2005 Corolla with creaking noise from right front

[camrymary]

I have a 2005 LE. I have had the brakes done and new rotors installed (at 50,000 miles).

I got the car with no history, although I did get a Carfax report, so I felt okay about it.

When I apply the brakes (and after I've been driving a while) there is a horrid creaking noise (sort of like a creaking door) from the right front side. My mechanic says the idler arm has been replaced on that side (due to a smashed side or hitting a curb hard) and they used a bolt that is 1/16" too small in diameter. They said this is not dangerous, but should be replaced, and that this could cause the creaking noise.

The bolt is about $5, the labor is about $150.

Does this sound logical? Could such a creaking-type noise come from stuff moving around down there in the suspension? When I apply the brakes, the noise seems to match the slowing revolution of the tires. If it doesn't sound logical, what on earth could this creaking be?

I hope this is clear enough. As you can see, I'm not too knowledgeable about car parts!

Any and all comments will be welcomed!

[mikered30]

I am not sure how the idle arm would creak when you would brake. Can you check to see if he installed the brakes correctly?

[new echo owner]

If it is cause by the bolt as he had said, you would hear the noise even when you are not applying the brakes. Was the noise there before the brakes were done? BTW, Corolla don't have idler arms.

From your description, the noise is cause by something or part in the brake system. Do you know if the brakes parts are Toyota? Some of the aftermarket pads do have tendency to make noise when apply. Another possibility is that the brake pads were installed with lubricant at the recommend areas.

N.E.O.

[r0lla5XRS]

Mine makes the same noise. Do you have aftermarket pads or rotors on there? I've got aftermarket rotors on there, and when my brakes heat up, it'll make the same exact noise you have. Also, I do have one bolt that holds the carrier in place that is not stock. Thread is the same, it's just a little longer, but i put a couple of lock tights to make up for the difference in length. We both have a bolt that's not supposed to be there, so just maybe it's the bolt that is creating this noise for us.

[camrymary]

Ok, I apologize... I went out to the car and got the paperwork. Here is what my mechanic wrote when he diagnosed it:

Right lower control arm has been replaced. Rear mounting bolt is approx 1/16" smaller diameter than original. May make noise.

They replaced the rotors (too thin to machine). They wrote: 96934/PRO1155697 premium front rotor ($49.99 each). Clean and lube caliper slides and guides.

Sorry about the "idler arm" mixup. I was doing this from memory and got my terms wrong! It's the control arm.

Any comments or advice? I was going in next week to have this bolt replaced, as I'm hoping it will stop the noise. I'm getting rather frustrated!!

[new echo owner]

Was the creaking noise there before the brakes were done?

Did he show you which bolt it was that was smaller than the original? Are you hearing the noise all the time or just when you are braking?

It is interesting that the rotors would be too thin to machine at 50,000 miles.

N.E.O.

[camrymary]

This creaking noise began with no relationship to the brakes being done. They originally had after market brake pads (when I got the car) and were squeaking, so a local shop put on Toyota ones (supposedly). They began squeaking again, so I returned and they put on shims.

Everything was fine for a few months, then the creaking began. The mechanics I have now did not tell me the rotors needed replacing, just that they were too thin to machine. I decided to replace them just in case in would help with the creaking noise. It didn't, but now I have new rotors!

Since then (about two months) the creaking has become worse. I am going next week to have the bolt replaced, hoping this will fix the noise. What else can I do?

This is my eighth Toyota, and this is the most trouble I've had with any of them. Help! Maybe I should go to the dealership and see what they say, or perhaps to a brake shop?

I think the previous owner must have driven it very hard, to need brakes before 40,000 miles. Also I guess he ran into a curb very hard on the right side.

I really am out of ideas. I do not really like the Toyota dealership here (there is only one, small town I'm in), but perhaps that would help.

No, they did not show me the bolt. However, they printed out a sheet with a diagram describing everything, kept the car for over an hour to diagnose this, and charged me nothing. I do trust them at this point, having no reason not to. They didn't say the bolt or rotors needed to be done immediately, they were dangerous, etc., or try to scare me. I usually can tell when a shop is treating me like an idiot because I'm a woman.

Any advice or ideas is much appreciated.

[new echo owner]

Any chance of posting the diagram they had gave you?

If the noise was present before the brake work then the control arm bolt maybe the cause would make some sense. When do you notice the noise, over bumps, braking, making turns? Does temperature make any difference that you had notice?

Unless you want a second opinion, it is really not necessary to take it into the dealership to have the bolt replace, but hopefully whomever replace the bolt will be using Toyota parts for replacement.

It is not uncommon for a car to need brake service before 40,000 miles; however, the rotors can usually afford to be machined a couple of time before they would be at the minimum thickness. Let me just say that I am not implying that your repair shop is dishonest, it is just unusual that's all.

It is one of the pitfalls of owning a used vehicle, sometimes it is had to tell how the vehicle was previously operated.

From your original post, your description seems to describe two different noises; the creaking noise and then the other when you applied your brakes. Or did I misunderstood that?

N.E.O.

[camrymary]

Originally Posted by new echo owner

Any chance of posting the diagram they had gave you?

If the noise was present before the brake work then the control arm bolt maybe the cause would make some sense. When do you notice the noise, over bumps, braking, making turns? Does temperature make any difference that you had notice?

Unless you want a second opinion, it is really not necessary to take it into the dealership to have the bolt replace, but hopefully whomever replace the bolt will be using Toyota parts for replacement.

It is not uncommon for a car to need brake service before 40,000 miles; however, the rotors can usually afford to be machined a couple of time before they would be at the minimum thickness. Let me just say that I am not implying that your repair shop is dishonest, it is just unusual that's all.

It is one of the pitfalls of owning a used vehicle, sometimes it is had to tell how the vehicle was previously operated.

From your original post, your description seems to describe two different noises; the creaking noise and then the other when you applied your brakes. Or did I misunderstood that?

N.E.O.

No, I can't post the diagram. It's a drawing & printout from their computer.

The original squeaking brakes stopped after the shims. Then the creaking began. It is only when I apply the brakes, and goes right along with the slowing revolution of the tires. I hear it on the right side, but perhaps I'm imagining this. I don't hear it unless I'm braking. There are no other noises, just my nice little Toyota motor purring along.

The creaking doesn't begin until I have driven for a while, so it is related to things warming up, whatever they may be!

I am sure the bolt is Toyota, as it is Special Order and took over a week to arrive.

I now have new rotors from Toyota, so whatever the reason they were "too thin to machine" I will never know. I hope these last for a while. (They should; on my previous Camry I had 165,000 and never needed to do the brakes. They were checked regularly, of course. Talk about a sedate driver!)

I do hope my mechanics are honest. Since they don't charge sometimes, and give me very good prices other times, and never insist on something being done immediately (rotors, bolt) or try to scare me into spending money, and I got them from the Car Talk Recommended Mechanics site..... I have to trust them!! I have no one else in this small town!!

I do appreciate all the suggestions. Thanks for all the posts. Please let me know what you think.

[new echo owner]

Without actually 'seeing' the control arm, and hearing the noise, the only suggestions is to have the bolt replaced, and not necessarily because of the noise but having the correct bolt in place.

However, I do have to admit that I am bit puzzled about the bolt being the cause of the creaking noise, and only makes noise during braking. Here is how I see it, if it is indeed the control arm bolt making the noise, then it would be making the noise all the time when the vehicle is traveling since the control arm which is part of the suspension will be working any time the vehicle is on the move.

Do you have any means to take pictures and post them?

N.E.O.

[camrymary]

Originally Posted by new echo owner

Without actually 'seeing' the control arm, and hearing the noise, the only suggestions is to have the bolt replaced, and not necessarily because of the noise but having the correct bolt in place.

However, I do have to admit that I am bit puzzled about the bolt being the cause of the creaking noise, and only makes noise during braking. Here is how I see it, if it is indeed the control arm bolt making the noise, then it would be making the noise all the time when the vehicle is traveling since the control arm which is part of the suspension will be working any time the vehicle is on the move.

Do you have any means to take pictures and post them?

N.E.O.

I totally agree about the noise being only when braking. It must be related to the brakes!

I will have the bolt replaced, only because it should be done to have the correct bolt in place. However, I am almost positive that I will still have the creaking noise afterwards, because you (and a few friends who have ridden in my car and listened) have convinced me that it's related to braking.

Since I've spent about $300 so far on brakes, including the nice new rotors, I'm frustrated! I want them to work properly and I'm not sure where to go from here.

Monday afternoon is The Day of The Bolt. I will write again after it is replaced and we'll see how loud the creaking is!

I do have the ability to post a photo, I guess, but I'm not sure what it would be. I don't think I can comfortably go into the shop when my car is on the hoist to take a photograph. It would seem that I don't trust the mechanics or don't believe them, and that's not the case.

Thank you so much for all your questions and help! I will write again as this mystery continues.

[new echo owner]

I didn't mean for you to go into the shop to take pictures of your car when it is up in the air. I was just wondering if you can snap pictures of the areas that they had point out to you when your car is on the ground. You can turn the wheel fully to the left which would allow you to have a little better view of the control arm. Do the same thing to the left side too. If you are unable to that is alright, will just await your result after the bolt replacement.

N.E.O.

[camrymary]

Well, I have my new bolt but I still have the creaking. The shop would like me to leave the car for the whole day so that they can remove the sway bar and check the bushings. Something is moving around when I brake, making the noise.

I won't be able to leave my car for an entire day until about a week from now. However, they did not even let me pay today, saying I can pay after the next visit. They said the next procedure will be "minimal cost."

I think getting the new bolt was a wise thing, even if I still have my creaking noise. I plan to keep this Toyota for many thousands of miles, just like my previous ones, so I want everything to be perfect.

How does the sway bar and bushings potential solution sound?? I don't know what either is, actually, but I'm up for anything that will stop the creaking!

[new echo owner]

Sorry to hear that you are still having problem with your car.

The sway bar is part of the suspension too, its basic purpose is to help both left and right tires to maintain contact with the road surface especially on turns or uneven road surfaces. The bushings are used to insulate and hold the sway bar in place. Again, it would be making noise even when the brakes are not being used, most noticeable on uneven road surfaces and going into drive ways at an angle.

What you might want to do in the meantime is to gather more information about this noise; try to get something more specific, like if the noise changes when you turn the steering slightly, or if you let off the brakes slightly. Anything that you think may help.

N.E.O.

[camrymary]

Originally Posted by new echo owner

Sorry to hear that you are still having problem with your car.

The sway bar is part of the suspension too, its basic purpose is to help both left and right tires to maintain contact with the road surface especially on turns or uneven road surfaces. The bushings are used to insulate and hold the sway bar in place. Again, it would be making noise even when the brakes are not being used, most noticeable on uneven road surfaces and going into drive ways at an angle.

What you might want to do in the meantime is to gather more information about this noise; try to get something more specific, like if the noise changes when you turn the steering slightly, or if you let off the brakes slightly. Anything that you think may help.

N.E.O.

Oh drat. I thought perhaps the sway bar and bushings would be the answer!

I will try to get more information about the noise in the meantime (before I take the car in next week for the day). So far all I can say is that it only happens when I've been driving for a while, but then it happens every time I brake and slow down. It is from the right front side (confirmed by my mechanic who drove it). It doesn't happen unless I'm applying the brakes. The noise goes right along with the revolution of the tires.

I have not noticed it at any other times, like turning into a drive at an angle or on uneven roads. However, I will return with as much information as I can get!

Thanks again for your very helpful comments.