Squeak/creak while turning

[loungin]

98 M3 sedan. When I turn or occasially driving over a bump there's a creaking sound like a squeaky spring loading/unloading. I also hear the noise if I pull on the 12 o'clock spoke of the front driver side wheel. Mechanic says he can't figure it out. Bushings and suspension mount looked fine to him.

Could it be wheel bearings? Got to get it ready in time for Bmw Oktoberfest at the end of August.

BTW how do you tell if dampers need changing? With the stiff springs the PO put on (HR race springs possibly?) I can hardly compress them with my weight to check the rebound.

[scooper]

do the 4 corner push down test. If car bounces back with no oscillations the dampers are fine. Check for leaks. BTW HR race springs are horrible - too low and too soft. What dampers did the PO pair them with? Please don't tell us stock dampers.

Squeak/creak is probably spring related.

[loungin]

do the 4 corner push down test. If car bounces back with no oscillations the dampers are fine. Check for leaks. BTW HR race springs are horrible - too low and too soft. What dampers did the PO pair them with? Please don't tell us stock dampers.

Squeak/creak is probably spring related.

I put my entire weight on the corner and the car hardly budges...

They're yellow so some kind of Bilsteins. Which kind... I'm not sure. PO just lowered the car for looks. Maybe I'll just take the opportunity of the mysterious squeak to upgrade the suspension... Ground Control / Konis a la Definitive Suspension Guide?

131k miles on the car so maybe the front driver's wheel bearing really is shot as well? I think my mechanic mentioned hearing the creaking noise just pulling the car forward into the garage so he wasn't sure it was suspension related. Are the front bearings difficult to DIY?

[scooper]

revalved billy sports, billy hd, billy touring, koni sports
dinan, eibach prokit, hr OE sport, M3 stock springs
Those are my recs for street car. You don't need coilovers for the street. You could also run billy sports with stock m3 springs but the ride height will be raised a tad.
Bad front bearings make a grinding sound. Creaking is usually suspension related. Typically you can turn left or right and hear the sound if it's the wheel bearing. I still say it's a spring related creak. Bearings are hard to do with the right tools.

[loungin]

I see yeah, the 214 lb-ft torque spec on the wheel bearings scares me. I don't weigh nearly that much so I need like a 3 foot breaker bar lol.

I'm interested in setting up for learning auto-x as I have an old e90 M3 and a mazda3 for street driving and I got this car as a car mechanics tutorial / fun car although I do DD it. I figure this is my chance to upgrade the suspension since I really don't want to have to do it twice, so I might as well make it worth it so I don't have to upgrade again in the future. I love the e36 and would like to keep it forever even though it's a maintenance nightmare... frozen bolts everywhere.

I hear the creaking most while turning the corners in the garage at work and parking where the sound reflects off the walls. It creaks while I'm turning the wheel mostly. It makes the same noise if I pull on the top spoke of the wheel. That seems to make sense because when I turn at slow speeds or while stopped, the rack needs to put a lot of force on the wheels.

[scooper]

so maybe the ball joints on the control arms...but it could still be due to the springs or spring related components. Don't be afraid of 214. Breaker bars and high strength torque wrenches are your friends. You can also use the floor jack handle as extra leverage.

[BMWManiac]

I see yeah, the 214 lb-ft torque spec on the wheel bearings scares me. I don't weigh nearly that much so I need like a 3 foot breaker bar lol.

I'm interested in setting up for learning auto-x as I have an old e90 M3 and a mazda3 for street driving and I got this car as a car mechanics tutorial / fun car although I do DD it. I figure this is my chance to upgrade the suspension since I really don't want to have to do it twice, so I might as well make it worth it so I don't have to upgrade again in the future. I love the e36 and would like to keep it forever even though it's a maintenance nightmare... frozen bolts everywhere.

I hear the creaking most while turning the corners in the garage at work and parking where the sound reflects off the walls. It creaks while I'm turning the wheel mostly. It makes the same noise if I pull on the top spoke of the wheel. That seems to make sense because when I turn at slow speeds or while stopped, the rack needs to put a lot of force on the wheels.

Autozone has a 200 ft/lb+ torque wrench you can borrow for free. They will ask you what it is for, DO NOT tell them to break lose the bolt (as this could damage the wrench and then they won't loan it to you)

[rajicase]

Autozone has a 200 ft/lb+ torque wrench you can borrow for free. They will ask you what it is for, DO NOT tell them to break lose the bolt (as this could damage the wrench and then they won't loan it to you)

Why would you use a torque wrenche to break loose a fastener???

[BMWManiac]

Why would you use a torque wrenche to break loose a fastener???

I wouldn't, but apparently people do instead of using a breaker bar....I'm just relaying the conversation I had with them when I was checking one out....

[jhott66]

It's probably the strut bearing making the noise.
They typically clunk and creak when they need to be replaced.

To check the wheel bearing lift the wheel off the ground, grab the outside of the tire at 9:00 and 3:00 and try to move the wheel. Does it wiggle? Now try to move the wheel with your hands at 12:00 and 6:00 positions. Does it wiggle?


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[earthwormjim]

Is this while slowly turning or going up bumps?

I had this same issue, and it turned out it was my front sway bar end links. The bolts felt tight, but after loosening, then re-torquing, the sound went away.

Retorque the bolts before you spend money replacing parts.

[slorimer]

jhott66, just so it's clear, I'm having a similar issue. If I feel no play while wiggling at 9 and 3 but feel play at 12 and 6, what does this mean?

[loungin]

https://youtu.be/-BuJ817XE5I

I finally got around to taking off the wheel and making a video.

It only creaks when torquing the wheel at 12 and 6. But there really isn't any play. It doesn't creak or grind when rotating the wheel.

The sound seems to come come from the struts itself. Is it possible that the strut could be broken in a way to make this creak? At 80k miles my struts may be busted anyway.

The sway bar endlink is a good suggestion. The dust boot on strut end is actually cracked. I should have tried loosening and retorquing the bolts. I only checked if it was tight. Didn't try to loosen.

[stashtrey]

Hey OP! Did you ever figure this out? I have the EXACT same noise coming from the exact same thing you're doing in that video. I'd LOVE to know what it is. I've replaced the control arms, bushings, new Bilsteins, new springs, new strut mounts, new tie rod ends, new sway bar bushings. I'm at a loss and it's sooo annoying. Hope you figured it out and hope to find out what you learned!

[TostitoBandito]

If your struts have a bearing between the spring and the hat (my GC coilovers do), it can be noisy if it gets dirty or damaged. Other than that, my only other thought is the wheel bearing.