I've posted about this in the past, but now I'm looking to find a fix. I have a generic ebay FSTB that fits fine. However, upon installation, my entire front end develops a creak anytime a load is placed upon it (bumpy road, low speed acceleration/braking). Once I take the bar off, the creaking disappears completely.

I've looked everywhere, and the bar isn't in contact with anything in the bay that could be rubbing and causing the noise. I tried sandwiching a paper "gasket" in between each of the FSTB plates and the strut towers to see if that was the noise- no luck.

Anyone else had a problem like this, or any ideas to try?

 

no problems like that here. the nuts on the FSTB may be loose. these here

 

I thought it was just the body flexing.

 

have you checked the condition of your stock rubber bushings in the sway bar and end links? I would bet they are cracked or dried up. Replacement time.

 

On the left hand side of that picture, note the aluminum a/c pipe. Make sure that's not rubbing. The engine will rock on the mounts under load and make it rub.

In my case a little bend in the bracket holding that line fixed it.

 

That or the EVAP valve on the UIM right near the IACV.

What's with all of these people with lugnuts on the strut studs, anyway? I see that all the time now.

 

Maybe it's your LCA bushings flexing cause the top of the strut are now secure by the FSTB....

 

It is really close isn't it? Check it for any chafeing marks from that FSTB bracket....

 

mine is like that i was also wondering bout that they were on there when i bought my car off topic btw sorry.

 

The 99's have 22mm nuts on the mounts.

 

Interesting. Did the thread size change at all for the studs? Wonder why changed over from the 14mm head nut.

 

Thread remained the same.

 

nice drawing.. teach me.

 

if you are a 5mt check the top bleeder by the driver side strut tower i think it was in the way when i did my FSTB, also check to make sure its not touching the hood. i know mine is a little bit.

also FWIW my 98 has 22mm nuts...

 

Thanks for all the responses guys. All nuts are tight as can be - I can sit on the damn bar and it doesn't budge or squeak. I already ordered a set of ES end link bushings so we'll see if that fixes anything. The bracket's rubbing a bit against the AC line but that's not the source of the noise. It's the ebay bar with the infamous problem with the EVAP canister so I remedied that a long time ago.

 

I have also had front end noise and couldn't pin point the source for about a year now . With my FSTB (Stillen) I found the mounting bracket cracked and I was sure that was the problem so I removed the FSTB and the noise was still there but only notable noise was when I would go over a bumpy roads or semi hard right turns. There are some other rubber bushing in the front end suspension that can cause front end noise, I forget the name of them but Im having mine replaced now. My mechanic said they were worn ... I'll find out the name and post back.

So far I had the following replaced.. passenger side Lower control arm, Sway bar end links and replaced rubber boots (both sides) for inner tie rods. These all needed to be replaced however did not make the noise go away. So lets see if my mechanic now fixed the problem with this other rubber bushing replacement I mentioned earlier.

 

I still say that AC line is making noise. Go wrap some cardboard around it and see if the sound disappears.

 

Stabilizer bushing are the other rubber parts that were just replaced in my front end suspension Just got the car back and the noise is still there. Have to go back to the mechanic again damn.