What on earth is this squeaking noise?

[beigmatt]

I finally made a small video when I heard the infamous squeak coming out of my car.

It has been bugging me for a good 2 years now. It is very intermittent, and goes away at about 50mph+.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyJzfJdhqwo

Somebody Please help!

[1988GTU]

Dust shield? Does it get worse faster you go? Does it happen in reverse?

[beigmatt]

I dont think it happens in reverse. It's too intermittent to tell for now.

For example, when accelerating, there is no noise until I let off the gas.
It used to be when I brake, the noise would stop. But now it is so bad that when it is in "squeaky mode", I can still hear it. It definitely has to do with weight distribution around the car, temperature, and how rough I have been driving it.

I could be driving around all day and there could be no noise. I pick up my friend, he gets in the car, and then it starts squeaking.

There is no fixed equation! I can go off-roading and there will be no noise when im back on the street. Some days I pull out of the driveway and it squeaks right from the get-go.

It doesn't squeak going over bumps, moreso when driving in a strait line going 20-50mph. The squeak is affected when going over small bumps on the road, however. I have noticed that after driving over some bumps, it is more likely to squeak when driving afterwards. The noise is definitely coming from the rear end of the car. VERY HARD to tell which side, I think i have multiple squeaky struts/shocks. so I thought the drive shaft was the culprit, but on initial inspection nothing looks wrong. I put lithium grease wherever I can but to no avail, squeak always comes back!

[beigmatt]

Jumping on the back bumper and all other corners off the car results in no noticeable noise. Not from the shocks, or anything.

I could use a friend underneath to listen for small noises, but I couldn't hear anything from the shocks or anything else up above.

[1988GTU]

Do this (with caution) :

Jack the vehicle up supporting/suspending the chassis on a set of stands. Using a block of wood, place one jack under one control arm and do the same for the other side. Equally raise the control arms to "level" ride height (axles straight & parallel to the ground not angled downward). Start the vehicle and put it in drive. Does it still do that noise?

[beigmatt]

I highly doubt it will make the noise. It only seems to be aggravated when moving. What part are you trying to single out?

I had my tires rotated and aligned and the fronts balanced. Squeak has been gone for the past few weeks except ONE day. I drive the car 50-100 miles every day, so it has been a great summer. Normally it would squaek every other day. Balancing the tires did fix the squeak.

This information will help you I think. I am almost positive it is coming from the rear. When I had my tires rotated the squeak STOPPED, but my front wheels were shaking more then usual. My conclusion? An unbalanced tire in the rear was causing the squeak somehow and then when it was moved to the front it caused excess vibration. I had the front tires balanced so then I had no squeak and no vibration. I heard the squeak the other day though.

With this information, what part in the rear can squeak like that? An unbalanced tire made it squeak like crazy for months before my tire rotation, that is my conclusion.

[pocket-rocket]

It sounds like something rotational like brakes or a bearing/seal, not reciprocating like suspension.

Is your car an AWD model, or just FWD?

[beigmatt]

Its AWD. I have 4 wheel bearings less then 1 year old. I replaced them all myself (and man was it a bitch). Wheel bearings did not help. Only thing that helped was a tire rotation/balance, which leaves me a little dumbfounded.