Lubrication??

Ok I think this real simple...Every time I get out of the car it creaks. I've located the noise by bouncing the bumper up and down and it's coming from the driver's side wheel well. There's no vibartion in the wheel and I had my upper ball joints replaced recently. The noise has really bad when I leave the car wash, now it's when I'm going down a hill, over bumps or when I'm exiting the vehicle. It sounds like the creaking of bad springs...except there aren't any in the front :)...but that's the sound - make sense? Any help would be great. Thanks!

Try replacing the middle bushings in the anti-sway bars. Once you have the bushings off, polish the bar with a strip of emory cloth where the bushings rub to get rid of corrosion.

You know what I'm 99% sure your right...because I'm getting that annoying thump through the floor pan when the wheel is locked and moving. This has been a constant problem...I had it fixed twice by the dealer when the car was new and it's the same feeling now.

Where is this bushing located?

Its the lower ball joints that are the most common cause for this, but could be the torsion bars rear pivots top of hanger shifting. I added washers to both sides per info found in the forum and also pulled them out of the lower control arms and greased them - they slide in and out slightly as the suspension flexes. But, my real problem turned out to be a cracked frame mount where the lower control arm mounts (front diff too) so a pop and clunk when braking and often when I got out of the Blazer, link below with apic before I had them welded, but sides - fixed that noise and brakes straight.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=510818&highlight=clunking+cracked+frame

Ball joints need greasing.

In fact, there are 10-11 fitting in the front end to grease, start off by greasing them all with 5-6 pumps of grease.

Where is this bushing located?

If your truck has sway bars, they hold the middle of the sway bars to the chassis. The sway bar connects the two front wheels to each other. You probably have two bushings in the front.

The above posters are correct if you haven't been greasing the front end. I assumed you have been greasing the fittings periodically. That's the obvious answer.

sorry gotta go off topic but how do you fit those grease fitting on the grease gun onto the grease zerks, i keep trying to push it in but it won't go, am i doing something wrong?

It just pushes on and locks around the fittings. You may need a new gun hose.

OK, front end has been greased regularly. What about shocks? I have been told that if the wheel is straight and you press down on the bumper and you get the creaking, and then if you turn the wheel and do the same thing and hear nothing then it's the shocks...this happens to be the case with me. Is this is a legit guideline?

If it's the shocks I'll be pissed because I paid good money for this Monomax set from Tirerack and they've got around 40K on them.

Thanks!

What happened to the swaybar bushings?

Ok it was the shocks...I can't believe they went bad after 40K. I thought Monomax shocks were going to be more durable, but I guess I was wrong. Anyway the ride was a little and may have contributed to my front end problems...time to edit my profile :(

You still better get those 11 fittings lubed up bud, you can't ignore them.

You still better get those 11 fittings lubed up bud, you can't ignore them.

For the love of God don't forget. I never knew any better when I first got my Blazer and I had to replace a lot of crap on my front end b/c of this neglect.

Yes, thanks...I go to Jiffy Lube and they do it every oil change. I even took it back there and they showed me when and how they did it during the oil change.

I have done everything to possible to wreck my front end in the past, and it's cost me dearly...wrong wheel offsets, stiff shocks and not double checking the lube job at oil changes.

This was the first car I purchased, back in 99, so it's been a learning experience.

GM should bring back the S10 Blazer/S15 Jimmy!

Oh, that's what you're talking about. I thought this thread was about something else. :wink: :evillol: :wink:

Yes, thanks...I go to Jiffy Lube and they do it every oil change. I even took it back there and they showed me when and how they did it during the oil change.

I have done everything to possible to wreck my front end in the past, and it's cost me dearly...wrong wheel offsets, stiff shocks and not double checking the lube job at oil changes.

This was the first car I purchased, back in 99, so it's been a learning experience.

GM should bring back the S10 Blazer/S15 Jimmy!


If you have a skid plate, I doubt they are greasing your pitman arm.

I say this because you have to remove the plate to get to it.

Make sure you grease it or you will be replacing it.

Yes, thanks...I go to Jiffy Lube and they do it every oil change. I even took it back there and they showed me when and how they did it during the oil change.

I have done everything to possible to wreck my front end in the past, and it's cost me dearly...wrong wheel offsets, stiff shocks and not double checking the lube job at oil changes.

This was the first car I purchased, back in 99, so it's been a learning experience.

GM should bring back the S10 Blazer/S15 Jimmy!

Oh hell no they dont.

They might get the outer tie rods and the ball joints, but I can guarantee you they don't get the inner tie rods and the idler and pitman arm.

You have to remove the skid plate for those.

Well I've not changed the idler and pitman arms myself but I've been under the lift and seen them both and they both seem relatively easy to get to, I mean they were completely visible. I also don't know what's so difficult about lubing the inner tie rods.

I only have a standard jack for changing flats, what would I need as far as tools to lube all of these parts or is there somewhere else I should go? Thanks!

Re-read what I was saying bud.

I was talking about the quick-lube places.

If you are going to start lubing your own truck you need a good grease gun, good grease, an SUV jack (at least 2.5 ton rated, with a higher lift range) 6 ton jack stands and some rags to wipe things down after you grease them up.
If you are going to keep your truck for any length of time, and plan on getting into doing things like oil changes - very easy - you should get a jack and stands anyway. Total cost will probably be about $40-50 for the jack from either Wally World or and advace or auto zone, and maybe $25-35 for the stands. A good investment that will pay you back for years. Grease guns run about ten bucks and grease is maybe two bucks per tube.

Thanks!