TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:00 am

I have a 74 Thing which has seen very little use in the last 10 years. It squeaks loudly and continuously whenever I drive it. I am guessing rear spring plate bushings or trailing arm bushings. Can these be lubricated or should they be replaced?

Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:17 am

If the spring plate bushings are bad, they should be replaced. But they'd only cause squeaking if they're REALLY bad and allowing the metal to rub on metal. That or they're new urethane ones that haven't been properly greased.

However, those bushings would only squeak when you hit a bump - they wouldn't squeak just from the wheels turning - that is, they wouldn't be "continuous". It sounds like you've got a bad wheel bearing or something hanging up in the brake drum. If you jack up the car and spin the wheels, do you still hear the squeak? If so, it should be pretty easy to narrow down the exact location.

Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:44 am

no it's not brakes or bearings. It is a body squeak, fairly loud and it is continuous.

Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:55 am

If you have a roll bar then just turn it off and get outside and push it down the street and see if you can listen and isolate where the squeak is coming from.

Tue Jul 22, 2008 12:00 pm

Maybe there are some old Kubelwagon parts in there and it thinks it's a WWII tank rolling down the street. :roll: :roll: Bouncing the corners may help isolate the squeek. Have the bushings been replaced with new non-rubber ones? They sometimes squeek.