We recently had the struts replaced on our '99 Honda Accord (about 2 months ago I think), and since then, or maybe shortly after then, we get very loud unhappy creaking sounds from the front end. If the car has been sitting all night, it usually does not creak right away, and the sound is the worst after we have been driving for a while. It is most evident when turning or going over bumps at low speeds. Any ideas?
your bolts may not have been torqued properly (connecting your car to the struts). Have the shop look over this and retorque.
It could also be that your struts are no good. (not likely but have them look at this too)
Could be that they weren’t torqued down with all the weight back on the wheels. They really aren’t supposed to permanently tighten everything to spec until all four corners are sitting back on the ground.
If bushing have been replaced, have they been replaced with poly type bushings where they used to be rubber? If so, those things can creak badly.
We are taking our car in to have new tires put on today, so maybe they can check? If not, we will take it back to the garage where the work was done and see if they can check the bolts and the type of bushings. Thanks!
I had a similar problem on a Ford Maverick years ago after the shocks were replaced. It turned out that the problem was the shock absorbers. I suppose the same thing could happen with struts.
Triedaq, do you mean it was the shocks themselves that were creaking?
@lizmari–Yes, it was the shocks themselves that made the creaking noise. The service station that had always done my work had closed, and, on the recommendation of a colleague, I tried a different service station. I was finishing up a research project and had left the Maverick there for servicing. I received a call that the front shocks were bad and should be replaced. I had them do the job. The garage put on the cheapest Monroe shock available and the left front made a creaking noise. I had been assured that the shop had put on the highest quality shock. When I took it back, the proprietor claimed he didn’t have time to replace the shock, so I told him to give me a replacement. He called his parts store and said it was too big a job for him to get into that day, but send him a shock absorber. The shock that was sent was the high quality Monroe shock. I replaced the shock in about 10 minutes at home. That cured the creaking noise, but with different damping rates, the car didn’t steer right. I went to the parts store and bought an identical shock for the right side and that solved all the problems. Needless to say, I never went back to that shop again. I also replaced my own shock absorbers after that incident.
If the strut bearings weren’t changed at the same time, they’ve been disturbed from their settled in position and are now complaining loudly that they didn’t get changed.