Lately I've began noticing a creaking that seems to come from the rear end of my MCSc - I don't hear it when I'm moving, but only when the car comes to a full stop (in the last couple MPH before 0). The creak sounds like there's some metal components settling or flexing.

To troubleshoot, I've:
1. Greased both front and rear sway bar bushings (H-Sport Comp)
2. Greased the rear LCA bushings (H-Sport Camber Links)
3. Tightening the rear strut mounts

The creaking persists after the procedures above. Aside from a full stop, I've also been able to at least partially replicate the same creaking when:
1. Parked on an uphill incline, with the e-brake engaged, and slightly pushing the vehicle backwards so it wants to roll backwards
2. Applying downward pressure on the rear end of the vehicle (in a rocking motion)
3. Lowering the vehicle from jackstands

Not sure if this is a suspension problem (perhaps related to the rear subframe?) or possibly a brake issue. I understand how notoriously difficult it is to diagnose and troubleshoot "noises", so any suggestions or insights would be much appreciated!

 

Wow. I was just about to post a thread with the same problem. I had an HSport 22mm rear swaybar installed 1200 mile ago. In the last couple of weeks I've been getting a very annoying creaking noise from the back of the car. Unlike yours, mine creaks with every movement of the suspension. I've gresed the bushings etc. but without any imrovement. I believe it's probably the sway bar since that's the only item I recently replaced, but I could be wrong.

I'm taking the car to my MINI dealer on Friday for them to check it out. I'll post any findings they come up with. I hope they come up with something otherwise the swaybar will have to be removed because it sounds like I'm driving an old NY Taxi.

 

If it IS the sway bar, do you know if you'll have to pay any labor since it won't be a warranty issue? (Assuming your MINI is still under warranty, that is...)

 

make sure you grease the inside, outside, and BOTTOM of the swaybar
bushings.

 

Have you seen posts #18 and #21 in this thread? Even if there were no clearance problems when the H-Sport RSB was first installed, it's worth taking a look.

I'll be looking for excess silicone, tightening the rear subframe bolts, checking the endlinks, re-torqueing the trailer arms, and checking the rear brakes when I have the chance to put the car up on jacks this weekend. Anything else I should be inspecting as possible causes?

 

I've just returned from my MINI dealer and they concluded that the creaking noise I'm experiencing is coming from the rear sway bar bushings. They inspected the bushings closely and concluded that they don't fit snuggly around the bar. The section of the bar that passes through the bushings should be perfectly straight, but it seems that the bar bends before it has fully cleared the bushings, especially on the passenger side. They applied more grease and made sure all other connections were tight, but the creaking is still there.

I'm not sure what my next step will be, but I know one things certain - I can't live with that noise. I'll either have to re-install the stock bar or look at another brand of after-market bar, probably 18-19mm. Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

I have the same noise, but it's coming only from the right rear caliper. The noise doesn't occur with any other suspension movement. I've re-bled the brakes and it still has this problem. Any ideas?

 

i have this same problem too, when the car turns or i'm going on a slop sideways...

 

I was having a similar noise problem but I seemed to have fixed it.

Here are my suspension upgrades: Megan coilovers with Eibach springs, H-sport 19mm rear sway. After the rear sway bar install, I started having the same creaking noise comming from the back. I kept greasing the S*** out of it but it would only eliminate it temporarily. I could hear the noise when comming out of my driveway, turning slowly, comming out a sloped parkinglots and even after hitting a bump at slow speeds. I also noticed that one of my tires was lifting when comming out of sloped driveways/parkinglots. I even considered going back to stock s/b as it became very anoying.

This got me thinking about rear bar pre-load. After much reading and testing by disconnecting the end links, I came to the conclusion that there was significant amount of pre-load placed on the swaybar when the car gets lowered and thus limiting the effective range of motion of the swaybar. This was lifting my rear tire on a sloped entry/exit. I replaced my rear links with adjustable ones and brought the ends of the swaybar as close as possible to the arm. This seems to have eliminated the problem so far. I've since driven over 3,000 miles with no creaks.

I think the creaking is caused by the pressure/force of pre-load from the swaybar against the bushing and the limited range of motion. It may be that the more you lower the mini, the more pronounce the creaking becomes.

However, there seems to be a good number of stock minis with only the after market swaybar that still have this issue and even some lowered minis with H&R bars that don't have this issue.

As for me, the creaking is definitely gone. I think this might be a good POLL to do.

 

Can you expand on what you mean on the bold above? As I have the same creaking and you might be on to something there.

Thx

cp

 

Positioning/lowering the s/b ends close to touching the A-arm. This required reducing the length of the end link. A suspension web site I read suggested positioning the s/b (from the s/b bend to the end of the s/b) parallel to the A-arm but after trying it, it seemed that it was still pre-loading the s/b.

I will try and take pics later today to show the positioning.

Hope this helps.

 

Here are a couple of pics of the s/b ends as close as I could get them to the A-arm. The end links are fully adjusted and could not reduce the length anymore.

 

I'm still having this issue on the right rear...I've tried to lube my swaybar and that didn't help. It's only while braking. Any thoughts or ideas?

 

Anyone have this prolem or suggestions?

 

For the suspension newbie, where is the A-arm in these pictures?

 

Howdy. I had a similar noise coming from the rear of the car when the suspension moved actively over a bump, etc. We tracked it down to the bushings on the rear anti-swaybar.

I sprayed the holy heck out of them with wd40 and it was fine for ~3 days, then it slowly came back.

I ended up pulling the bushings and lubing them with some lithium grease, problem solved so far, six months and counting.

Dunno why they dry out, but they seemed to do just that.

RC

 

It's been a long time - thanks for the suggestions, everyon!

I ended up tightening up every bolt I could find on the hub, subframe, control arms, endlinks, etc., and lubing up every bushing I could find with Lucas grease (several times), and haven't had any creaking in a few months now. If that hadn't worked out, my next plan was to re-tighten with the suspension loaded, but it wasn't necessary this time around.

While I was fiddling, I believe the root cause may have been the bushings for the H-Sport LCAs. Pulling on the LCAs caused the same creaking that I heard, though without a stethoscope, I wasn't able to pinpoint the exact location where the creaking was occurring... Took several shots of grease over a couple weeks to finally get enough worked into the bushing to the point where it is no longer creaking. The MINI no longer sounds like a rust bucket. Thanks again for everyone's help!

 

I'm still having my issues. I can't find the noise, but I've re-greased the sway par and tightend everything down. It only comes during braking and from the right rear. Anyone have any additional ideas?

 

My solution to the annoying little noises is to turn the radio up

 

My sway bar makes loud squeaks when it's cold out. I grease it sometimes, but I don't care too much. The benifits of the 22mm bar outweigh the noise.

 

I don't think it's my sway bar... I think I might have to replace the whole rear caliper on the right. would a needed adjustment on the e-brake make this noise?