Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    643

    Ball Joint Creak?

    Hey gang!

    Hearing a creak on the front end when turning the wheel... What do you think - ball joint?

    https://youtu.be/zyzYj6J3l-0

    I replaced the control arms two years and ~10k miles ago with Lemforder units. I’d be surprised if the BJ’s are gone already. Are E46 BJ’s greaseable?
    -Chris


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Greensboro, NC
    Posts
    3,650
    Have the tie rods been replaced?
    Emma - 2005 BMW 330ci ZHP 6MT Estorilblau Individual

    Sportline 8s 18x8.5F - 18x9.5R | APEX ARC-8 18x8.5 Square | aFe Intake | 135i Brembo F/R Calipers | 26mm Front/20mm Rear Sway Bars | Z4 Mirror
    M3 Dead Pedal | Lexus ES300 Yellow Fog Light Retrofit | Koni Yellows/H&R Springs | Llumar CTX 40% | Coby Tri-Stitch Wheel & Boots

    Awaiting Install: M3 Wing Mirrors

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    643
    Nope.
    -Chris


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Posts
    3,130
    Holy crap that's loud. You should definitely be able to feel it on the offending part. Can you have someone turn the wheel while you touch a screwdriver to the strut mount? Then try other areas if that's not it?

    I'd be hesitant to put a stethoscope on it and blow out your damn ear drums

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    643
    Yeah, planning to do that but just haven’t had the time to get it on the lift. Maybe this weekend. And yes- it’s F-ing loud, which is why I thought it could be a ball joint; it seems to resonate through the frame.
    -Chris


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Posts
    3,130
    Quote Originally Posted by cornercarver View Post
    Yeah, planning to do that but just haven’t had the time to get it on the lift. Maybe this weekend. And yes- it’s F-ing loud, which is why I thought it could be a ball joint; it seems to resonate through the frame.
    Don't need to put it on the lift to check the bearing in the strut mount. Just do exactly what you did in the video but stick a screwdriver on the mount and see if you feel the popping.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    643
    I finally got around to checking this. (I’ve driven the car only once or twice in the last month... out of sight, out of mind.)

    Definitely wasn’t the upper strut mount, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a ball joint. The sound was barely there this time, but it sounded like it could’ve been coming from the steering rack. Anyone ever heard of a rack creaking like this?

    Power steering fluid was full, and it could probably use a flush, but it definitely wasn’t dry.
    -Chris


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    Austin, Tx
    Posts
    295
    My first thought was the strut mount, I'm surprised that is not it.

    Does it do it with the wheels off the ground?
    Current Garage... '00 R11S, '09 HP2S, '12 R12GSA, '00 Black 323iT (wife's), '02 Alpine 325iT (Eileen, Track Wagon), '02 Japan Rot 325iT

    Instagram @ HillPerformanceBimmers
    Email to George@HillPerformance.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    643
    Didn’t try it with the wheels off the ground. I have a 4-post lift so I put it up and had my kid turn the wheel while I was listening underneath and on top. Put a ‘chassis ear’ - aka ‘screwdriver’ - to both strut towers and couldn’t hear anything.
    -Chris


  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Irvine, CA
    Posts
    818
    Maybe internal failure with the steering rack?

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