Steering Noise: Causes & How to Fix It

Hello suspension experts,

Recently, the sound coming from my vehicle's front suspension has changed slightly (and not for the better).
When maneuvering (parking, etc.) at a very low speed, a noticeable creaking sound can be heard when the wheels are turned. Has anyone else experienced this with their A3 or G4?

Could one of the tie rod ends be responsible for this?
I had the rubber bushings in the stabilizer bars, both on the lower control arms and the tie rods, lubricated with grease only two months ago. Therefore, these areas are less likely to be the cause of the problem.

Thank you for your assistance.

Regards,
Alex.

Hi, I experienced something similar on my A4, also when lowering the front.

Bin nicht dahintergekommen welches Traggelenk es verursacht, habe aber in jedes Gelenk durch den Gummi der Manschette 2-4 ccm Getriebeöl gespritzt. Nach einigen KM fahern war dann bis heute Ruhe, hält also schon 2 Jahre. Hab beim TÜV die Gelenke auf der Rüttelplatte auf Spiel prüfen lassen. Kein Game.

Give it a try, it almost costs nothing and takes less than 15 minutes.
Bring a 5ml syringe with you, with a medium-gauge needle. (I always tell my doctor about it.)

Greetings.

garth.brooks wrote:

Hi, I had this issue on my A4, also when lowering the front. I couldn't figure out which ball joint was causing it, but I injected 2-4 cc of transmission oil into each joint through the rubber of the boot. After driving for a few kilometers, it was quiet until today, so it's been holding up for 2 years.

Hi Garth,

After such previous actions, the rubber seals would always start to swell, causing the joint to become increasingly "leaky" over time.
Have you noticed anything like that ?

Hello suspension experts,

Recently, the sound coming from my vehicle's front suspension has changed slightly (and not for the better).
When maneuvering (parking, etc.) at a very low speed, a noticeable creaking sound can be heard when the wheels are turned. Has anyone else experienced this with their A3 or G4?

Could one of the tie rod ends be responsible for this?
I had the rubber bushings in the stabilizer bars, both on the lower control arms and the tie rods, lubricated with grease only two months ago. Therefore, these areas are unlikely to be the cause of the problem.



That's exactly what I experienced with my Golf 4. The problem was that the strut mounts were worn out, and the springs were getting stuck and slipping when turning the steering wheel. The only solution is to replace them. However, in my case, it only started happening after 125,000 km.
It's not the ball joints; if it were, they would also make noise when turning while driving straight.

I wouldn't try injecting anything with a syringe into the joint, because that's where dirt can get in and grease can leak out. That's just utter nonsense, sorry garth!

Hello Julian and Ulf.

I'm not comfortable leaving that statement as it is.

Besides the fact that none of my rubber bands have swollen so far, and 2 years is quite a while...

'It's hard to understand how dirt could get in through a 0.5mm hole in the rubber. It should close up and seal as long as there's no pressure difference. And there isn't any pressure difference in the joint.'
I checked, and there are no oil stains on the outside... And if anything were leaking, wouldn't it be oil coming out, rather than dirt getting in?


Also, no matter how long it lasts, the alternative would have been to replace the more expensive joints, and I really appreciated that advice (from a friendly person at MB). That way, it didn't cost anything, and the joints are not only still in place, but they're also tight and without any measurable play! That tip has saved me over €100 so far. (I don't know exactly how much they cost, but they're expensive.)

It might also be due to the oil; I was specifically advised to use transmission oil, which I did. Since the joints are filled with grease, I can't imagine they should react so sensitively.

Okay, hier ist die Übersetzung:

'So, please be a little more restrained with comments like 'nonsense'...'