Slight creaking noise when braking, turning | Ford Thunderbird forum club group 1955-2005 models

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Slight creaking noise when braking, turning

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ostobs
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Ostobs

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Thunderbird Year
1997
Just recently got my first car, a 97 T-Bird with 71K miles. Generally runs great, but has a few minor quirks. But those aren't important at the moment.

Two days ago I was driving and I noticed that I was hearing random creaking sounds, (like a whining creak, almost like one of the shocks were bad) This was the first I had heard it, and I couldn't manage to repeat it, so I ignored it as it being cold or a pebble or something.

Later I got in the car again, and I heard it more frequently. I fiddled around for a few, and realized that the sound happens when I am braking, and turning the wheel to the right (just about every single time.) or, to the left (slightly less often but still enough.) Sometimes just a plain turn will give a slight creak, plain being no brakes, and on occasion I hear it when I am braking, however, I do need an alignment at the moment, so I generally hold the wheel just a little to the right to keep the car straight.

My best guess would be a caliber, shocks, or a CV joint, but I could tell you in 5 minutes everything I know about cars, so I was hoping someone with a bit more knowledge would weigh in on my problem.

Thanks!

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My sons 1995 lx had a similar issue. I tried to check it out but finally the ball joint came out of the lower control arm
at first I thought it might be the struts. bought a pair of complete lower control arms off eBay for less than 100 bucks
change the strut to frame bushings as long as you have them out
 
Creaking sounds when turning are usually caused by worn or dry bushings, either rubber, or metal. Your car is rear wheel drive, and does not have c/v shafts. It has a drive shaft that comes off transmission and connects to rear differential. My best advice since your a new driver and mechanic, is to bring your t bird to a alignment shop, let them diagnose your worn parts. Then depending on you mechanical ability, you can repair some or all of the problems. One more thing, if it was a brake caliper problem, you would hear your noise when applying brakes. Good luck, keep us posted.
 
I actually took it in for an oil change around the start of December, and asked them to take a look. Turned out it was a ball joint and control arm rusted, and needed replaced. Mechanic told me the three stages were good, bad, and tow truck, and I was on bad. I had the work done the next week, no problems since.

Funnily enough, I'd had a problem of the car veering to the left a tad on a hard break, and it doesn't anymore. Thanks for the replies, and hopefully this will help someone sometime!
 
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