phattey

I was walking by my car, between the bikes and everything else in the garage and kinda' rubbed up against the front passenger fender...

I heard a "squeak" as i bumped it..hmmm...

I pushed down on the front bumper and behind the passenger front wheel was what sounded like squeaky bushings or shocks...

What might that be? Obviously it's somewhere in the suspension, but could it be soemthing worn out?? It's was born 5/87.

I'll take it to the shop for a better look but I always find input from you guys, helps me be a more informed owner.

Thanks...Phattey

Bill Gregory

In the torsion-bar 911's, after awhile the forward torsion bar cap can wear down into the front cross member, allowing the torsion bar to rub on the torsion bar housing, creating a squeek. You can visually look to see if this is the problem, as it will be obvious that the torsion bar cap has worn into the cross member.

The solution is to remove the torsion bar cap, weld a bead around the lower half circumferance of the cap, to effectively raise the cap, and torsion bar, back up. Also, remove the torsion bar, and if it has an external finish that's worn through to the metal, touch that up with a good paint (I use POR-15). If no external finish on the bar, then make sure the bar is greased up and reinstall.

There are other possibilities that can contribute to a squeak, but I would check that first.

Elephant Chuck

Bill if I can add to your explanaition....

In the sceneario that Bill has put forth, what has actually happened is the control arm bushings have compressed or cold-flowed. The result is the control has shifted up relative to the cross member, torsion bars, and caps.

In fact the torsion bars and the caps remain in the correct and original position. The contact is due to shifting upwards of the control arms, resulting in the squeak.

The weld on the cap technique attempts to raise the torsion bars up, chasing after the displaced control arms. I don't recommend this solution, it is a band-aid that does not address the root cause of the problem. The correct way to fix this problem is to replace the control arm bushings. This will properly position the control arms, re-centering them around the torsion bars, and curing the squeak.

Be sure to inspect the torsion bars. The abrasion causing the squeak has also removed paint. Corrosion may have set in and the rubbing may have damaged the torsion bar. If there is anything more than superficial damage, replace the torsion bars.