Can someone diagnose this noise?

[DannMann99]

okay first: i drive a 94 cav. 2.2l, a few weeks ago i changed both lower ball joints, front rotors and pads, back shoes and drums. I took it to get inspected and the guy said i should grease those piston screws up front that you needed to use the allen key to take out from the caliper. I chose not to though cause It slid back in real easy. a week or two after that now i am hearing a noise.
let me describe this noise: it sounds like an ungreased ball joint. but it isnt, i just had both greased. it sounds kind of like a squeak, like if you have a squeaky floorboard, and step on it. that kind of noise.

now onto what i have done: if i lift on both front ends it doesnt make that noise (checking perhaps the balljoints werent greased all the way). Also, if i pump the brakes it also does not make this noise (checking perhaps it was those piston screws). I took off the wheel and checked everything. and nothing stands out for me. Its not the engine, i can floor it in neutral and it doesnt make the noise. the noise isnt really dependant on anything, it is just a squeak when driving. it happens if im going uphill, downhill, pretty much as long as my car is moving. its been driving me mad because i just cant figure out what it is.

it is only coming from the front driver side, sounds like the wheel well to me. I did the exact same thing on both sides though when i changed out the brakes and balljoints so i am at a loss.

if you could help me out. it would be much appreciated.

-Daniel M.

[Cavalier2000]

hows the strut and spring look?

[jeremy06]

check your bushings such as control arm bushings

[Tookie]

I own a same make/model car as yours, and had identical problems adressed just a week ago. My mech replaced the wheel bearing on the bad side;(drivers),and the problem is now solved. This problem had been evading diagnosis for weeks. I expected a bad bearing assy to make some completely different noises, and even attributed it to some kind of wierd wind patterns moving through the wheel well,(lol).
Thing was, even when the car was on the ramp, the car didn't offer any signs after spinning the bad wheelside.
It wouldn't hurt to check the brake pad's little squealer and bend them a bit away from the rotor assy, to be certain.

[i3o2Matt]

that little squealer would not be a good idea to bend...its there to let you kno you need to change brakes soon...

[Tookie]

Agreed, it does carry some measure of safety wrt brake maintenance; but it also prompts a measure of committing to good maintenance. Personally, I think they promote lackadasial maintenance regimes. Waiting for the squealer to come online is like letting someone else own your car.
jmo

[Nightmare by GM]

Do you have a front swaybar? Many Cavaliers did not come with a sway bar from the factory. If you do have a sway bar, then your swaybar mounts are dry. I have greased my mounts TWICE and my car only has 65,000 miles on it. This is a noise that you will only hear if you go over bumps or dips in the road. Very common problem for Cavaliers.

Regards, ARG

[Nightmare by GM]

I forgot to say, greasing the swaybar mounts are a royal pain in the ass to do.

You will have to DROP the subframe from the car to get to the swaybar rubber mounts. It is about a three hour job. Thank God it last about 40,000 miles between lubes.

Good luck.........