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Annoying Suspension Chirp

7K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  Blocked Out 
#1 ·
I've seen a few posts regarding this but no definitive resolution. I'm getting a chirping sound from my passenger front suspension when I drive over sharp bumps. A big bump doesn't trigger it but expansion joints, etc. do. It's pretty noticeable with the windows or top down and is really annoying. I have newer Meyle arms and bushings and replaced the sway bar links with Febi replacements about 2 mos. ago. I didn't hear the noise until about a month after replacing the links. Has anyone experienced this and been able to pinpoint the source? I don't have any loseness or suspension performance loss, just the annoying noise.
 
#5 ·
i hear this sound every so often from the passenger side too... my FCAB's and gang are bad so i was hoping that was the cause... guess not... :cry: somebody help us
 
#6 ·
Same here, rear, passenger side...annoying, but only when window is down and music not cranked up....hahaaaa.....
 
#8 ·
I'm amazed that so many hear it but no one has figured out the cause. I'm pretty certain it's not a serious issue so it's definitely low priority; just a nuisance. I'm tempted to hit my links and sway bar bushings with Dupont teflon spray to see if that makes a difference.
 
#12 ·
its my opinion that this could very well be normal. I occasionally hear it on my ZHP also. Its possible that its just the shock absorber compressing.. the liquid/gas being shot through the holes in the internal plate that dampens the forces.. If you look at a cutaway of a shock you'll know what i mean.
 
#15 ·
UPDATE:

I figured mine out, it was the brake pads, they had play.
The clip in the rear had not enough tension and the one in the front :yikes::yikes::yikes: was completely missing.

BMW charged me ~$25 for it....:tsk:a piece of metal that should be no more than $5, but okidoki......:thumbsup:
 
#16 ·
Interesting. I was at my mechanic a couple of weeks ago for an unrelated issue on my SUV and asked his opinion. He said it's common for the brake pads to make a chirping noise on VW's if they aren't fully secured. I don't know how similar the pad/caliper design is but now that you tracked your problem down to the pads, I'm going to inspect mine.

I'll pick up a couple of clips and replace the fronts and report back afterwards. Thanks for the follow-up information on this.
 
#18 ·
I haven't bought the clips yet but I noticed that I can easily flex the clip off the caliper on the fronts with my fingers but the backs are super tight; I can't budge them. If the fronts are that lose, it seems reasonable that the caliper would move in the carrier over sharp bumps. I'm picking up the clips tomorrow and will report back.
 
#20 ·
The new clips eliminated 90% of my chirp. When I compared the original clip with the new part, there was about a 1/4 inch difference in the position of the end of the clip that would rest on the top of the caliper. This explains the reduced tension. It may have been an option to bend the clip back but for $30, I put two new clips on. I do still get an occasional chirp very infrequently over really harsh bumps but I'm certain that's from the pads needing some anti-sqeal. It's not a surprise considering how noisy these Axxis pads have been. The dealer gave me (free:)) a can of graphite based lubricant they use on factory pad backing plates to absorb squeal so I'll give that a try and see if the chirp completely disappears.
 
#21 ·
I'm posting an update since I've been dealing with this annoying chirp for the better part of 2 years. It worsened this summer so I started aggressively trouble shooting. I noticed that the chirp was eliminated when I kept light pressure on the brake peddle, confirming it was brake related vs. suspension. I decided to pull the pads to inspect and found the backing on my Axxis Deluxe pads with 20k miles had completely separated from the backing plate. The Axxis pads use a cheap, fiberglass/plastic sticker as an anti-vibration shim. It sucks. Not only were the pads chirping with movement over sharp bumps, they repeatedly squealed even after reinstalling them twice within the first couple of months.

I'm not looking to start a debate re: Axxis but I personally won't use them again. I bought a set of Pagid OEM pads off Autohaus and the chirp is 100% gone. Better yet, I have the excellent cold bite and factory-like brake performance back which I've missed for 2 years. The dust level isn't too bad, either. One noticeable difference is the backing shim on the Pagids which is a rubber vs. the cheap sticker used on the Axxis.

If it sounds like you have a bird in your suspension, check the brake pads.
 
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