creaking sprinter again !!

[pride of deutschland]

Hi, this is my first post on this forum so hello to all, i am currently the owner of an 06 plate sprinter 313 cdi lwb panel van, (my 3rd sprinter in 8 years), however it has developed the same creaking noise from the front suspension as my previous 02 plate 311 cdi, (that even the merc dealer couldn't fix), the noise is only apparent when going over speed humps or when the suspension rises and falls more aggresively than normal, however it only happens when the osf wheel goes over a hump, on my last van i had new shockers and numerous inspections all under warranty but no cure, any ideas? , my thoughts were maybe something to do with the leaf spring mountings although i had a similar noise develop on my audi s3 and it turned out to be front arb bushes. please help

 

[Cnics]

Oh don't say things like that. if it means that i'm not going to be able to cure mine then there will be ones for sale to a deaf person very soon.

Have you checked and or replaced the bottom ball joints? This was the advice i was given and whilst i've not got round to doing it yet, i'd every confidence it would cure it. maybe slightly less now you've said that.

mine is however much much worse that what you describe, significant creaking anytime the van moves or steers although this appears to go away on the motorway.

Rob

 

[pride of deutschland]

bottom ball joints are really common problem on sprinters,(so a merc mechanic told me), dropping off a kerb is sometimes enough to mess one up, i'm going to get it checked though thanks, interestingly the creak on my previous van disappeared in wet weather

 

[pride of deutschland]

Rob, sounds like your problem is rubber bushes or maybe rack, trouble is which ones and the cost of replacing each set until you find the culprit

 

[Cnics]

replaced the track rod and track rod end. van drives better now so not a waste of money, but the squeak is still there. I went to pick up some equipment from a local hire company on the 30th Jan and their unit is pretty much on a farm. The roads are appalling to say the least. there was a massive massive bump that threw the van down a good 4 or 5 inches at only 10mph but it was a massive bump. It wouldn't surprise me if this has done it. it didn't start squeaking straight away. maybe 400 miles after.


I live in and have my unit in Derbyshire aswell. Believe me, we don't need kerbs to mess suspension up. just anything short of a large A road or motorway.

Oh well, i'll get to the bottom of it. As for yours, if you've had all that replaced it doesn't leave alot does it.

Rob

 

[pride of deutschland]

you wouldn't believe it but the creaking has stopped, same as my previous van, damp or wet day and the noise just disappears, strange or what, more and more convinced now that its maybe the leaf spring that sits transversely between the front wheels, i think either end of the spring is fastened via some nylon sliders and they get a bit dry and noisy, maybe i'm wrong , any ideas??

 

[wireman]

It may be one or more rubber bushes, the water helps lubricate them and the slip/stick of rubber on steel is reduced as is the amount of noise. It is also possible that the ball joints could "benifit" from the slight lubricity of the water.
Try slashing/squirting soapy water on to each rubber bit in turn and see if this stops the noises.
If it is the bottom arm inner bushes you might as well change the ball joints at the same time.
The ball joints can let go and the wheel falls half way off leading to unsafe conditions and the risk of serious damage to the vehicle.

 

[rich599]

Hi i have been using sprinters since they first came out and put over 150k per year on them i have had the same problem on all of them,and like every one else i started by changing bushes etc,but on everyone i have had it has been the front spring that is broke in the middle one one of the leaves,and the only way that you can see the break is by taking the spring off,and i think the reason they go quite in the wet is that the water must get in between the break and lubricate it.
i now have the new sprinter it has the same set up at the front but the front spring is now one leaf four times as thick and looks like some sort of fibre glass,or somthing but definately not steel

 

[wireman]

Those modern spings are called taper leaf springs, their reliability is light years ahead of multi leaf.

 

[si.]

you wouldn't believe it but the creaking has stopped, same as my previous van, damp or wet day and the noise just disappears, strange or what, more and more convinced now that its maybe the leaf spring that sits transversely between the front wheels, i think either end of the spring is fastened via some nylon sliders and they get a bit dry and noisy, maybe i'm wrong , any ideas??

hi, have you cured the sqeeking problem? i have had the same problem time after time and the only thing i replace is the bottom ball joints. the trouble with them starts when the ball joints arnt fitted proply in the first place. Ive seen guys bashing the ball joints in to the arms with a hammer:x instead of getting a blow torch to warm the arm up and then pressing the joints in with a 10 ton press realy slow:lol: and then letting the ball joint in the arm cooldown without dropping it in water. Some times driving up and down kirbs sideways that damages them as it is very easy to knock the ball joint on the kirb because i think the joints are only about 5'' off the ground.I wouldn't have thought going over bumps would be that bad because the tyre absurbes most of the shock but a ball joint knocking a kirb has got no chance.