1994 Montery loud chassis creaking, help

This creaking has been intermittent for more than a year, have asked several shops but nobody has ideas. On some days it is LOUD, others days not audible. What kind of shop knows about this problem and what might it be? Is it safe to drive? I know nothing about mechanics. Otherwise, the truck has been very dependable.

Reply to
annieopal
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Usually when this happens it's because we can't adequately describe the problem. You best bet is to get it to a shop immediately while it is acting up. Take a mechanic for a test drive with you so you can point it out to him.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

It is the sound of fatigueing Mitsubishi steel. The first shop I would take it to is your local Automotive X-Ray Imaging franchise. Don't forget that in normalized wear rate terms, a 1994 model Mitsubishi is a lot older than say a 1994 Toyota, Ford or Nissan.

Reply to
Bhagat Gurtu

The usual source (baring structural damage) of creaking noises is the suspension bushes and springs, and it happens when the vehicle is cornering and braking. The noise stops (or reduces) when the bushes are lubricated with high humidity or water.

It may also be the body mounting points on the chassis (assuming it has one).

There's a simple test you can do yourself, or have someone do this for you. On a (probably warm) day that the creaking is loud, squirt the front suspension bushes, swaybar bushes, and rear spring shackle bushes with WD40 and see if the noise stops. The WD40 won't hurt anything, and will temporarily lubricate the rubber.

Your suspension is 14 years old: bushes lose most of their elasticity and noise/shock absorbing capability after about 3 years. They get deformed into a more or less fixed position. Go to a suspension shop and get the whole system checked out: you likely need new shocks. Replacing all the shocks and bushes is a large but not particularly difficult job, and will make a very noticeable difference to the ride and handling. Pay the extra for the bush job, rather than just shocks alone.

Reply to
Stewart DIBBS

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