Over the past month or so I’ve noticed that my 2005 Jeep Liberty Limited has started to make a creaking noise when it’s a little off balance, such as driving down and uneven drive-way. I believe it’s coming from the back? Thoughts???
I’ve attached for your perusal a link to diagrams of a Jeep Liberty rear suspension. As you can see, there are countless joints that can get creaky. The most common sources are the spring leafs, the sway bar links, and the sway bar bushing. The leafs (or is it “leaves”?) can rub agin’ one another, the sway bar links can become bound up at the ends, and the sway bar bushings that hold the bar to the chassis experience a steel bar turning in them every time you go over a bump or around a turn. The rubber does not hold up to the metal.
Sometimes the best way to find the culprit is to spray different spots with silicone lubricant until the creak goes away. If it turns out to be the leafs, spray them good with silicone lube. If it’s a sway bar link or one of the bushings, replace it.
Thank you. I’m not very handy, so would you suggest I take it in to a mechanic?
Take it to a mechanic, but don’t let them change parts just because. Have the bushings and contacts sprayed with Silicone spray one by one and see which spray point remedies the noise and change the bushings.
On a Dodge Caravan I have, the sway bar bushings were making this noise. It was so load and annoying that most people would believe the car needs a whole new front end. After $100 in parts and labor noise was gone.
Most likely the a frame joint, a bad bushing so to speak. A little lithium grease in a spray can can do wonders. Push down on the front and let up, if it is the bushing I am thinking of it will make noise, easy to isolate and see if a little lube will fix it or it needs to be replaced.