OynxSTS Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 At very slow speeds, over speed bumps, the front struts on my 2002 STS make a noise similar to someone munching potato chips... A buddy of mine (also on this list) has this happen on his '98... Is this normal? Or is this the beginning of a set of struts going south? No suspension codes... Not yet... And the ride is not too bad... Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Grek Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 Just the stabilizer links, had same problem. I bought a set of Moog's they have grease fittings and probably will last a very long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbuc Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 I need to replace the bushings on my "sway bar" also. I have a creaking sound when going over speed bumps and stuff. I took a good look at them the other day and they looked pretty dried out. Thanks for the tip Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poobah Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 Sounds like your rubber sway bar bushings need to be replaced (this is not an expensive fix). Even if they look OK and feel tight, they can be shot. Bad sway bar bushings can also cause a "clunking" noise in the front end when the car goes over small bumps. I would be suprised if the struts on an '02 need to be replaced unless it has an awfully lot of miles on it. Happiness is owning a Cadillac with no codes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetheri Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 How many miles on your 2002? I had the same trouble right after I got my '97. It needed the sway bar end links after 80,000 miles. Got 'em from gmpartsdirect.com and installed them myself. Easy, and fun afternoon job. Front end was all quiet after that. I understand that this is one of the most common complaints/repairs on late model Caddy's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 It definitely sounds like sway bar bushings. They hold a lot of load. Replace them and you'll see the difference immediately. The next part moving to south BEFORE struts will be the stabilizer links. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickster Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 Greg. Don't change anything yet. I have found when it gets cooler out, the bushings in the links make this noise you are talking about. When it warms up, the noise should go away. I was all so concerned my first winter with the caddy. If you do a search on the old board, I think there was a good discussion on this. I beleive it is just the rubber stiffening up in the cooler weather and rubbing on the metal links. It's kinda like chewing on a rubber band. Rick 2001 STS Mettalic Otter Grey, Black Leather, 213,000 kilometers - miles - ? Still running strong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 At very slow speeds, over speed bumps, the front struts on my 2002 STS make a noise similar to someone munching potato chips... A buddy of mine (also on this list) has this happen on his '98... Is this normal? Or is this the beginning of a set of struts going south? Greg, see if you can isolate where the noise is coming from. Jounce the front of the car up and down and listen near the top of each strut. If the noise is coming from there (as it is on mine), you probably need new strut mounts. If the noise is coming from underneath the car, you may need some of the other parts mentioned above. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted December 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2004 How many miles on your 2002? I I understand that this is one of the most common complaints/repairs on late model Caddy's. My 02 has 45K Miles on it... The warrantee is almost done... I think that Rick is right.. It does sound a lot like chewing a rubber band... It might be temperature realted Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJSUS Posted December 19, 2004 Report Share Posted December 19, 2004 I had that sound.....Strut mounts were the culprit....that's my last warranty trip....i ran out of miles this morning Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted December 19, 2004 Report Share Posted December 19, 2004 What are the "strut mounts" ? I had new tires put on the front to cure a high speed vibration. Now all is good - well into the triples. The technician said the stab bushings were OK, but they heard a slight rattle near the driver's side strut. They thought it might be a plate or rubber gasket of some sort that the strut has at the top. If "strut mounts" exists, can they get loose/worn and is it replaceable? Might be worth a look, compared to the price of "Caddyactive" struts. The tire shop guys here would rather stay away from Caddy struts etc and they asked me to take it to the dealership. Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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