"Squeeky" suspension on my '73 Mach 1

Joeaus08 · Dec 10, 2024

After I bought my car, I noticed the suspension was sqeeking pretty good. So, I puchased all new components for the front end, ball joints, spring seats, shocks, everything! After driving it. it drove and handled much better, but the squeeks weren't much better. Everything had grease fittings, so I gave it another dose of grease and it seemed a little better. Drove it yesterday for the first time in about 3 weeks and it was very squeeky again. What can I do to stop this, it is very annoying. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Joe

Tnfastbk · Dec 10, 2024

Did you use polyurethane bushings? They are notorious for squeaking.

Joeaus08 · Dec 10, 2024

No, i had heard that, so I went with the rubber.

Sheriff41 · Dec 10, 2024

Were the upper spring insulators in place?

Joeaus08 · Dec 10, 2024

Tnfastbk · Dec 10, 2024

May have to go about it the old fashion way. Manually pushing down on the front end or rear to try and pin point it. May just be one side or could be both. If you have a helper to either push or lay on the ground to listen, it may go easier.

Sheriff41 · Dec 10, 2024

I know you said you replaced everything, but you didn't list upper and lower control arm bushing. Just confirming to eliminate possibilities.

You said greasing the joints helped some. Be sure you're actually getting plenty of grease in them.

Joeaus08 · Dec 10, 2024

yessir, everything.

Flatback72 · Dec 10, 2024

Every time my front end squeaked it was upper control arm bushes. In my current Mustang even brand new control arms started squeaking after a month on the car and greasing them would only stop the squeaking for a week or so then back to squeaking again.
I ended up replacing the upper control arms with Australian Ford Falcon (from 1977 to 1987 models) arms which have the same geometry and fit but have rubber bushes at the pivots rather than the metal on metal of the original design, haven't had a squeak out of them since.

Moderator73 · Dec 10, 2024

Probably a dumb question but what about your sway bar bushings and your bushings on your end links? Just asking since you didn’t specifically mention them as being replaced or lubricated? They’re a good source for squeaks.

Spike Morelli · Dec 10, 2024

Your strut rod bushings can squeak as well. When I first got my Mach 1 years ago, I bought EVERYTHING NEW, mostly Moog components and Gabriel shocks for the front and rear suspension. Coil fronts and leaf springs too. It wasn't quite as expensive as today, but still a wad o' money. Driving it home from the shop was so impressive. The guys who worked at the garage I took it to had a ball. They just inbolted everything and let it hit the ground, kept the brakes, spindles, and rear axle.

roboconklin · Dec 11, 2024

Sheriff41 said:
I know you said you replaced everything, but you didn't list upper and lower control arm bushing. Just confirming to eliminate possibilities.

You said greasing the joints helped some. Be sure you're actually getting plenty of grease in them.

I feel the same way as sheriff. Upper control arms have a screw type pivot on the shaft under the coil spring. Those zero fittings are hard to move grease through and can be a problem. That’s my pick as well. Persistence is key

Joeaus08 · Dec 11, 2024

Moderator73 said:
Probably a dumb question but what about your sway bar bushings and your bushings on your end links? Just asking since you didn’t specifically mention them as being replaced or lubricated? They’re a good source for squeaks.

yes, they were replaced, and they were greased as well. They are polyurethane (couldn't find any rubber ones at that time), but the sound seems closer to the dash than that.

Joeaus08 · Dec 11, 2024

Spike Morelli said:
Your strut rod bushings can squeak as well. When I first got my Mach 1 years ago, I bought EVERYTHING NEW, mostly Moog components and Gabriel shocks for the front and rear suspension. Coil fronts and leaf springs too. It wasn't quite as expensive as today, but still a wad o' money. Driving it home from the shop was so impressive. The guys who worked at the garage I took it to had a ball. They just inbolted everything and let it hit the ground, kept the brakes, spindles, and rear axle.

yes, I changed everything but the leaf springs, but I did change the shackels.

Moderator73 · Dec 11, 2024

Joeaus08 said:
yes, they were replaced, and they were greased as well. They are polyurethane (couldn't find any rubber ones at that time), but the sound seems closer to the dash than that.

good luck finding this stinker! I understand the noise seems further away from your sway bar, but since you did use Poly bushings on these just wanted to share a lubricant that's worked really well for me to eliminate squeaks on my mustang (& other cars) just in case. Here's an amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspe...elube&qid=1733933474&s=automotive&sr=1-2&th=1

Spike Morelli · Dec 11, 2024

That Zinc "Anti-Seize" stuff works well on poly bushings. You know, the silver stuff that no matter how carefull you try to be, it still seems to get on you. Yeah....THAT stuff.

tpj71mach · Dec 11, 2024

When I rebuilt my front end, I replaced everything new and lubed all of the zirc joints. The car squeaked every time I got in or out of it or with any minor suspension travel. I lubed all of the zirc joints again and tried to bounce the car to work the grease into the new parts. A friend of mine, that was a Ford tech since we were 19, (we are both 60 now) recommended the bouncing, he said a lot of time he has found the tolerances are tight in the new parts and it takes a bit to work the grease into them. The squeaks were much better almost gone completely after the bouncing. Once I got the car running and I drove it around a bit the squeaks were completely gone, the front end is now quiet as a mouse. I don't know if this will help you, but it worked for me.

donkost · Dec 12, 2024

Joeaus08 said:
yes, they were replaced, and they were greased as well. They are polyurethane (couldn't find any rubber ones at that time), but the sound seems closer to the dash than that.

This is probably not your issue and I only offer it as a suggestion. Back in the mid-1980's I had a '79 Trans Am 400 4 speed. Only had 30,000 miles on it but I had a nasty squeak going over bumps. With the t-roofs out on a summer evening I could of course hear it more clearly, and I had to locate it. Turns out one of the hood bumpers was completely missing, allowing for a metal to metal squeak, and once replaced the squeak was gone.

jomar1957 · Dec 12, 2024

Joeaus08 said:
After I bought my car, I noticed the suspension was sqeeking pretty good. So, I puchased all new components for the front end, ball joints, spring seats, shocks, everything! After driving it. it drove and handled much better, but the squeeks weren't much better. Everything had grease fittings, so I gave it another dose of grease and it seemed a little better. Drove it yesterday for the first time in about 3 weeks and it was very squeeky again. What can I do to stop this, it is very annoying. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Joe

Global West 3 degree castor upper control arms. No more squeaks and no more wandering all over the road.

Joeaus08 said:
After I bought my car, I noticed the suspension was sqeeking pretty good. So, I puchased all new components for the front end, ball joints, spring seats, shocks, everything! After driving it. it drove and handled much better, but the squeeks weren't much better. Everything had grease fittings, so I gave it another dose of grease and it seemed a little better. Drove it yesterday for the first time in about 3 weeks and it was very squeeky again. What can I do to stop this, it is very annoying. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Joe

jomar1957 · Dec 12, 2024

jomar1957 said:
Global West 3 degree castor upper control arms. No more squeaks and no more wandering all over the road.

"Squeeky" suspension on my '73 Mach 1

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