Technical anpther creaky suspension thread

[Legs]

hi all,
I'm looking to see if someone can tell me what is wrong with my car.


it is a late 2014 500s with 18,000 miles on the clock and when going over speed bumps it makes a creaking sound.
you can just hear it on the below video at 8 seconds and then again right at the end. it makes the noise more when the car has warmed up.

https://youtu.be/hJZUDndppBI


it honestly sounds like a creaking sound when the strut is compressing and expending and has been doing it for the past year and a half.


ive had it at 2 local fiat garages and whilst they hear the noise they cant find anything wrong and it has also been on 'shaker plates' at another garage and nothing.


im thinking either drop links or anti roll bar bushes.


can anyone help cause it is seriously annoying me know.


cheers

 

[John202020]

Is it a metal on metal noise or different one, our front suspension made a terrible noise going over speed humps but it was more of a squishing noise, long story short, I replaced ALL of the front suspension components(only bit I reused was the two rubber top mountings), totally silent now, cause failed lower control arm bushes and noticed a failed shock absorber whilst fitting

 

[Legs]

It doesn't sound a metallic clicking noise, it sounds more like plastic compressing along with the strut

 

[muttleysdad]

Could be the plastic front strut top moulding that's broke, they don't stand too much in the way of punishment particularly if you're into driving over speed humps too fast. Had to have both replaced on mine about 4 years ago. My other half managed to break the replacements in about two weeks by slamming it over speed humps (then using the line "well its better if you go over them faster ").
She's banned from driving it now.

 

[Legs]

Could be the plastic front strut top moulding that's broke, they don't stand too much in the way of punishment particularly if you're into driving over speed humps too fast. Had to have both replaced on mine about 4 years ago. My other half managed to break the replacements in about two weeks by slamming it over speed humps (then using the line "well its better if you go over them faster ").
She's banned from driving it now.

Thanks for the reply. Is there any easy way to check this?

 

[John202020]

Does it sound like rubber squashing? if yes its almost certainly the lower control arm bushes, the only plastic in the strut is the bump stop and does not normally get anywhere near being hit even then there's a polystyrene compressible part.
I did a how to guide to replacing the strut and shows a clear picture of the assembly.
Click on the guide pictures for a better look
https://www.fiatforum.com/500-guides/440891-front-shock-absorber-replacement.html

 

[Legs]

Here is a better clip
[ame]https://youtu.be/TQpOHc3ECi0[/ame]

 

[John202020]

The drivers seat, mine creaks too but have not looked at it?

 

[Legs]

It's deffo not the seat, it's more coming from the front end

 

[John202020]

On a quiet day/night get someone to rock the car standing at the open door and listen(with no one inside the car) and try to hear where its coming from.
Then sit in the drivers seat and try the same then the passenger seat, simply to rule out as much as possible, I would say your creak sound is metal on metal most of the suspension parts have bushes.

 

[muttleysdad]

Thanks for the reply. Is there any easy way to check this?

There must be as they found it on the MOT without dropping the struts, probably look for play in the strut tops.
The moulding is a triangular shaped thing that fits under the wing with a metal bush in that the strut top seats into.once its broke the bush isn't secure and rattles around. I did think about machining some out of aluminium at one time but never got round to getting one to copy.