Front end squeaks Levin AE111 BZR

[Macca84]

Hi guys and girls I was wondering if someone could help me... I have a 1997 Toyota Levin BZR with super strut front end. I have a few squeaks coming from behind the passenger footwell and I was wondering if anyone has had this same problem or knows anything about servicing or replacing components on the super strut front end. Any feedback would be fantastic thanks heaps

[punter]

I've got a super strut ae101, and I've had to replace both sides of the front suspension.

The part that fails is the ball joints in the front lower arm. This front arm is made up of 2 arms one long and one very short. It's the ball joints on the short one that normally fail.

To check that it's that which has failed, jack up the front of the car remove the wheel and try to rotate the strut (grab the spring seat for leverage) you shouldn't be able to turn it at all. (bar the small amount from steering movement).

If it flops around a little then those joints are stuffed. As for replacing them, if you get them rebuilt they will last about 30,000km (maybe more maybe less), and if you get genuine new (like I did, $180NZD per side) you should get another 100,000+ km out of it.

On a side note, the joints on my car were seized, not sloppy, meaning my strut didn't rotate at all. The problem this caused on my car was the the suspension was binding, wouldn't go back up after being pushed down. (I'm told this is not a common problem for them)

Also the rear bottom arm can also fail, these arm much more expensive, but luckliy less common.

So yes it could be S/S arms or it could be something else.


Let me know if any of that made sense, or, I suppose if it did not.
Cheers Rob.

[Macca84]

Hi Rob thanks for the advice! Just out of interest was it hard for Toyota to source the parts for your car? Sorry about the late reply.

[punter]

No was no trouble at all, just gave them the frame and model numbers.
Some of the parts I ordered came ex japan so was about a 4 week wait.

[Macca84]

Hi Rob, I Lithium greased every suspension bushing and every possible area I thought a squeak could come from and still the front end squeaks and groans. I saw the ball joints that you were talking about but there was literally no play or free movement in them whatsoever... My problem will require even further investigation. Also did you have any other problems with your car?

[punter]

How did you test for movement, they hardly move at all unless they are really stuffed.

It's also possible that they are binding, my car did this on one side the joint was pretty much frozen solid.

No big problems, had a torn engine mount which is common for fwd 4ages, and a few little electrical issuses. nothing major.