FromZto5

Yep, I think I have the dreaded squeak. What's annoying is that it started right after I installed the rear Koni shocks. What I did was remove the rear sway bar end link bolts connecting the chassis, then swung the bar down. I also loosened the passenger axle clamps to the sway bar, realizing I didn't have to.

But anyways, after I put it all back together, that's when I heard the squeak. I tried loosening it all back, then loosely put the bolts back on, let the car rest on boards so I can crawl under there, then tightened it all back to spec, even to 100ftlb. Still have the squeak...it came back. I even used brake caliper grease between the rubber bushing ends...

I was able to capture the squeak somewhat by pushing down on the trunk, then recording on iPhone.

Any thoughts on where it's coming from? Should I remove the sway bar, completely, the end links and the actual bar?

Turn up your speakers and you can hear the squeak three times in the vid, faint but there.

Thanks guys

Plim

I have exactly the same, after my suspension upgrade last week. I also am pretty sure, it comes from the sway bar. Loosened it, re-torqued everything, but it still squeaks.

FromZto5

Annoying for sure. I'm underneath the car now and loosened everything. Car is under load now, I'll try to retighten again with some grease on bushings again...

Any other thoughts?

kylerohde

I have the Energy Suspension rear sway bar bushing kit for our cars, new in the box, if you're interested. Decided it wasn't worth the effort for me but nothing wrong with the kit. Let me know if you want.

FromZto5

So what do you have on your car now Kyle?

FromZto5

Ok, finished loosening and tightening again. Torqued to 100ft lbs even tho spec says 86 or so. Going for test drive

FromZto5

Perfect. No more squeaks. Not sure what I did before then... I must not have let the load settle before tightening the bolts on the sway. This time, I unbolted it with the car resting on its own weight, then positioned it back on again, shimmied and moved the sway bar a few times, then let it rest as is. Proceeded to hand tighten one side, then the other, then more tight on one side, then the other, repeat until finished. Torque wrench at 100ft lbs, voila.

Drove it over the roads I heard the squeak on all week... And all is quiet.

Knock on wood, it doesn't come back.

kylerohde

The bone stock ones - I bought the Energy ones thinking they may help get rid of the bounce/rattle noise I have in the rear of the car but as I read more about those type of bushings, they apparently need to be re-greased and don't sound like a cure-all, so not sure I'm going to mess with it.

FromZto5

Yeah I still have the stock end links and sway bars. I reinstalled it and it seems to have quieted down and went away, but I'm all phobic now and thought I may have heard it again. Luckily my exhaust is loud enough to drown everything

TheReaper

Your sway bar squeaks ?

Plim

So what was it you loosened ? Also the end links? I'm not able to pinpoint which bushing is exactly causing the squeak.

FromZto5

Funny huh? Enjoy your squeak free ride, for the moment lol

Yes, sway bar end links, then retighten.

FromZto5

Got up early to remove and reinstall the oem swaybar, since the stupid squeak returned. I used a synthetic silicone based grease this time and again tightened to 100ftlbs...we will see if it goes away.

Plim

make sure you also lube, the BMR phb, and don't over tighten it. Especially on the passenger side.

Plim

I was just re-reading your thread from the beginning, and I noticed you torque everything down to 100ftlb. I checked in a service manual and I noticed that there is a difference. The second number behind the description is in lb-ft (don't know how to create a table in this forum):

Description Nm lb-ft
Brake caliper anchor plate bolts 103 76
Brake hose bracket bolt 20 —
Fuel tank strap bolt 52 38
Lateral stiffener bar nut 115 85
Lateral stiffener bar-to-body bolts 62 46
Lower arm bolts 175 129
Panhard rod bolts 175 129
Parking brake cable bracket bolt 27 20
Shock absorber lower bolt 115 85
Shock absorber upper nut 40 30
Stabilizer bar bracket nuts 70 52
Stabilizer bar link bolts 115 85
Upper arm bracket forward bolt 475 350
Upper arm bracket rearward bolts 115 85
Upper arm-to-upper arm bushing nut 175 129

wanted33

Well, mine started this crap today. So I need to check the sway bar end links, correct?

roadrunner

I have the same thing. Though in my case im not sure if its the rear sway bar or the stock LCA's. or even the UCA. I do think its the rear sway bar though, because I did some testing. In my case I had wrong sized bushings.. was then sent the correct ones and it still made some noise. then I put a whooooooole looooot of grease on the bushings, then torqued it down. noise went away.


But it seems to come back primarily during cold times. once things warm up it goes away. I'm starting to think this may just be a part of having messed around with our suspensions. I hope not though, hopefully you guys find a solution.


PS. mine isn't stock, replaced the sway bars with eibach parts. Also the noise is probably a combination of the end link bushings(to frame and bar) and the bushings next to the wheels(axle)

wanted33

Like you say J it may be the cold weather. Mine is stock. We had a cold snap last night, and mine started squeaking today. I think I'll wait until the next oil change, and have them checked just for general principle.

Plim

according to the service manual:
Condition:
• Squeak or grunt — noise from the front or rear suspension, occurs more in cold ambient temperatures. More noticeable over rough roads or when turning

Possible sources:
• Front stabilizer bar insulators
• Rear stabilizer bar insulators

Action:
• Under these conditions, the noise is acceptable.


And when the temperature is taken out of the equation, the manual says:
Condition:
Squeak, creak or rattle noise. Occurs mostly over bumps or rough roads


Possible sources:
• Front or rear suspension components
• Loose or damaged front struts, shock
absorber(s) or shock absorber bushing(s)
• Damaged spring or spring mount(s)
• Damaged or worn control/radius arm
bushing(s)
• Worn or damaged stabilizer bar bushings or
link(s)


Action:
• INSPECT the front and rear suspension. INSTALL new components as necessary.


I have never ever had a car that made suspension noises when the temperatures were low or high. And unfortunately it seems its part of the Mustang design...
So I would say: start with lubricating the bushings... and don't over-torque the fasteners, and when you torque down the components, make sure the suspension is under normal load (car on a ramp, or axle supported by axle stands)

FromZto5

Yeah I took her for a drive today, and still having the squeak. In fact, happened a lot quicker this time, despite the use of silicone grease.

The way I see it, there are 2 options for me to try on that sway bar. Let me know if you and others agree:

1) reduce current torque spec on upper end link bushing bolts from 100 to 85 lbft.

I thought MORE torque is good, but I also read that sway bars/bushing are supposed to twist and thus allowed to move some. By over tightening it, I may have actually induced the squeak??? Hmmm.

Am I right in reading 85 lbft for the required torque from your pasted info above? "Stabilizer bar"?

2) apply grease to the end link bushings, but the bushings on the sway bar end, not chassis end.

I was trying to avoid this, and this would mean removing the actual sway bar to allow me to slide that end link off.

Any other thoughts as to the possible cause?????? This squeak is starting to annoy me.