Jerry911

Picked up an 87 carrera 2 weeks ago, one thing I am hearing is a squeak in the front. Shocks springs look ok. Push on frt bumber and car goes down and returns level(normal shock test) but hear a squeak everytime I push down/hit any bump in the road. Had a PPI done b4 purchase,
any thoughts??

Jerry

Bill Gregory

Jerry,

Typically, two possibilities - one involves the torsion bar end cap and the other the torsion bar bushings.

The torsion bar end cap moves as the torsion bar moves, and over time can wear down on it's edge. This drops the torsion bar lower in the tube and allows it to rub. I had this problem on my 81, I know someone who also had this problem on his 86, and as I recall it was Bruce Anderson that brought it up years ago. You can confirm this by removing the end cap and pulling out the torsion bar. If that's the problem you'll see where it's rubbing on the bar. Mine was about 1/3 of the way down the bar. Fix: I used POR-15 paint that I happened to have around to cover the bare metal rubbed portion of the torsion bar, and regreased the bar. On the end cap, you need to weld a thin bead on the bottom half of the cap where it moves against the housing. This raises the cap and thus torsion bar back up, and you're all done.

I've heard others say that the rubber bushings holding the a-arm compress over time, causing a situation where squeeks can also occur.

david914

Also, check your ball joints. Mine started squeeking a few years ago, and shortly thereafter came out of its socket while in a parking lot. I had just gotten off of the highway! Scary to say the least. May not be what's causing your problem, but definitely worth a look!