Tail end of December my suspension on the drivers side started to squeak on suspension travel.
My first thought was the spring having had this problem a few times on previous cars.
I had a look but the spring was in place with no noticeable damage or dislodgement, I cleaned out the grit & gubbings that had built up over the time from the spring.

On lowering the car back down to the ground you could hear the creaking.
So I bounced up & down on the end to see if I could pin point where the noise was coming from (Having got Tein’s installed & being only 12 stone heavy, it proved to be a major feat to get more then 2cm of suspension travel!! ) I gave up & thought I would enlist the help of the old man as I was due to go home over Christmas.

Anyway cutting a long story short the sound changed to more of a rubber creaking sound & seemed to come more towards the drivers door.
So when I got back from my new year Texas trip I ordered a set of P/U ARB bushes, thinking that would sort the problem out… WRONG!! (I also have to say that fitting the front P/U ARB bushes is no simple feat either!!).

So my question is, when the fig 8’s are worn out or on their way out do they make this kind of noise?? What about the lower arm’s??
If none of them what else could it be?? The sound on jacking the car up & down seems to be coming from the hub area now

Any ideas??

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ST205 WRC #0002249

Could be the chassis end of the banana arm which is a rubber bush. Try spraying it with lube to see if it stops. I'd have put money on the ARB bust too lol

While it's jacked up have a pry around the fig8 area with a decent lever. If it's worn you'll get movement with persuasion

Daz, if you have not yet replaced the fig 8's or the previous owner has not replaced them then they are almost certainly well and truly knackered on a car of that age.

The ARB bushes are the only other thing that would make that sort of noise ...did you install them greased or dry?

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Don
GT4DC Chairman
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205WRC JDM 269bhp @ 0.9bar
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four Special GT 590bhp @ 1.8bar
1989 Van Diemen RF88/89 Formula Ford 1600
2008 Nissan Patrol GU 3.0L ZD30DDTi 154bhp

Fig 8’s & lower arms are the original items so I guess with the car now going on to 76000 Miles it’s time for them to be changed
Just didn’t want to do this job as after reading Kris’s site it has scared the wotsits out of me (Why can’t we have a garage like Toyauto centre local??).
I just hope the banana bar hasn’t gone, that will knock the price up some what , but I suppose it will give me a chance to test out these new lower camber adjustment plates I’ve had my eye on

Getting onto ARB bushes, I greased them up with the supplied stuff however the Fensport replacement items are 14mm but on removing mine they were 15mm , they went on ok though if a bit snug so I guess the 15 branding on the OEM bushes must relate to something else .
They have really tightened up the front end to no end & I can highly recommend them, just have to get round to doing the back ones now, I just hope they are easier to do for us none contortionists!!

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ST205 WRC #0002249

Daz I had the same problem with the front ARB bushes, fortunately these are generic items - I ordered some 15mm items from superflex direct. They fit much better.

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GT4DC Events Co-ordinator
1996 ST205 UK

Daz have you tried www.3sservicecentre.co.uk ?They may be able to help?

The figure of 8 and lower arms both rotate and it seems when they are worn they initially squeek and then start clonking and they progressively wear...

A shot of WD40 may cure this squeek - try it and if it does then you have more than likely found the source.

You may want to inspect the rubber seal between the lower arm and the fig 8 - have quite often seen on the bottom edge a hard to see v small split in the rubber, once this splits then it's only a matter of time until the suspension requires some attention imho

HTH

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Kris
95 ST205 - slept for 10 years, now waking up...
Avensis
http://www.gtfours.co.uk
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Turbocharging - the replacement for displacement