Creaking noise up front, right side, slow turns...please read/advise... :)

[EricV]

Hey there. It's been a while since I've posted, and I do appreciate all of the incredible help I've gotten here in the past- for my purchase, upgrades, all of it. Great forum! I did a search of this, found one hit, but it did not yield much info... Now excuse me in advance if I do not respond immediately- I am on my work machine and won't be back until the morning.

It's a '93 525i (manual, not relevant, but a point of pride 100K, sachs kit added about a year ago, among other things. When I am moving very slowly, turning tight for parking/pulling out, if I turn my steering far right I get a very audible creaking noise from the right front. It's "structural" and resonates through the body work to the interior (even sounds to be amplified by the dash, etc.) Kind of a groaning noise, not a squeal or anything like you'd expect from the power steering system. Again, this is only at very low speed (walking speed, parking lots) and it is the right front. All seems to function just fine.

Please, if you can, advise me on what I should be checking and if possible the correct way to check it. I have some time over the holidays and I want to get under there and have a look-see myself.

Many thanks!

Eric

[tim]

Well, I'd be looking at the tie rods, control arms, idler and pitman arms, and the sway bar links. Normally when someone says groaning sound I think wheel bearings, but in your case it just the opposite, i.e.: groaning when turning as opposed to straight.

[Mobius]

It's your front subframe. Happened to me too.

When you're under the car get a (big) wrench on the subframe mounting bolts. They won't be loose, but if you can get 'em just a little tighter, the creak will go away.

I was only able to get about 10º of rotation out of them, but that was enough.

[black_bird_blue]

Any news on whether the subframe bolts fixed it?

I ask because I've just started getting a creak (stick/slip) during high angle (i.e. walking speed) turns but only when the car is warm. It's definitely associated with the steering box; I shall be checking subframe bolts on the morrow!

Damian