Probably a dry ball joint or dry tierod end, see if you can slip a spray straw inside and spray one with some WD40 or similar product, then go and drive and see if the sound is gone. Process of elimination.

 

+1. You should check the tie rods as well, they may be the ones that actually froze up earlier.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...001-1st-gen-solara-1999-2003/1432906-1999-es300-barn-find-2-fixer-upper-20.html

 

I forgot to mention I just replaced sway bar bushings and both tie rods ends and outer, gonna try the wd40 and see if that helps.. thank you

 

Any front end component that is rubber could be making this noise. A metal creaking noise can be a LBJ that is going bad, but you'll notice this noise more so especially doing low speed turning in parking lot.

Sway bar links noise can be replicated by rocking the car left to right. I've had sway bar links that wasn't tighten enough where it would make a chirping metal noise when going over bumps.

 

So you have two ball joints on the swap bar link, the lower ball joint on the steering knuckle. Two LCA bushings. And the strut mount. I don't know what the alignment shop messed with, but check into those for starters.

Make sure all the nuts and bolts are tight. In case the shop messed with them.

 

I have it nailed down to the steering shaft joint , I can hear it really well when I put my head down by the floor board and turn the wheel, it's either that or maybe the steering rack is loose .do you guys know where the mounting bolts for the rack are located. Thank you

 

I really was trying to say are they easy to get to without dismantling a bunch

 

Best thing to do would be to drop the subframe a bit. The rack bolts are torqued to 134 ft-lbs on both 4cyl and V6 models, and you will be down there a loooong time if:

a) you can't get a 19mm wrench on them
b) you don't have room to swing your torque wrench

If the steering rack is moving back and forth, it's not the rack bolts, but the bushings they go through, especially the driver's side one. Official instructions call for removal of the rack to R&R that, but you can do it in car (check my thread that JohnGD linked) if you can fit an angle grinder in there to cut the stock one off. I used an aftermarket Dorman replacement, and it's piecemeal so can be installed easily afterwards. No more huge dead spot in the steering.

 

I'm not sure it's the steering joint, you say it makes sound as the nose of the vehicle goes up and down, when braking or accelerating, the steering shaft is only moving when turning the wheel. May be that the bad joint is making noise when turning and it's transmitting through the sheet metal. I'd venture on a bad ball joint or tierod end, both those move when turning AND when the suspension goes up and down. Soak the steering joint with WD40, it would make the noise go away if that was it.

 

True, do you think it would be ok to make a small hole in the boot of the ball joint in order to get lubricant in there? My tie rods are new, I recently replaced those. I did try to get the nozzle of the silicone under the lip of the boot but I don't think it was effective.

 

I wouldn't make a hole, see if you can use a long pick to push the boot down or up at one end or another, a hole will let shit in and ruin the joint in one winter or less. If you can't get anything in then maybe an insulin syringe loaded with WD40 would work? That's a pretty small needle and the rubber should close the hole well enough to keep stuff out. Sometimes just flexing the joint up and down through it's range will wipe new grease from the edges over the contact area and quiet it for a day or two as well.

 

Sorta off topic but your not leaking any massive power steering or oil on top/around the sway bar bushings, right?

I just inspected my friend's 1995. Been getting this binding/creaking noise in parking lot speeds while moving, stopping and accelerating in low speeds. Initially the sway bar bushing bracket was getting loose, so I tighten it back down. Then, it started to happen again. This time, I inspected it and found the bushing was all fluid soaked and falling apart causing the metal sway bar to rub against the bracket.

Bushing is only 2 years old but is soaked in fluids

 

Yes I found that mine was in the same condition so I replaced it but that noise didn't go away, that was when I did my tie rods, it was the one on the right side

 

I ordered some strut assemblies online, seems like the only front assemblies for this car that are complete is a brand called unity which I'm sure will not last long but it's better than nothing because my struts are gone, they were even freezing up in the winter time. I'm gonna replace the links too