A friend has an Explorer that has a very loud squeek in the front end. I don't know the year, but believe it's a '99 or so. It's a suspension squeek and is reproduceable by bouncing the front up and down. Is there a component that is predisposed to squeeking on these vehicles?
Dave
Sway bar bushings would be the first guess.... of course, you'd be further ahead to ask "how would a tech find the squeak?"...
Personally, I enlist an assistant when needed... I use my eyes to identify any issues that can hurt me.... I use my tactile senses to identify the source of the sound... It ain't rocket science but we see folks constantly refer to shops "charging too much..." for any repairs.
In reality, this stuff is so easy that a grade 8 drop-out can fix it.... all that is required is *thought*.
And a can of silicone spray...
The bad thing about silicone spray is that it can "hide" the squeak but it can't "cure" the squeak... From a DIY perspective, this may be a viable option. From my position, I can't do that.... As a tech (a conscientious tech, I might add), I deal with terms like "ineffective repair" and "chargeback"... both of these affect both my standard of living and my loving brides overwhelming need to dispose of my disposable income...
The quality of the repairs we demand depend largely on what we feel we deserve in our lives. I could (but steadfastly refuse to) do a marginal or patch job repair... Now, one way or another, my integrity is called into suspicion... I cannot offer peace of mind and cheap work at the same time.... I sell peace of mind...
Nor would I. As a diagnostic tool though, the spray is hard to beat. I knew immediately that you were correct in suggesting the sway bar bushings when one shot of silicone changed the pitch of the squeek. Whether my friend decides to repair it properly or buy his own can of spray is up to him.
Dave
. As a tech (a conscientious
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