Squeaking TRD Springs w/TRD sway bar

[LunarMistGray]

I need some help. I got the TRD sway bar and springs installed. The problem I have is my right rear squeaks when I go over any bumps. The funny thing is that squeaking becomes less as i'm driving the car, but once I park it for the night, the next day the squeak is back. Also, I noticed that the warmerr it gets the less squeaking it will do. What's causing it to squeak? This squeaking annoys the heck out of me. The fronts and and LR make no sound at all. Also, I had the sway bar and springs intsalled by an authorized TRD dealer.

[ICrazyChrisI]

I'd tell them to relube it or something.

[krawzyazn]

nope

you need to check the nuts and make sure there tight ask milton about that mine was squeeking

[got sport]

I had the same problem, except it occurred with the front springs.

The springs are compressed too tight, take it back to the dealer and tell them to install some rubber tubing around the coils of the springs that's causing the squeaking. That will solve the problem.

[bkp_duke]

I have the same setup and most likely your squeaking is because the bushings on the TRD RSB have dried up. They do this because they are just a fraction of an inch too big for the bushing housing that locks them in place. All the grease works its way out over time as you drive.

I have to pull my RSB off every 4 months or so and re-grease the bushings. Go to any autostore and get white lithium grease for them. Anything petro-based will degrade the plastic over time.

[cablemn]

I agree that it is the sway bar that is squeeking but the lithium wont work well. You need a silicone based lube. The lube that comes with the trd bar is best because its sticky like glue and really can't squeeze out. I'd bet the authorized dealer neglected to use the lube that it came with and opted for something else. BTW the inside of the trd bushings hve slots to hold a resevoir of lube so it doesn't squeeze out. If you use enough you shouldn't have a problem. I know i haven't heard a peep from my sway bar yet. But i'd have to say it was a biatch getting the excess lube off the bar AND my hands.

[GregJK]

I'm having the TRD springs and the TRD sport muffler installed in about a week by the dealer. As far as the springs go, is the squeaking common? In searches I've run across a lot of comments for squeaking TRD springs for the Matrix; however, not a lot for Solaras...even gen 1. Any suggestions on what I might point out to the dealer to avoid potenial problems? Thanks

[cam2Xrunner]

Mine squeek after about 3 months as well. I've been meaning to switch them to the energy suspension regreaseable swaybar bushings. They have zirc fittings that let you relube them very quick and easily.

[trdkamuri51o]

marine grease will work better for your bushings along with teflon tape to get rid of squeeking in the swaybar

[slingshot]

I just had very noisy rear squeeking that started two days ago a few months after having the dealer install the TRD RSB and brought it to the dealer today. After two hours, they confirmed my guess that it was the RSB and re-greased it. Now I'm concerned it'll happen often again. Wonder how many times the dealer will fix it. Do you have to take the RSB off to regrease it?

[DocJohn]

I agree that it is the sway bar that is squeeking but the lithium wont work well. You need a silicone based lube. The lube that comes with the trd bar is best because its sticky like glue and really can't squeeze out.

I installed my TRD RSB myself (on 9/1/04) using the silicone grease supplied with it and as soon as it got cold here it started to squeak EXACTLY as LunarMistGray has described at the top of this thread. The bottom line is that the silicone grease supplied with the TRD RSB sucks in cold weather applications. It is also interesting to note that my stock RSB bushings were not lubed with a silicone based grease but rather a white (probably lithium based) grease.

I recall reading elsewhere that Mobil 1 Synthetic Grease works great in this application. It has an operating range of -37ºC (-35ºF) to +232ºC (+450ºF). For more info see: http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/ ... Grease.asp

As soon a I get the chance, I'll re-lube my RSB bushings with this stuff and let you know how it works.

EDIT - 12/20/04:
I was able to re-lubed my TRD RSB bushings with Mobil 1 grease over the weekend. This morning it was 13ºF outside and there was absolutely NO squeaking from the bushings on my drive to work. What an improvement over original silicone grease. Problem solved!
Here's a tip... the silicone lube is a pain in the a$$ to remove from the bar and the bushings especially if its cold. I found that WD40 does a great job of removing the old silicone lube.

[GregJK]

Last year I had the TRD springs installed by my dealer on '04 Solara SE Sport. The weather was relatively cool at the time. When the weather reached the 70s and above, I would get a popping noise from the right front when the wheels were turned to the left. When the weather was cold...no noise. Dealer could not pinpoint due to change in weather. After the weather again warmed up, I encountered a new problem with not only the popping noise, but a "looseness" in the steering wheel. The dealer diagnosed a problem with the steering rack and it was replaced...seemingly solving my problems. Now, warm weather is back and the popping now comes from the left and right front when turning in either direction. TRD has said there is a TSB on the popping for the Solara's regardless of what springs are installed. Dealer cannot locate this TSB. They are replacing my old springs to test. TRD is going to reimuburse for the springs and the installation if the old springs eliminate the problem. My issue is...I want the springs for the handling and the appearance; however, the noise is extremely annoying. Has anyone else noticed this problem or have any input?

thanks, Greg

[mikei]

When i had my TRD Springs and sway bar installed the technician told me to drive it for one thousand miles before he does a wheel alignment to allow the springs and struts time to settle in.

Sure enough the front struts would clunk when I turned the steering wheel hard one way or the other at low speeds (parking etc.) This went away in a weeks time and has not come back. However I had a squeek in the left rear that did not go away. After about three weeks I took it back and he relubed the sway bar and it still squeeked.

The technician rode around the Dealership parking lot in the trunk of my car and when he came back to the shop he removed the rear strut and reinstalled it and the squeek went away and has not come back.

All the work was done by a TRD Technician with proper torque applied to all the bolts both times.

The Technician told me that all he did was re and re the left rear strut, doing nothing different the second time around. He said that it happens some times and it is just part of the installation procedure. Sometimes they have to play with it before they get it right.

Give your springs and struts at least a couple of weeks to settle in and if you still have any problems Toyota will fix it for you.

I know it sounds goofy but that is how my TRD install went.

Now I just need to get rid of my lame SLE Convertible Struts that contribute to my car bouncing at times down the Highway but that is another story.

Mikei

[PhreakdOut]

When i had my TRD Springs and sway bar installed the technician told me to drive it for one thousand miles before he does a wheel alignment to allow the springs and struts time to settle in.

Sure enough the front struts would clunk when I turned the steering wheel hard one way or the other at low speeds (parking etc.) This went away in a weeks time and has not come back. However I had a squeek in the left rear that did not go away. After about three weeks I took it back and he relubed the sway bar and it still squeeked.

The technician rode around the Dealership parking lot in the trunk of my car and when he came back to the shop he removed the rear strut and reinstalled it and the squeek went away and has not come back.

All the work was done by a TRD Technician with proper torque applied to all the bolts both times.

The Technician told me that all he did was re and re the left rear strut, doing nothing different the second time around. He said that it happens some times and it is just part of the installation procedure. Sometimes they have to play with it before they get it right.

Give your springs and struts at least a couple of weeks to settle in and if you still have any problems Toyota will fix it for you.

I know it sounds goofy but that is how my TRD install went.

Now I just need to get rid of my lame SLE Convertible Struts that contribute to my car bouncing at times down the Highway but that is another story.

Mikei

I had my springs installed at 200 miles last July (part of the original purchase deal). The popping was not there before the install, but it sure came right after. (Same day) I took it back and they checked for any rubbing or interference with the body. (None) They replaced the bearing plates and checked to make sure the spring was oriented correctly onto the strut plate.

The popping quickly came back. Frustrated, I just gave up with the dealer and resolved to see if they will break-in. That was last October. By February (15K miles), the popping had dissappeared. I'm at 23K miles right now and still no popping.

I hate resolutions that can't be explained. I'm not exactly sure why the popping stopped. I'm just glad it did.

I'm not sure if this helped but I would like to think it provided hope.

[GregJK]

I appreciate all of the input. As for time, this has all been going on for about a year. The only consistent stop in the noise came during cold weather. I did use a TRD tech at the dealership and I think he has been as frustrated as me by not finding a resolution. TRD said that until they had a larger number of complaints, they felt there was no issue to address. Anyway, as much as I hated losing the look and the cornering improvement, today the dealer reinstalled my old springs...no popping anymore. For the time being I'm getting a refund until there is a definitive fix. Even though I wish I could have kept them installed, the dealership has been awesome in working with me.