A garage has replaced my front struts, coils, drop links and suspension arms, however I am getting a creaking, groaning noise when comming to a halt or pulling away, it is not a metal noise, its has been back in but they cant find anything wrong.

Could it be that when they have tightened the top three mounting bolts they did it with the wheels dangling off the ground. I believe that the final tighening should take place with wheels on the ground otherwise they could creak cause by over stressed bolt may occur.

If so could I simply jack the vehicle up loosen the nuts let the ssupension dangle and torque up once the vehicle is back on the ground?

Does anyone know the torgue settings?

How do I get the windscreen valance off?

I am reluctant to go back to the garage again.

One thing you don't mention are the two anti-roll bar rubber bushes. You could try dousing these with plastic and rubber lubricant spray. Better still, dismantle, lubricate and reassemble. When you brake or accelerate, the nearside and offside front suspension moves in unison, so the bar does not twist along its length but it does rotate slightly in the bushes.

And, if that doesn't cure it...

Try spraying the Coil Springs with WD40 or WD40 silicon spray & let a little bit run down to the springs lower mounting plate.

I think I may have solved this, I jacked the car up losened the bolts on the rubber bushes. Then I placed a second jack under the ball joint area and jacked the suspension up to simulate the car resting on it wheels. the rubber bush turned through about 1/4 turn and then I tightened the bolts tightened. All of this in line with Skodas recommended practice.

Looks as if the garage tighten up the bolts with the full weight of the suspension on the bushes. Therefore appling to much twist on the bashes when the car was on its wheels.

School boy error.

Sad how me and you know that yet are not qualified motor vehicle techs. Well im not 😂
My engineering was totally different yet its common sense to do it how you describe.

Agree, I'm a qualified engineer and thereby hangs the difference.

The OP has not actually said that the noise is no longer present when driving, only that he thinks he may have solved it, perhaps he can confirm.

Yes after 150 miles the noise has gone, no creaks, no groans at all, its item 30 on the diagram which needs to be loosened and tightened up (70NM) with the suspension under a simulated load of an unladen vehicle. ie with a second jack under the ball joint (item 16) jack up until it just and only justs starts to lift off the main jack. Then torque up. Its a tight fit to get the torque wrench in there due to the wheel arch cover but it will flex out of the way.

Good to know, I suspect its not the end of it though, the bush is probably split or weakened, rubber to metal bonded bush should be silent even when over-rotated, they were after all trademarked Silentbloc (where both my parents worked), its only when the isolated suspension components can make metal to metal contact that you get noise.

Before anyone says anything that is not the case with non bonded anti-roll bar bushes where there is movement and hence wear between the rubber bush and the metal clamps and roll bar.

On 18/03/2025 at 10:35, DavidMark said:

Agree, I'm a qualified engineer and thereby hangs the difference.

Ho ho ho!

Not tightening rubberised suspension bushes until under load bushes is schoolboy stuff, I trust you won't be using the same garage again?