diagram.

 

Its also worth checking the forward mounting point, item #5, for the radius arm, item # 1

Edited December 12, 2014 by black eclat

[soldave]

Awesome guide on that - thanks

 

I liberally sprayed the lower link in WD-40 and it seemed to quieten it down a little, so I'll try removing it and greasing things up over my winter break.  I'll do one at a time, but looking at the diagram it should just be a case of breaking it loose, knocking the bolt/studs out, grease up and replace, right?

[dixi4uk]

Awesome guide on that - thanks

 

I liberally sprayed the lower link in WD-40 and it seemed to quieten it down a little, so I'll try removing it and greasing things up over my winter break.  I'll do one at a time, but looking at the diagram it should just be a case of breaking it loose, knocking the bolt/studs out, grease up and replace, right?

The theory is right but it's a Lotus...........

[black eclat]

Very often the hub carrier stud is seized in the hub carrier and this could also be a source of the creaking. So it might not be a simple matter of dis-assembly. 

Unfortunately, the inboard stud very often seizes in the diff carrier and this too could be a source of the creaking.

 

In previous years, I have had both of these bolts snap on my car as the studs were seized and flexing. I was able to extract them but only after removing the hub carriers to a bench vice.

 

A handy trick I did after that was to fit a grease nipple to each diff carrier and each hub carrier. Now I give it a shot of waterproof grease a few times a year and the issue is gone. The last snapped bolt was 4 years ago. 

[soldave]

Marvellous.  Will have to see over the winter break if I can tease these studs out (and I don't have the chance to use that phrase so often!).

[jonwat]

Never owned an Eclat, what's item 20 (big, black tube) in the diagram?

[soldave]

Never owned an Eclat, what's item 20 (big, black tube) in the diagram?

Dust cover for the rear shock.

[jonwat]

OK, thanks

[Herc]

If some of the studs are seized, then it may be hard to drive them out without damaging them.  Remember that some of these studs are extra-strong steel, and failure means the wheels 'fall off'.   SJ Sportcars can sell you the correct replacements.  Some of the studs are pricier than others, but nothing unbelievably outrageous. He doesn't keep them all in stock, but can get them in a week or so.

 

Its a quite amazing suspension design, where there are relatively few parts and everything literally hinges on a few studs/bolts.

[Denis247]

Heat is your friend if the long stud in the hub carrier is seized. Btw, this is a stated service point, to take it out and grease it every now and again, probably another area where a grease nipple should have been fitted.

I have different hub carriers now but I do remember this stud very well, and they were about £30 each years ago.

[soldave]

Just going back a few points, it was said the creaking could be the diff mounting stud.  Am I right in thinking that's number 33 in this diagram?

 

Looking at SJS, it looks like the hub carrier stud is part number B075D0265F and the diff mounting stud is E075R0080Z.

[Herc]

Yes 33 is the lower one.  The top mounting is the bolt on the right hand side of the pic.

 

The inboard end of the lower rear suspension arm is also hung on that stud, hence the possibility of the creaking.

[soldave]

Got one side lower link off and stud out today (didn't manage to get it back in for a couple of reasons, but it'll be done in the morning).  Have greased up both studs and so hopefully that will help; will do the other side too over Christmas and if not I'll move to the radius arm forward mounting point.

 

I did find something interesting though.  On the driver's side, the stud going through the diff mounting doesn't have the front of the two big washers (I believe they're called "rear diff mounting snubber washers").  While the service manual does say "Use only the same amount of washers between lower Iink and the differential mounting boss as was removed", I kind of get the feeling there should be one in there.  I had a look and on the passenger side there are the 2 snubber washers in place.

Edited December 23, 2014 by soldave

[dixi4uk]

The differential on this car was swopped out a while ago.

It is likely that the washer was left out when reassembling.

[soldave]

Passenger side diff stud really doesn't want to come out.  Have hammered on it a bit and doused it liberally in WD-40 but don't want to destroy the threads on the end of the stud.  Have been quoted £100-150+VAT by Chris Foulds in Huddersfield for worst case scenario of having to apply heat to both studs the link connects to and that destroying the bushes.  Does that sound reasonable?

[dixi4uk]

The £150 fee does sound like a lot of money to free off the stud 33. However all labour charges take into account what if....

 

You could of course go out and buy or hire a blowtorch running off propane.

 

I have a recollection that the stud can be replaced, if damaged, very cheaply with a Land Rover suspension bolt.

If it measures up they are only £8 a pair.

[eclat22]

Hi, you could get a blowtorch that runs on map gas , this is mixed acetylene and propane and as I understand runs hotter than just propane,

[dixi4uk]

The £150 fee does sound like a lot of money to free off the stud 33. However all labour charges take into account what if....

 

You could of course go out and buy or hire a blowtorch running off propane.

 

I have a recollection that the stud can be replaced, if damaged, very cheaply with a Land Rover suspension bolt.

If it measures up they are only £8 a pair.

[pbharcourt]

I used a cheap blowtorch to warm it and then borrowed a ten ton hydraulic bench press to shift mine, or buy a second hand set of suspension for £50!

[dixi4uk]

The £150 fee does sound like a lot of money to free off the stud 33. However all labour charges take into account what if....

 

You could of course go out and buy or hire a blowtorch running off propane.

 

I have a recollection that the stud can be replaced, if damaged, very cheaply with a Land Rover suspension bolt.

If it measures up they are only £8 a pair.

[dixi4uk]

Sorry for my post to this thread appearing a few times. Not sure why this happened.

[soldave]

Right - I've got confidence renewed (for now)!  Gonna get the good old ATF-acetone homemade penetrating oil and spray everything under there liberally.  I'll double-nut the studs and see if I can get them rotating inside the housings.  If they rotate, they'll come out.  I'm willing to hammer near the diff but want to be a bit more gentle on the stud going through the hub carrier.  Will apply heat if necessary.  Only got the driver's side diff stud out and greased before, so one down, three to go.

 

(Note: all of this will only be done in a few weeks when I have an alternate mode of transport!)

[directordanw]

Hi Dave,

 

Did you have any success with all these studs? If you see what I mean...

 

Replaced the clutch cable that snapped the day after my Eclat passed its MOT (I think I've found a new least favourite job!) and took the S2 out for a spin this morning.  Surprisingly skittish on its toes, even without power steering it takes a very light touch (does that sound right?).  And loves being pushed up through the revs.  But I've got what I think is the same creaking from the rear end every time I go over a speed bump.  And living in London there's a lot of speed bumps!  So it sounds like I need to go through the same process you have.  And I was wondering if regreasing the various studs has improved matters.  And what nightmares I should be looking out for.

 

Thanks, Dan