For the past week or so, I've been getting creaks out of the rear end of my 2004 LL Bean when going over bumps or even just driving on an uneven road. I can usually get it to creak just by pushing on the back bumper. It's very annoying--usually loud enough to hear very easily inside the car, and outside it's quite a racket!
I'm 99% sure it's nothing to do with the struts, mounts, or springs because they're relatively new and when I listened underneath the noise seems to be coming from the center of the back of the vehicle, not the wheel wells. It's definitely not sway-bar bushing/link related, either. If I take the whole bar out including the end links (which are new, BTW), the noise is still there.
I've tried spraying every joint I can find with silicone, but that doesn't seem to make any difference even to help rule out what it isn't. It actually sounds like it's coming from near the rear differential.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
I'm 99% sure it's nothing to do with the struts, mounts, or springs because they're relatively new and when I listened underneath the noise seems to be coming from the center of the back of the vehicle, not the wheel wells. It's definitely not sway-bar bushing/link related, either. If I take the whole bar out including the end links (which are new, BTW), the noise is still there.
I've tried spraying every joint I can find with silicone, but that doesn't seem to make any difference even to help rule out what it isn't. It actually sounds like it's coming from near the rear differential.
Any ideas?
Thanks!