Noise sounds like loose floorboard creaking and is only heard at low speed when car is put in drive and then brake is applied. Alternately putting in drive and then applying brake can repeat noise. No noise his heard when car is put in reverse. Noise is most prominent on driver’s side and can be felt somewhat thru steering wheel. Some noise is produced while turning wheel back and forth, but primary noise is heard when car is put in drive and then stopped abruptly. No noise is heard while cruising.

In trying to correct this problem, the following have been repaired/replaced by either my mechanic or me.

Right & Left Upper and Lower Control Arm bushings
LF Upper Ball Joint
Steering Coupling
Tie Rod Ends
Steering Damper
Front Shocks


What else could be suspect?

Mechanic has told me that all ball joints are sound and while replacing items listed above may be worthwhile they have not eliminated or even reduced the noise.

Only ideas I have left are:

Motor mounts
Engine Shocks
Idle arm bushings
Steering Gear Mounting Bolts

Don’t want to replace anything else unless it will eliminate this annoying problem!

SMS, what is the condition of the front sway bar bushings?

__________________
Fred Hoelzle

Front way bar bushings are new.

You should replace all bushings/ shocks if you want your SL to ride like new. It will cost some $$ but it is well worth it. Notable the Subframe bushings will cause that noise. Just check all bushings and replace even if they are still notable "good"

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2001 E55

2001 E320 Sedan

2001 Subaru Legacy

2006 SLK280

2016 Subaru Outback 3.6

Got a sound file to post?

Subframe bushings have also been replaced. Will work on getting a sound file!

http://www.savefile.com/files/1535628

Bump!

Tell us exactly what you are doing when you recorded this file. It sounds to me like I herd the door close and then the creeking started. I could not hear an engine running. Where did you have the microphone placed and in what direction was it pointing.

To me this sounded like and old Chevrolet with worn upper control arm bushings. They would make this noise when pushing up and down on a fender. Or when the front end dived during hard braking. The actual noise in the Chevy would be caused by a loose control arm shaft end cap washer bolt allowing the inner steal liner of the control arm bushing to slip and rotate on the stationary shaft. I belive the 560SL works somewhat the same way but instead of the control arm shaft, you have a seperate bolt going through each control arm bushing. If any of theses are loose slipping of the bushing inner steel liner will occure rather than the required torsion of the rubber.

Also I might add that just retigtening may not work because the inner steel liner sleeve has gripper teath at each end that tend to get worn off when this slipping starts. Those teath are there to prevent the slipping from occuring in the first place. Also an error commonly made by most service technichianns is that any or these type connections including similare ones that may be on the straring linkage like the idler arms of some cars, should be torqued with the vehical with weight on wheels and stearing wheel straight ahead. Very often these bolts are tigtened with the suspension fully extended which will decrease the service life of these bushings by putting a residual preload on them at normal ride height.

Can you get this noise to occure just by rocking the front end up and down?

Hope this helps

John Roncallo

John,

Recorded the creaking sound while sitting in the drivers seat with engine running and laptop microphone pointing forward toward front of car. Hit record and slowly rocked car forward by putting in drive and then applying the brake. Creaking sound is only heard as car comes to a stop after applying brake. Car doesn't really move much but I think that its simply the shifting of load that simply makes the noise. Can feel the noise through the steering column and feels like its forward of driver, but on drivers side.

Surprising you cannot duplicate the sound by jumping up and down on front bumper.

Steve

Are you sure this noise is not in the front disc brake system? I know the suspension would be the logical area of consideration, but disc brakes can make some funny noises if something is out of kilter... BC

__________________
Ben Harrison Carter
1999 Mercedes ML320 87K
1992 Mercedes 300CE 89K
1995 Corvette 29K -- Sold Dec 09
1989 Mercedes 420SEL 99K -- (Sold 4/08)
1968 Mercedes 230S (106K) (Sold 9/06))
1976 Mercedes 450SEL 130K (Just sold - 06)
1961 Mercedes 220Sb (sold years ago)

I'm not sure about the front brakes although they work great and brakes haven't been touched since I bought the car in '02. Only put 5K miles on the car a year so brakes are probably still ok. Brakes don't grab, squeal, or pulsate and stop the car on a dime.

I'm starting to think lower left ball joint. My mechanic thought it was upper, but replacing that didn't do the trick. Sound is on left side and I notice a slight rattle when I go over bumps. I was always under the impression that lower ball joint was more likely to fail, but I could be wrong?

Mechanic now says that subframe bushings are installed incorrectly. He had it on the lift and it did seem like something was wrong since creaking sound seemed like it was coming from subframe mount area. Seemed like the subframe was moving excessively.

Can anyone provide pictures of correctly installed subframe bushing on a w107 chassis?

There are quite a few post about subframe fatigue cracks on the R107 on the SL forum, might want to do a search there.

I've looked and looked and there are a lot of descriptions of how the work is done, but no pictures of the subframe bushing actually in its installed state.