I've had my 2009 HHR for nearly a year now. I've been working through the front suspension for knocking/rattling noises and I've got a new one. (The main one was the intermediate steering shaft.) When I brake moderately, I'm getting a pop/creaking noise, especially if I hit a bump while braking. Sometimes it's just one pop, other times it's more of a creaking. Probably not great descriptions, but I don't know what else to call it. It only happens when I'm braking. This started happening immediately after replacing the outer tie-rods. It's loud enough that pedestrians look my direction when it happens.

In troubleshooting the issues I've had I have replaced the following:

• Outer tie-rods
• Struts
• Intermediate steering shaft
• Sway bar bushing
• Sway bar connecting rods
• Driver side wheel hub (bad sensor)

There's nothing visibly wrong with the LCAs or the bushings that I can see. The brake calipers are solid, so I don't think it's the brakes moving.

What would you recommend I check next? I've looked through the threads on the suspension issues and nothing quite seems to match. But I probably missed something. Thanks in advance as always!

 

Re inspect those lca rear bushings, and double check the torque on the swaybar end links and the tie rod ends, seeing as the noise started then.
re torque the axle nut to 155 ft lbs

 

Do any of the bushings have Zerk fittings so that you can grease them?

 

Good list. Are there any good pictures of the bushings? Maybe I don't know what I'm looking for there.

 

The only ones I know of are on the sway bar links. I did grease those fairly recently.

 

Yes, my sway bar bushings have them. Some end links have them, I thought mine did, but no. The intermediate shaft may have one or more?

 

To test the LCA bushings: car in park, try to roll the front tires; if the wheel moves and the body doesn't, they are bad.

 

Just realized I never updated this. So far I haven't found the issue. I do think it's something loose, but I've gone through everything on the driver side wheel and re-torqued it to no avail. The reason I think it's something loose is that when it got super hot (100+ during the day, maybe into the low 80's at night) the sounds went away. When it's cooled down the last couple of days the sound is back. Checked the LCAs as shown in the video. There's no play at all. Move the wheel, move the car.

 

Front strut upper bearing plate, they get temperamental in the heat.

 

Yeah, I was thinking the struts as well. I did retorque those. I think I had them overtightened the first time. And the noise did start within a couple of weeks of replacing those.