My car has developed what can best be described as a dry rubbing noise from the rear driver's side of the car. It sounds like metal rubbing on metal. My first guess was that the muffler was rubbing on a heat shield - but now I think its somewhere in the suspension on that side.

It is worse on hot days than it is on cold says - it only makes the noise when the suspension is traveling up or down.

I will be taking the wheel off this weekend to try to track it down, but I am not sure that I will be able to reproduce it without the weight of the vehicle on the suspension. Has anyone run into something similar? Is it a bad shock?

Thanks!
Charlie

 

I've had the same issue issue after my rear bearings have been replaced. Don't know what it is, but mine is intermittent. That isn't always occurring. Also, struts, shocks and springs have been replaced about 2 years ago.. so I can't imagine it is that.

I await your findings :P

 

Very interesting... it started around the time that I replaced my rear bearing. Thanks for the info - I'll let you know what I find out.

 

bushings maybe?

 

Probably not a bad shock. Likely to be a bushing that has broke away and is rubbing. If you removed the uprights and rear arms to do the bearing then the manhandling probably helped kill it.

 

i think i've heard all the squeaking in the rear end the B5 can make lol. i think it's a bushing too, most likely the outer one. i had replaced all mine but i had bought one of the outer bushings from the dealership. well it still squeaked after replacement but the ones i bought online were fine. take a look at your springs too

 

Well we finally got a break from the 95+ degree weather and I took the wheel off to have a look. I think I found the source of the squeak.

The spring is off center and rubbing on the shock. I noticed that the spring is cracked at the very bottom - so I am guessing that is why.

So... the big question is - where can I buy a replacement spring? This is a 98 2.8 quattro - but according to the window sticker it also has a sport suspension package - so where can I find an OEM replacement?

Thanks
charlie

 

^^ ahh i just remembered thats what my mechanic said with mine when he took it out to install vmaxx coilovers. i suggest you do the same thing =D

 

I've had the same squeaking / groaning noise from driver's side rear for about a month.

I sprayed the **** out of all the bushings twice with some WD-40 and the problem is completely remedied, for now.

My springs appear to be fine and service records show they were replaced 100k miles ago.

Question: Are there are bushings that tend to fail more than others; e.g., the upper control arm bushings?

 

I've had this problem for a year now...I've tracked it down to the rear upper inner control arm bushings. There are two of them per side and they squeak like crazy when it gets warm. I usually douche down both of them with silicone spray or WD40 and that silences em for a while. They are like 17 bucks a piece through FCP and I'm planning on replacing them (someday).

Hit em with some WD and see if it stops for awhile. If it does, you've found your offending bushing.