Can tie-rod ends squeak?

[Nick1994]

I replaced the tie rod ends on the Beetle last week with Moog Problem Solvers and got an alignment. It started squeaking when going over speed bumps recently and I'm pretty sure it started after I did the tie rod ends.

It got new control arm bushings and upper strut mounts at the dealer 2 years ago, and the control arm bushings have mild cracking going on. Struts are original, and could definitely be better going over bumps but aren't blown and still ride pretty decent. Other than mild cracking on the control arm bushings the front end looks perfect.

I'm wondering if the tie rod ends could squeak?

Maybe unbolt them again and put some wheel bearing grease outside of the boot underneath?

 

[Trav]

Highly doubtful, what is much more likely is when the Beetle was jacked up the upper strut mounts moved slightly.
I don't care for this design, its trouble prone even when only a couple of years old, the problem is you need to remove the wiper arms and cowl cover to even get to the top strut mount to see something.

What happens is when jacked the strut drops slightly then when you lower it the top lip of the mount can get bent under slightly, this can cause a squeak.
Try jacking it up again and wiggle the strut as you put weight back on it, be careful you don't drop it too fast and trap your arm or have someone turn the wheel back and forth slowly as you lower it very gently.

 

[Cardenio327]

^^What Trav said^^

Not the greatest strut mount design.

Here where the roads are rough and full of potholes the A4 VW strut mounts have to be changed every year or two. On taxis every six months or so.

The conical rubber upper side wears, sometimes through to the steel reinforcement. The circular underside gets collapsed upward from hitting speed bumps at speed. The receptacle in the car's unibody gets enlarged too [not so much on the A4, but severely on the BX platform since it isn't reinforced].

Your car has 11 years on the original struts. Even if you don't change the struts, it is time to change the mounts.

Take the cowling apart enough to see the top plate with your car not jacked up. If there is a gap between the top plate and the sheet metal you need new mounts.

We wait until there is a 10 mm gap [way too much] before we recommend changing them, but that is so are customers can go a year or two between changes. With the condition of the roads here, they would need to be changed every month or so if we did it every time there was a gap.

After 11 years, though, change them.

 

[kschachn]

I agree with the posts above, but it is possible for them to creak - but usually only at the end of their life. I bought Meyle control arms for my BMW (then I bought Lemforder), and the way the Meyle ones failed was at the ball joint. It was poorly greased or something, and eventually it seized up and started making a creaking sound over bumps. But since yours are new I doubt that's the problem.

 

[brentalan]

To add to that - I had a squeaking tie-rod end on my '96 Cobra. I assume it was the 18-year old original when I replaced it last year.

It could be possible that you got a bad one I guess?

Like kschachn said I've only seen old ones do it.

 

[sxg6]

I'm not familiar with VW's, but on my subaru I fixed this problem by lubricating my front sway bar bushings. Can't find a picture of a vw beetle suspension/underbody, but I thought I'd throw this thought out there.