squeaking (fairly new) top wishbones

[Supercharged16v]

Guys, if I may.....


I've changed both upper and lower arms on my 156 with aftermarket ones.
Its been 2 years and no squeak nor knock.
Not all aftermarket ones are rubbish.

Drop links, yes. Those are mostly rubbish - due to poor materials used.

Now regarding lubing, IF you have no play in the bushes or ball joints, if they only squeak, you can get a syringe and INJECT good lubricating oil in the ball joints and as near to the "bone" as you can get on the bushes.

I've got a friend who did this on his 156 2.0ltr TS and its been squeak free for the past 4 years. He used Syneco K14 oil.

The latter is a 15 min job and will cost you next to nothing

So my advice is, you've got NOTHING to lose if you inject oil in them.
If you need bushes anyway, you need bushes anyway. So even if you inject oil in them and they dont stop, worst case scenario you wasted 15 mins of your life.

Other than that, polybushes like powerflex, come with their lubricating grease and I suspect so do the rest.
So if you are changing bushes IMHO , change to poly ones.

Next time I'll replace only the bushes, not the complete arms. Waste of money

 

[Smaky]

So how do the OEM ones fair then in your experience?...or is there a better route?

I've never had to replace a TRW (oem) arm before the 5 year point ever unless it's been damaged in an accident, most oem ones though will easily do 7 years hassle free. But if the bushes are squeaking then theyy are telling you they are worn, as soon as the cross pattern wears the tiniest bit then you may aswell replace them.

 

[conaero]

Cheers fella, advice noted!

 

[Supercharged16v]

But if the bushes are squeaking then theyy are telling you they are worn,

I love to disagree !!!
Hahahahahahaha

But in this case I just have to

Bushes will move as the car's body is moving onto the suspension, so they will squeak if:

- They need lubrication and they arent lubricated
- If they were tightened up whilst the car was on a lift or stands and then dropped down (some cases they just twist and eventually crack)
- If the bolt that the bush is tightened into is corroded

So what I'm trying to say is that, the squeak doesnt need to be a bush ring rubbing on the rubber . It could also be a tightening bolt rubbing on the bush ring !
Of course this is relevant to how and where that bush is fitted - by the car's design.

Just a month ago, I changed the suspension of a Fiat 500 Abarth to Konis FSDs.
Second day the car was on the road and with only covering about 20 miles, it started to squeak at the back !
Bushes were new, car is a years old, installation was done properly and re-checked afterwards.

Bushes didnt need replacing

 

[conaero]

Chris, interesting about not tightening the bushes whilst the suspension is drooping, I have done this both times maybe this is where my problems are stemming from?

 

[Supercharged16v]

Well , surely it doesnt help.

The more travel your suspension arms have from fully open - (on the jack) - to normal height - (car sitting on its own weight) - the more strain you put on the bushes and the more you twist them !

Think about it. You are tightening a bush in place , locking it basically, at a certain point. Then you are asking that bush to work (flex) at a point thats miles off the point that you locked it on.
Makes sense ?

What you should do, is bolt them on loosely and drop the car on its wheels.
Ideally push the car back and forth a bit and put some weight on the 4 ends of the car so the suspension closes properly and leave it standing for a few mins.
Then (this would need a pit) get under the car and tighten those bolts

 

[Chris155]

Chris, interesting about not tightening the bushes whilst the suspension is drooping, I have done this both times maybe this is where my problems are stemming from?

Well , surely it doesnt help.

The more travel your suspension arms have from fully open - (on the jack) - to normal height - (car sitting on its own weight) - the more strain you put on the bushes and the more you twist them !

Think about it. You are tightening a bush in place , locking it basically, at a certain point. Then you are asking that bush to work (flex) at a point thats miles off the point that you locked it on.
Makes sense ?

What you should do, is bolt them on loosely and drop the car on its wheels.
Ideally push the car back and forth a bit and put some weight on the 4 ends of the car so the suspension closes properly and leave it standing for a few mins.
Then (this would need a pit) get under the car and tighten those bolts

This argument is only really applicable to the bush in the lower arm that the "fork" is bolted too. We fit the bolt then jack the lower arm up to a point where it's supporting the weight of the car and then torque it up.

 

[Smaky]

Then (this would need a pit) get under the car and tighten those bolts

Or lower the car onto ramps with the wheels fitted, there is plenty of access to torque the bolts up after you have bounced the car to settle the suspension into its neutral position. Then drive it off.

 

[conaero]

The one I torqued up is doing well and as my spanners are too cold at the moment, my local Alfa guy called Alfa Nida is going to fit the Birth upper to the drivers side and drop the oil and filter.

It is the last time I will be using non gen wishbones though, they just dont last and I have lost confidence in them....especially when I can get gen Alfa for £12 more a side!

 

[conaero]

Had my uppers done today, ok they are Birth and wont last more than next year, but its bliss for now.

Garage charge 1hrs labour a side, and you can get OEM ones for Alternaitve Autos for £40 plus vat and delivery.

Alternative Autos:
Phone: +44 (0)1484 865086
Fax: +44 (0)1484 865337
e-mail: steve@alternativeautos.demon.co.uk

Alfa Romeo GT
http://www.alfa156.net/altautos/ALFA ROMEO GT PARTS LIST AUG 2010.pdf

Alfa Romeo 156
http://www.alfa156.net/altautos/ALFA ROMEO 156 PARTS LIST AUG 2010.pdf

Alfa Romeo 147
http://www.alfa156.net/altautos/ALFA ROMEO 147 PARTS LIST AUG 2010.pdf

Alfa Romeo GTV/Spider (916)
http://www.alfa156.net/altautos/ALFA GTV SPI DISC PARTS AUG 2010.pdf

Alfa Romeo 145/146
http://www.alfa156.net/altautos/ALFA ROMEO 145 146 PARTS LIST AUG 2010.pdf

 

[Chris155]

+1 for alternative autos. Great service.

 

[conaero]

Can anyone tell me, the SKF timing parts/idlers, are they genuine or not?

Is it the same as the wishbone manufacturers TWR was it, selling the gen parts out the back door?

 

[Alfamut]

Not sure about the SKF parts, but I am glad to report that my modern Alfa does not squeak so I think they have sorted it out from my old 156.