[Sonic Blue]

Hi, this is my first post on this forum. I have been a poster on the 2005-2007 board though. I just bought a 1966 Coupe (and I guess I'll sell the 2005 now).
I test drove it & it was fine, so I bought it & drove home about 200 miles with no problem. But today it is squeaking VERY loudly on passengers side when I press down on fender and it does not bounce back up by itself. I have to pull the car back up by hand. It doesn't take a lot of effort.
I would guess I need shocks but the squeaking sounds like it's coming from somewhere else. Close to the shock, maybe control arm?
Any ideas on what would cause the binding?
Are control arms, etc. a relatively easy fix. I am mechanically inclined but I've NEVER worked on front suspension before.
I've only had the car 2 days & now I can't drive it! I have to get it fixed ASAP.
Thanks and I hope you guys won't mind more questions later.
This is my 5th Mustang but my first Classic.

[5.0 in a 66]

Def. need shocks, no doubt about that, and I'd buy a set of KYB GR2s. I can't really think of anything except tie rods or ball joints that might squeak like that. On second thought, anything could be squeaking if the PO installed polyurethane bushings anywhere, those things are a squeak from hell that only a trash can will cure.

[Sonic Blue]

Update. I just replaced the front shocks. Had to use the cheap autozone kind because that was all that was available within a 50 mile radius. I can get some better ones later. Anyway the passenger shock was COMPLETELY shot. I could look at it hard and it would compress by itself. So now that is better the squeak even sounds better. It's still there but it takes more of a bounce to make it squeak. I'll look into the bushings etc this weekend I guess. At least I can drive it tomorrow!

[5.0 in a 66]

Originally Posted by Sonic Blue

Update. I just replaced the front shocks. Had to use the cheap autozone kind because that was all that was available within a 50 mile radius. I can get some better ones later. Anyway the passenger shock was COMPLETELY shot. I could look at it hard and it would compress by itself. So now that is better the squeak even sounds better. It's still there but it takes more of a bounce to make it squeak. I'll look into the bushings etc this weekend I guess. At least I can drive it tomorrow!

Jeez, that's pretty bad! I bet it rides better now too! A cheap and dirty trick I've used to find suspension squeaks is to pick something and hose it down in WD40, drive it and see if it gets better. Hose down everything one by one until the noise disappears and you will have found the culprit. WD40 doesn't do a whole lot though except quiet it down long enough so that you can single it out. If you can't get rid of it, it might be the control arm shaft nuts, but that's a long shot.
HTH

[lads_john]

My money's on the front sway bar bushings.
Take them off and grease them or better still pick
up a set of greasable ones (complete with brackets) at
Pepboys for $20.

I had exactly the same problem and it took my buddy hopping up and down while I looked underneath to figure where it was coming from.


Good luck!

[The Greek]

Try to grease the upper control arm bushings. There should be grease fittings on the ends of the bushing caps (nuts). A lot of times they don't want to take any grease. Have a buddy rock the car up and down while applying the grease, sometimes it helps. Don't expect it to take much grease as a little should be enough. There's not much area under the caps.

The upper bushings are hard to get to and a lot of times they aren't greased because of the wrong grease fittings being installed. Some shade tree guys have taken torches and cut holes in the shock towers to gain access to the wrong straight fittings.

If you don't have the correct 90* fittings, resto vendors sell a kit with a special installation tool. Regular 90* fittings don't seem to allow for enough room to attach the end of the grease gun, unless you reduce the outside diameter of the grease gun fitting.

Partially siezed upper control arm bushings will bind and replacement is not that difficult nor expensive. Good Luck ---Chuck

P.S. Don't ever cut holes in the shock towers and if there are holes consider repairing them.