# Front end squeaks

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-end-squeaks/37065>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** mercury\
**Created:** [September 24, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-end-squeaks/37065 "2009-09-24T01:03:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HBT1961](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@HBT1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/HBT1961)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-end-squeaks/37065/1 "2009-09-24T01:03:56Z")

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when getting into car, sitting you hear the first squeak.  
  
 when turning the steering wheel to the left the squeel is very load. when driving in a straight line and going over small to moderate bumps/holes you hear a squeaking.  
  
  
  
 is this ball joint, tie rod, or spring?  
  
  
  
 how do I tell if its the ball joint or the tie rod?  
  
  
  
 it started about 12000 miles ago and has been getting worse.  
  
  
  
 what to do?

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-end-squeaks/37065/2 "2009-09-24T01:08:36Z")

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You pretty much describe the same problem here. [http://community.cartalk.com/posts/list/2129500.page](http://community.cartalk.com/posts/list/2129500.page)

Tester

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-end-squeaks/37065/3 "2009-09-24T01:11:03Z")

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Sounds more like a ball joint than a tie rod end to me.

I suggest taking the car to your mechanic and asking him or her to inspect the ball joints and the tie rod ends.

Then you’ll know for sure.

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**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-end-squeaks/37065/4 "2009-09-24T01:24:50Z")

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If you touch the different parts while an assistant jounces the car, the one with the strongest vibration is the offending part. The squeak is caused by a vibration of the dried out components rubbing against one another internally. It is either a ball joint or tie rod end, but definitely not a spring.

PS: Do NOT do this test with the car on a jack. Leave it on the ground or use a drive on lift.

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**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-end-squeaks/37065/5 "2009-09-24T01:33:27Z")

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My first suspect is usually a sway bar bushing due to rubber drying and hardening with age.  
If the problem is a sway bar bushing that’s not a critical failure type of thing but more of an irritant.

Sometimes loosening the sway bar clamps and applying a little silicone based grease will fix them right up.