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Major rear suspension issue

739 views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  armoore 
#1 ·
I'm hoping that someone can help. The rear offside suspension on my 2001 3.0L Spider squeaks like mad. Going over a matchstick is enough to make it squeak. It really is undrivable.

Whilst I was away on holiday I gave it to my tame mechanic who I have been using for 25-30 years now and who has maintained the Spider since I bought it six years ago. He bought the car back whilst I was still away and left it with my daughter saying that he had been unable to locate the cause and that he could fix it but "it will be expensive"! I am confident that he will have checked the bushes, struts and springs. This presumably means that he is talking about replacing the entire suspension on both sides. (I'll find out more tomorrow when he goes back to work.)

Thought that I would put a quick post up here to see if anyone had any bright ideas. Is this a common fault? I don't remember it but my mechanic tells me that we replaced the struts about 2-3 year ago so, presumably it shouldn't be them.

It's really upsetting to see my beautiful car sitting out there in this glorious sunshine and I am unable to drive it. I have also just had a wind deflector fitted which I am desperate to try out but can't!

All suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
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#2 ·
If you are new to GTV ownership then you are right there is a very complex multi link rear suspension set up for the rear, There are a considerable number of bushes.

if your noise is similar to a pram from a bygone era that sort of squeak then you have a bush gone, its very loud, there all the time as of course the suspension is constantly moving, Most GTV owners get there rear suspension Polly bushed and problem is permanently fixed and you will no longer have any issues
 
#3 ·
A couple of points:-
How can he say it is going to be expensive if he doesn't know what the problem is?
There's no need to change the complete suspension, as bradpit 999 says the bushes can be replaced with poly-bushes from Powerflex and Superflex amongst others. The lower spring pans are available with the rose-joints that the 3 litre has or Superflex do specially shaped poly-bushes as replacements (2 different diameters are available). It might just be a dry/worn rose-joint.
 
#4 ·
process of elimination... spray each part / joint with lubricant and test for noise.. or alternatively, 2 man job with one under whilst the other rocks the motor to ID where it's coming from. There are a lot of moving parts under the back end .. can't see that's it's all shot unless you want all that expense and hassle.. as armoore has said, you have to understand what's wrong first before equating that to cost.
 
#5 ·
I had the “pram squeak” a while ago. Had a variety of parts replaced, not to cure the squeak, just because they were ancient. It had, springs, top and bottom thrust bearings, bump stops, drop links and bump stop “landing pads”. Finally, powerflex bushes on the spring pans.
Result: no more squeak. It was probably the bushes that fixed the squeak.


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#8 ·
Hi armoore,

Thanks for the pictures. That looks like a few quids worth! I am going to have a long chat with "my man" tomorrow. Like everyone else, I'm pretty convinced that it's probably the bushes so I am going to suggest that he changes them first and then, if necessary, we'll start replacing other bits. You never know, I might bump into John Day at one of the AROC Kent and Eats Sussex meetings soon. Haven't seen him for a while. I'm sure that he'll have some ideas of his own.

Thanks everyone for your advice and input.
 
#9 ·
There's a section meeting this Thursday at the Moat, bottom of Wrotham Hill (I must know you then as I'm the treasurer). Day and Whites now owned by Mike and Gordon Spiteri but John is still there.
 
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