Front end squeak...

89tbirdsc

Registered User
I know this has been discussed in several different threads but I have a few questions that I haven't seen addressed...

I have an '89 5-speed with ~160,000 mi. that I've had for about 4 yrs. About a year after I bought it it developed a squeak in the front passenger side that seemed to get worse with cold weather. Ended up having both sides upper & lower control arms, ball joints and tie rods replaced... This fixed the problem... for about a year. Then the squeak returned... had just the control arm on the pass. side replaced again (can't remember if it was upper, lower or both). Once again this fixed the squeak... for a while. Now it is squeaking again... all the time (weather temp. does not effect it).

The squeak is constant when the car is moving and VERY LOUD... but is the worst when turning (left or right is the same). The car also pulls hard to the right when braking. And the steering is a little stiff and sometimes doesn't always return all the way to the straight ahead position without a little help. After the first replacement it would not return at all, the wheels stayed in the direction I turned the steering wheel. It turned out to be a locked ball joint (brand new!) the mechanic said he'd never seen anything like it (it was replaced and then worked fine). I've read that using quality OEM parts is the key and MOOG parts were used each time.

Is it possible that the root cause of the squeak is the pulling? If so, what are some things to look for that might cause the car to pull (sticky caliper?) and how do I go about fixing it? If not, any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I really, really do not want to keep replacing front end components.

Thanks in advance everyone!
 
How do I check to make sure that's the problem? and if it is sticking, is there a fix or does the caliper have to be replaced?
 
probably want to try bleeding first and if that seems ok then try spreading the caliper...also check lines, wheel bearing, and suspension parts to make sure they are all in working order
 
I bled the brakes a couple of weeks ago (found that there was NO brake fluid going to the rear brakes, hissed like compressed air when I bled it) didn't help the pulling but I can actually stop now. I'll try spreading the caliper next. Thanks for your help.
 
my 92 did the same thing, i found the strut rod (tensioner rod) bushings to be the culprit

mine pulled to the right and squeaked only in the cold, here it new orleans being a subtropical climate the temperature variations are much more significant than any other part of the country, in part to our very high humidity, i'll trade a 60 degree winter day in new orleans for a 20 degrees winter day in new york anyday
 
just noticed your located in brandon, ms, we have a dyno out in florence at 49performance, if your around one day maybe we can meet up, i'll probably be back out that way some time soon
 
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