Hi,

For a little while now (about 4 months) there has been a noise from the front end, which to my somewhat trained ear sounds like a dry ball joint or creaky bushing.

The noise occurs only when I am braking AND turning around a corner. For example, you brake as you are turning a corner, or pull into your driveway.

The noise is sort of a "creak...creak...creak" as the wheel turns, then as you turn back.

Funny thing is if you brake before the corner and go around off the brakes, there is no noise. In a carpark where you are steering and on and off the brakes, it occurs frequently.

The dealer has checked the brakes, lubed the strut bearing and so on but its still there. I plan to get them to look again next service but in the mean time I'm keen to investigate more. I would climb underneath and look but the bash plate is in the way!

Anyone had this happen? What was the fix? It appears to only come from the RHS (Drivers side)

Thanks!

I had a similar thing happen a few months back.
For me it was more of a 'clonking' noise than a 'creak' but it happened when going around roundabouts, braking and turning up into my driveway.

I took it into Marc at Beechboro 4x4 in Malaga and he knew what is was straight away.

Turns out a bit of body trim had come undone, near to the steering arm I think, and was rubbing when I turned. Probably cam undone from hitting a stick when off road.
Marc pushed it back together and sent me on my way - I gave him $20 for his troubles. I thought I was looking at $$$ to fix whatever it was.

Hopefully this is your problem also.

Cheers mate, I'll climb on under and have a look!

Search the thread called 'front end noise' for some ideas re your problem. Here's a link (I hope)

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic9176.html...+end+noise

Rob 2009 TD4 SE, Alaska White, Ebony Leather, Sun Roof.

Hello Liberty, I've had what seems to be exactly the same problem from shortly after the car was new; it's now just over 3 years old. My thoughts were as yours, dry bushes only showing up when the suspension was under load during braking and slow speed turning. The dealers - who have been very helpful throughout - replaced two bushes, which appeared to be the cure but only for about three weeks. They then replaced the bushes again but to no avail. I was, by now, beginning to think that the noise was caused by the front brakes, and decided to leave it, since there was no other effect apart from the creaking noise during these low speed turns. That theory failed when the noise started being apparent at slow speed turns involving full or near full lock but no braking. At this stage, the car was very near to the end of the warranty, so I took it back to the dealer and, this time, a mechanic came out with me and heard the noise himself - always a relief on these irregular type things! The upshot was that a faulty CV joint was diagnosed, and they replaced both front drive shafts and their CV joints. This has cured the problem, although the brakes are still prone to a bit of moaning and groaning at low speeds. However, that occurs on our Honda, and has happened on previous cars, so I'm not concerned about it. The mechanic, incidentally, said that since brake pads and shoes had asbestos removed, these sorts of noises had become common. Hope this helps!
Cheers, Graham

Hello Liberty, I've had what seems to be exactly the same problem from shortly after the car was new; it's now just over 3 years old. My thoughts were as yours, dry bushes only showing up when the suspension was under load during braking and slow speed turning. The dealers - who have been very helpful throughout - replaced two bushes, which appeared to be the cure but only for about three weeks. They then replaced the bushes again but to no avail. I was, by now, beginning to think that the noise was caused by the front brakes, and decided to leave it, since there was no other effect apart from the creaking noise during these low speed turns. That theory failed when the noise started being apparent at slow speed turns involving full or near full lock but no braking. At this stage, the car was very near to the end of the warranty, so I took it back to the dealer and, this time, a mechanic came out with me and heard the noise himself - always a relief on these irregular type things! The upshot was that a faulty CV joint was diagnosed, and they replaced both front drive shafts and their CV joints. This has cured the problem, although the brakes are still prone to a bit of moaning and groaning at low speeds. However, that occurs on our Honda, and has happened on previous cars, so I'm not concerned about it. The mechanic, incidentally, said that since brake pads and shoes had asbestos removed, these sorts of noises had become common. Hope this helps!
Cheers, Graham

Thanks for the input.

When I took it in for its first service I mentioned the noise. The service people said they traced it to the brakes and had sorted it. Sure enough the noise went but was back about a month later.

The next time they said they checked everything, lubed, greased, checked the tea leaves etc and found nothing out of the ordinary. As it only happens at low speed on the brakes I think I'll whip the wheel off and have a look at the wheel nuts, check for any trim etc and have a look. Then turn the radio up and not worry because in every other way the car is great.

I think the real cure is to drive around in a Defender for a day! Then you realise how quite and smooth the Freelander is!

Liberty555 wrote:

Then turn the radio up and not worry because in every other way the car is great.

That's the BEST way to get rid of any noise... it even works when the Mrs is in the car

Now, if only I could find out why my posts occur twice!

I am sure this is the same problem I have. Every 3000kms or so, I need to take each wheel off, lube up the wheel nuts and then put the wheel back on and tighten up to about 120-130 NM.

Give it a go... 1st time FL2 owner. 2007 SE i6 in Tambora Flame.

Well after finally finding the time I took the wheel nuts off and lubed them a little, cleaned them up and put them back on but the noise is still there.

I think as the noise only comes when braking AND turning (as opposed to when braking OR turning) I wonder if anyone can answer these questions:

1. I assume the front disc is a rigid mount rather than a floating disc (I'm almost certain it is, just crossing it off the symptom list. I can't actually think of many cars with a floating setup gven how noisey they can be.

2. Can the ball joints in the steering links be lubed or are they sealed for life type?

I'm starting to wonde if its not a little pebble caught up somewhere which uder compression of the suspension (braking) and turning it making the noise... I'd expect it to g away though if it wore a little.

Any other bright ideas?

Not too sure how much more I can help. All I can say is that the noise I get is definitely a clicking noise, very similar to CV joint noise.

I was told by LR that it was the brake pads being a loose fit and newer pads should fix it. When I got 3rd party pads and fitted them myself, the noise did in fact disappear, but only for a short time (~1500-2000kms). I didn't torque the nuts up, I just did them with the wrench from the boot.

I later saw another thread on these forums that suggested an LR dealer down south had recognised the problem on another persons car as being the wheel nuts needing torquing. I called the same dealer and spoke to the mechanic there and he gave me the details. I was quite worried at the time, with the noise having been back for a while.

I simply jacked up each corner, took the wheel off, cleaned the rim while they were off, lubed up the wheel nuts (they were really tight and rough to spin) and then put the wheel back and torqued it up to 120-130Nms. I did each wheel individually.

When I next went driving the noise was gone, and stayed away for quite a while (about 3000kms). Now it has returned and I have tried just putting more of a tightness on the nuts using the wrench in the boot whilst the car is on the ground, but the noise is still there. I plan to do the whole procedure of jacking each corner up and cleaning the rims etc to see if it goes again.

Perhaps lifting the wheel off and putting it back on is part of the fix. Maybe that is why people see improvement when they swap pads/CV joints/etc. There is obviously something else at play here though.

Sorry I can't be further help.

Whytey 1st time FL2 owner. 2007 SE i6 in Tambora Flame.

Hi Whytey, You may well be right, although changing the wheels over at services never seemed to have any effect on my car. I'm still on the original pads so I'll have to wait until they are changed to see if the groaning disappears - certainly the clicking and creaking has gone following the CV joint change, but it's only done 3000km since the change, so early days. In the meantime it rides and handles with no problems. Above about 15km per hour it makes no noise at all on braking or turning so maybe it's as well to live with it!
Cheers, Graham

Thanks guys!

I think I'll whip the wheel off and hve a look just to make sure its nothing obvious then torque them up.

Thing is... 130Nm is lot of torque for a wheel nut! I honestly think the great bulk of people out there would struggle to apply 130Nm through the standard tyre lever! On my 400mm long Kinchrome set (assuming a 300mm lever arm, thats a 44kg load! Lots!

Any suggestions on a high temp grease/lube which might work better than WD40 or Inox? A litte high temp moly might be a better longer lasting soution?

Liberty555 wrote:

Thing is... 130Nm is lot of torque for a wheel nut! I honestly think the great bulk of people out there would struggle to apply 130Nm through the standard tyre lever! On my 400mm long Kinchrome set (assuming a 300mm lever arm, thats a 44kg load! Lots!

Any suggestions on a high temp grease/lube which might work better than WD40 or Inox? A litte high temp moly might be a better longer lasting soution?