Creaking noise after installing new springs on my Model Y

[Wpy123]

Recently had some Eibach lowering springs installed on my Model Y. Everything seemed to be fine, but recently I started noticing a creak coming out of the front driver side suspension area.

The creak occurs when I am driving or turning at slow speeds. It seems to occur when I start accelerating from a complete stop, or when I am slowing down to turn by letting my foot off the pedal and letting the regen brakes do the braking.

There seems to be some pressure or something rubbing in the suspension arm/spring area. When I jacked the car up, I heard the same sound (first video below) and then it goes away (seems the pressure was relieved). However, after I put the car down and start driving it, the noise comes back after a while (second video).

Does anyone know what this issue is? Is it a bad lower control arm joint? Needs lube in the joint? Something is loose? Or could it be that the springs themselves are defective?

Want to get some opinion here before I bring it into Tesla Service Center was they likely won't warranty anything since I have modified the suspension.


First Video:

https://imgur.com/a/7arGqaj

Second Video:

https://imgur.com/a/KkuAv6J

Also included some photos of the suspension area to see if anyone can spot something weird:

https://imgur.com/a/kurUpa1

Thank you!

 

[hek8560]

Reinstall the spring and make sure it is sitting on the center/ Try to tighten the link things

 

[Wpy123]

Reinstall the spring and make sure it is sitting on the center/ Try to tighten the link things

What do you mean by sitting on the center?

 

[Yelobird]

Take it back to the spring installer and let them figure it out. Highly doubt Tesla would touch it nor should they on a modification

 

[iqviewfinder]

I had the exact same issue on our 2021 MY LR after installing Eibach springs. It wasn't intermittent either, happening under the same conditions; accelerating from a stop, or braking or turning at low speeds (ie driving in a parking lot). Front driver side only. So it seems to creak when springs are undergoing slow compression/decompression. I took it to two different shops that have extensive experience working on tuners and track cars, including Teslas...but after removing and reseating the springs into the perches/top hats, the creak would go away for a few miles, only to come back again.

I even took it to Tesla service center on Kato rd (Fremont factory) in hopes of having them change the FUCA, but they took it off the lift as soon as they saw the Eibachs, and chalked it up to the springs. I ended up also getting MPP FUCA (already had rear camber/toe arms) to see if that would fix it...no dice.

It was bothering me so much that I was going to revert back to OEM or go with coilovers earlier than I intended. But in the end, it took about 3-4 months for the creaking to go away - sorry, not sure how many miles I drove before it went away.

With that said, I still don't know where the point of creaking came from, and it's kind of out of sight out of mind right now. Did you find out what caused it? Is yours still creaking?

 

[Wpy123]

I had the exact same issue on our 2021 MY LR after installing Eibach springs. It wasn't intermittent either, happening under the same conditions; accelerating from a stop, or braking or turning at low speeds (ie driving in a parking lot). Front driver side only. So it seems to creak when springs are undergoing slow compression/decompression. I took it to two different shops that have extensive experience working on tuners and track cars, including Teslas...but after removing and reseating the springs into the perches/top hats, the creak would go away for a few miles, only to come back again.

I even took it to Tesla service center on Kato rd (Fremont factory) in hopes of having them change the FUCA, but they took it off the lift as soon as they saw the Eibachs, and chalked it up to the springs. I ended up also getting MPP FUCA (already had rear camber/toe arms) to see if that would fix it...no dice.

It was bothering me so much that I was going to revert back to OEM or go with coilovers earlier than I intended. But in the end, it took about 3-4 months for the creaking to go away - sorry, not sure how many miles I drove before it went away.

With that said, I still don't know where the point of creaking came from, and it's kind of out of sight out of mind right now. Did you find out what caused it? Is yours still creaking?

I did not, swapped back to OEM springs a while back and the noise went away. I thought it was because the shop installed them incorrectly.

 

[Tronguy]

Um. What year is that Model Y?

The upper control arm of a fair number of Teslas built before, what, 1.5 years ago, have been having issues with the ball joints. Lack of grease in there, and no standard way of regreasing it. (There are methods involving hypodermic needles and grease plungers, some even sold as kits, that purport to fix the problem.)

Newer cars are reported to use a different part number that fixes the issue.

And, when it's happening, the car sounds horrible. Creaks and groans going over bumps, turning the wheel back and forth, and so on.

Tesla's standard fix is to replace both control arms when it happens. Just so we're clear: This is the horseshoe-shaped piece of metal that, on the ends of the horseshoe, bolt into the frame. The "round" portion of the horseshoe has a ball joint in it with a stud pointing down that gets bolted/clamped onto the top of the steering knuckle. The front wheel pivots on this ball joint.

My suspicion is that the stress of that spring going in Did Something to a marginal ball joint.

 

[iqviewfinder]

I have the MPP FUCA, which has the sealed

Um. What year is that Model Y?

The upper control arm of a fair number of Teslas built before, what, 1.5 years ago, have been having issues with the ball joints. Lack of grease in there, and no standard way of regreasing it. (There are methods involving hypodermic needles and grease plungers, some even sold as kits, that purport to fix the problem.)

Newer cars are reported to use a different part number that fixes the issue.

And, when it's happening, the car sounds horrible. Creaks and groans going over bumps, turning the wheel back and forth, and so on.

Tesla's standard fix is to replace both control arms when it happens. Just so we're clear: This is the horseshoe-shaped piece of metal that, on the ends of the horseshoe, bolt into the frame. The "round" portion of the horseshoe has a ball joint in it with a stud pointing down that gets bolted/clamped onto the top of the steering knuckle. The front wheel pivots on this ball joint.

My suspicion is that the stress of that spring going in Did Something to a marginal ball joint.

i too thought it was the FUCA, but I upgraded to MPP FUCA which has sealed spherical bearings. No change in regards to the creak. So I suspect it has something to do with the spring itself and/or how it is seated/mated within the suspension assembly.

 

[Du30]

bump*
any updates on this issue?

 

[iqviewfinder]

Still running with the Eibachs on the Y. No more creaking. Still unsure what the root cause is. I'm planning on switching to coilovers soon, so maybe I can update with any findings when I pull out the Eibachs.

 

[Kwame]

For what it’s worth I’m running Redwood Motorsports Ohlins DFV Performance Sport Coilovers on Swift Springs; Aluminum Top Hats, Factory FUCA. I get that same creaking noise going in and out of driveways at times. I’ve looked everything over and it all seems good so I’m not overly concerned.

 

[Du30]

For what it’s worth I’m running Redwood Motorsports Ohlins DFV Performance Sport Coilovers on Swift Springs; Aluminum Top Hats, Factory FUCA. I get that same creaking noise going in and out of driveways at times. I’ve looked everything over and it all seems good so I’m not overly concerned.

did you installed cambers?

 

[Kwame]

did you installed cambers?

Factory FUCA (Front Upper Control Arms)

 

[Du30]

Factory FUCA (Front Upper Control Arms)

no adjustable cambers and toe arms withe the Redwood Ohlins coilovers?

 

[Kwame]

no adjustable cambers and toe arms withe the Redwood Ohlins coilovers?

I did install adjustable camber and toe arms in the rear but I’m not sure what that has to do with the creaking sound in the front of the vehicle which is the focus of this thread.

 

[Du30]

I did install adjustable camber and toe arms in the rear but I’m not sure what that has to do with the creaking sound in the front of the vehicle which is the focus of this thread.

My apologies..i know my question for the cambers and toes is not related to the topic. I just want to know if you got all Redwood brand parts on the your suspensions. I like to have some feedbacks on the Redwood cambers and toes. All i read is about MPP cambers and toes.

 

[Kwame]

My apologies..i know my question for the cambers and toes is not related to the topic. I just want to know if you got all Redwood brand parts on the your suspensions. I like to have some feedbacks on the Redwood cambers and toes. All i read is about MPP cambers and toes.

Sure thing. Feel free to send me a direct message for any questions you may have.

 

[jkdman123]

Recently got my MY aligned at a place that is an authorized MPP installer. I asked him about after market suspensions and he said one thing to consider is that no matter what you get or what car you put them on, they will make more noise than OEM suspensions.