Creaking suspension

[big_d]

Has anyone else has issues with creaking suspension?

I get a creaking noise (now in all corners of the car) when I drive slowly over speed bumps, in/out of driveways etc and in slow corners. You don't hear a thing when you are at road speeds.
My '08 VRX is bog standard, not lowered.

Here is a video of me driving out of my driveway – ignore the loud tap noise, it's just my finger on my phone...
But the creaking makes the car sound like an old boat

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcJWNoLn1Uo[/youtube]


Mitsubishi are currently on attempt #3 to resolve the issue and the last update I have had is they are replacing the control arms to see if it makes a difference.
Thankfully it is covered under warranty


I did find this from this topic...

The usual culprits for this type of noise is control arm bushes, Anti roll bar bushes, Coil Spring not seating well... Additionally, if still using the original struts, then you are going to be using a section of the strut that has not seen much use and only a very small part of it for damping, it can also creak. When I lowered mine, I noticed a creak from the rear, but it turned out to be a loose control arm... tightening fixed mine. Look to see your springs rubber tops are seated well and are covering the entire top seat correctly.

[Graham]

I had an issue in my suspension where it sounded like there was a loud snap coming from the rear when i took corners, only sometimes...

mitsu couldnt find the problem, took it to pedders to get it checked out and paid the inspection fee thingo and since then it never happened... maybe they tightened a bolt?


pedders seem to be the guys to go to with suspension, the guy there that i talked to was one of the guys who went over east and did the r&d on the suspension for the ralliart

[13EZY]

take it to Pedders for a $14 28point suspension check.
get tem to find problem and then take it back under mitsu if under warranty

[big_d]

I Don't think there is a Pedders in NZ.

I has considered taking it to AA to get a full vehicle inspection done.
Will see what Mitsi come back with – they have had the car for a week now trying to find the problem.

[big_d]

So after having the car for 2 weeks, Mitsubishi have still not found the root cause of the problem.

They claim they have removed the suspension from my car, put them in another lancer and there was no noise (vice versa, new shocks in my car and the noise still existed).
They have replaced the bushes in the front and rear sway bars (as they said they spotted wear), but the noise is still there.
They also claim to have then remove the whole front and rear crossmember & suspension assembly and reassemble it to make sure everything is correctly tightened.

End result - the Workshop Foreman said he is at a loss as to what is causing the noise.

I now have the car back and although there is a noticeable improvement to how bad it was – the creaking noise is still there.



So, where to go from here... ??
Maybe I push the notion that the chassis is at fault?!

[Latino_Ralliart]

I get minor very minor creaking while reversing from my parents steep driveway but just though of it as normal. Mind you this is with no music in the car and paying lots of attention to the noise.

[big_d]

I get minor very minor creaking while reversing from my parents steep driveway but just though of it as normal. Mind you this is with no music in the car and paying lots of attention to the noise.

Maybe it's just me that thinks it's not normal for a car to make creaking noises...

As you can hear in the video, the noise in my car is quite noticeable. At it's worst it makes the car sounds like a creaking submarine

[Jonesy]

mine doesn't make that noise. Neither should yours. Keep up harassing them till they fix it.

Best of luck mate

[BrizLancer]

My car does the same, but a lot louder, but it started when i lowered it, so i just put it down to that and never bothered to get it checked

[big_d]

The dealership that I purchased my VRX from and have been trying to resolve the creaking issue have just told me that they have done all that they can do to resolve the issue and that it just seams to be a "characteristic of the vehicle".
BS!

So I've called Mitsubishi NZ's head office and they have recommended me to get the dealership to escalate the warranty issue with Mitsubishi NZ.
I'm now pressing the issue that the chassis is at fault.

Full credit to the local dealership. They have been busting there asses to try and fix the problem.

Will see where we go from here... dum-de-do

[China]

Hey Dave, I hope they gave you a loan car during those 2 weeks. My car makes the same noises but it is lowered and the noise is not as bad as your car. They removed you entire suspension setup to a different lancer and it was okay? Maybe they should fit the suspension from the other lancer to yours and see how it goes. If the noise is still there, problem is not with suspension - need to start looking at different things. Anyway good luck with that.

[tadz0rz]

My car does this aswell, although mine is lowered on pedders springs. Has done it ever since I lowered it. From what I have heard, the creaking noise could be coming from the coil twisting within the shock mounts. However I dont really understand how it would twist.

My car was first lowered with pedders springs and on the standard ES shocks, then when I blew one of my shocks, I upgraded to the RA shocks with the pedders springs and still the same thing was happening.

As for them saying its a 'characteristic of the car', I dont quite believe that, on lowered springs its a different story, but with standard springs I dont think so.

[brislancer]

Big D, anymore news at all. My bog standard ES has a creaking noise in the front you hear going slow over gutters, speed bumps etc. It has been back to dealer numerous times, they clained to have fixed it last time, replaced whole front right strut assembly. I drove the car out their driveway and "creak", so drove 3 metres and drove back into the service driveway entrance and back inside to tell them "it ain't fixed". I have left the car there for about 4 whole days on seperate occassions, with a "we have ordered parts" for it, you will have to bring it back. It still isn't fixed, such a hard noise to isolate, could be in the strut, could be sway bar bush, could be in the engine mounts. Just wondering if you have had anymore success on what the problem is.....

[ralliartrobbo]

Hi guys, i have the same problem. I have pedders coilovers and after a lot of seaching underneath and taking it back to pedders several times i have finally found what is causing my sqeaks.
It is the rubber at the top of the stuts were it is visible under the bonnet. Sorry don' know technical name.

If you get someone to rock the car side to side and hold your ear over the top of the suspension you will hear it clearly. Best way to rock hard enough is by opening the passenger door and hold the top of the frame.

Off to pedders tommorrow to show them and get it fixed.

Hope this helps someone else.

[squala]

Hi guys, i have the same problem. I have pedders coilovers and after a lot of seaching underneath and taking it back to pedders several times i have finally found what is causing my sqeaks. It is the rubber at the top of the stuts were it is visible under the bonnet. Sorry don know technical name. If you get someone to rock the car side to side and hold your ear over the top of the suspension you will hear it clearly. Best way to rock hard enough is by opening the passenger door and hold the top of the frame. Off to pedders tommorrow to show them and get it fixed. Hope this helps someone else.

I think those rubber things are called bumpstops.