Questions and Answers

Squeaking Mercury Mountaineer Q. Hi, Within the past week or so, my 1998 Mercury Mountaineer front end has been making this awful squeaking noise when you turn the steering wheel from left to right AND when you go over bumps. I was told a few months back that my front right tie rod end cap was broken (the piece that holds the lubricant, I think). Could that be it?

I can be parked and start the car, put it in gear and just pump the brakes and my front end bounces up and down and this horrible noise that sounds like springs in dire need of lubricant. I can also be parked and just turn the steering wheel back and forth and I get the same noise.

I don't want to incur any unnecessary repair costs and don't know what to do. I've been told it could be the sway bar, shocks or that tie rod end, but which one? Can you help?

Thanks,
Melissa

A. I don't know about what front end parts you may need, but I'm pretty sure the squeaking you are hearing is most likely coming from the upper and/or lower control arm bushings. This is the most common source of the type of noise you describe.

After time these bushings dry out. What you can try is get a can of WD-40 or Liquid Wrench and spray the bushings heavily while bouncing the front end up and down. This may require several applications over a few days but there's a good chance that this will eliminate the noise. Then spraying them down at every oil change should keep the noise away.

If the noise does not go away, and it is the bushings making the noise, then the upper and/or lower control arm will need to be replaced.