Rear end creaking noise

[joey]

I have a creaking noise coming from my left rear wheel, as can be seen/heard on this Youtube video. The sound on the video is being amplified with wireless chassis ears. It is not the brakes. The creaking will occur when the brakes are not being used.

YouTube - Chrysler 300C Creaking Rear Suspension

Has Pedders ever seen/heard worn bushings cause this sound on an LX?

I thought it might be my Hotchkis Sway bar bushings but today I disconnected the endlinks on both sides and the creaking did not go away.

I am thinking it may be the camber link bushings, or maybe the cradle bushings?

[khaleal]

Wow I have not heardanything like that. Please post what is the promblem once you firgure it out.

[oldmac1]

Thats really weird. Did you trying bouncing on each rear fender to see which side it could be coming from? Sounds like an old air shock that was leaking but noises are so hard to find and fix. Please let us know what is was when you find it. Good luck with this.

[joey]

Yeh, I tried standing in the trunk and jumped up and down but no creak.
The creaking only occurs when I accelerate from a stop. So it is the forward/backward movement that causes the creaking, not up and down.

The noise in the video is real loud cause I am using wireless chassis ears, as shown in this other vid.
YouTube - Chrysler 300c Chassis Ears listening to creaking suspension

The sound without the wireless chassis ears is more like a creaking wooden spring door.

[dms]

The noise is distorted due to chasis ears. this should be a pretty easy sound to identify. It is quite loud.

I would jounce the back end with the vehicle on a 4 post lift or drive up ramps with someone underneath.

Can you localize the noise left or right?

mike
dms

[joey]

Originally Posted by dms

The noise is distorted due to chasis ears. this should be a pretty easy sound to identify. It is quite loud.

I would jounce the back end with the vehicle on a 4 post lift or drive up ramps with someone underneath.

Can you localize the noise left or right?

mike
dms

The sound is defiantly on the driver side.

Your bushing definately appears to be torn.

One of the great things about a drive on rack, is that there is room to be able to go back and forth. So this should be able to duplicate on a drive up rack.

We have bushings for that control arm you know. If you need help with it, just ask

mike
dms

I recently disconnected both rear endlinks to rule out the sway bar bushings.

The sound has been elusive trying to locate with the chassis ears.
The chassis ears are better at ruling out components than identifying the exact component making the noise.

Even with the endlinks disconnected, I can still hear the creaking fairly loudly when I hook the transmitters to the sway bar. I am now wondering if the frame is flexing when I accelerate which might still cause the Hotchkis sway bushings to creak.

Your idea of driving up a ramp is a good idea.
I don't think jouncing the car up and down will help because the creaking occurs when the cars shifts backward during acceleration.

I also have bad bushings on my camber links on the driver and passenger side, which might be the cause of the noise. The chassis ears seem to point to the camber links, but not 100% sure.

[joey]

I finally solved the creaking mystery.

Strange as it seems, the creaking noise was the parking brake line rubbing on the rear cross member

I stopped the noise by stuffing foam rubber between the parking brake line and the cross member.

Thanks to my chassis ears, I noticed a lower level creaking when I applied the parking brake. I could only hear this low level creaking with the chassis ears, and not while driving or even sitting in my garage with engine off.

I then had my wife apply the parking brake several times while I crawled under the car with the chassis ears. That is when I noticed the parking brake line was moving when the parking brake was applied. The cable was pressing on the rear cross member and caused the lower level creaking noise. While driving, the cross member must have been shifting which caused the parking brake line to rub harder/longer on the cross member to the point where I could hear it in the drivers seat when moving.

I am so glad to have found the fix. The creaking noise has been bugging me for way too long.

[NWH_300C]

glad you figured it out, and thanks for coming back and updating this post..... i am sure it will help someone in the future!

[bruno]

Originally Posted by joey

I finally solved the creaking mystery.

Strange as it seems, the creaking noise was the parking brake line rubbing on the rear cross member

I stopped the noise by stuffing foam rubber between the parking brake line and the cross member.

Thanks to my chassis ears, I noticed a lower level creaking when I applied the parking brake. I could only hear this low level creaking with the chassis ears, and not while driving or even sitting in my garage with engine off.

I then had my wife apply the parking brake several times while I crawled under the car with the chassis ears. That is when I noticed the parking brake line was moving when the parking brake was applied. The cable was pressing on the rear cross member and caused the lower level creaking noise. While driving, the cross member must have been shifting which caused the parking brake line to rub harder/longer on the cross member to the point where I could hear it in the drivers seat when moving.

I am so glad to have found the fix. The creaking noise has been bugging me for way too long.

Joey,
You are truly a genius.....3CF's resident MacGyver!
That's why you have earned that litle gold medal next to your screen name: "the fing Award" for Zealous posting and tagging." No folks, I'm not making up those words.

I'm taking my car to you should it begin to develop those symptoms!

Thanks for all the dedication and troubleshooting you do to find solutions to some of our most annoying noises.

bruno

[joey]

Thanks bruno for the kudos. The chassis ears have turned out to be a great $200 investment. If you or anyone in Northern California need to try and solve a suspension or other noise, feel free to contact me.