I have about 500 miles until my 15K service. During the "suspension inspection", I'm going to ask them to inspect the end links, bushings, and compression rods (since they're supposed to anyway) because of this creak. I'll update after I get it back. I'm going to try to have them focus on the compression rods.

I'll cross my fingers! Last time, I drove with the SA, and I couldn't reproduce the creak!

 

A couple of posters here have been successfuly in getting their dealer to replace the Compression Rods and solve the problem, but others of us are still trying to convince our dealers that simply spraying some lube just ain't gonna work.

The more documentation we can all compile, the better. Thanks goes to a couple of folks for sharing their repair receipts. If anyone else who got their Compression Rods replaced is willing to do this, please speak up! Thanks!

 

Pardon my ignorance, but what's a compression rod? (I'm a truck guy. :-))

My wife's 05 G35x is doing the same thing - dealer lubed the sway bar links which helped a little.

Mark

 

The front suspension compression rod is easy to identify because it is aluminum. It looks like a chunky dog bone link, and you can just begin to see it peering through the fender well. It's attached to a triangular steel stay bracket which is easy to see behind the wheel.

I don't think the aluminum rod casting is failing or cracking. Rather, the hefty bushings are probably causing the noise problem.

 

Guys, there is a TSB for the suspension creak.

My wifes 05 X had it at 3500 miles and they knew about it and fixed it, along with the shifter area creak.

Now both rear windows are ticking as well as the fronts that always have.

Should have bought an accord

 

Are you talking about this TSB: http://www.infinitihelp.com/Ownershi.../ITB05-002.htm? That one's for the rear axle. The noise we're talking about is coming from the front. If I missed it, please point us to the right TSB. I'm going in this Thursday for my 15K service and I'm going to have them look at this creaking sound.

 

I am NOT aware of any TSB that addresses the front end creaking noise that many of us have.

Some early model 2003's had a problem with a radiator support bracket touching the chassis and causing a noise(http://www.infinitihelp.com/Ownershi...ITB02-060.htm), but this was resolved well before 2004 model production.

 

Update on my front-end creaking noise. I took my car in to the dealer and tried to show him this creaking sound when going over bumps. I couldn't get him to hear it while he was in the car or standing outside. So, I asked him to drive it. He finally heard the creak. And, I couldn't believe it, he also heard a "ticking" sound that I sometimes hear. That one is so faint that I don't even try to mention it to them. But, hell, he heard both. So, I told him that I know some people that have had their dealers change the compression rods. He agreed that that's what he thought was the problem. He also made a comment that Nissan has put out some new compression rods. Might be a sign that a TSB is coming our way.

Unfortunately, the parts weren't in last Thursday, and with all the snow around Chicago, they didn't make it to the dealer until today. So, they put them in today, and now they're going to do an alignment tomorrow. I'll update again tomorrow or the day after to see if that fixed this.

 

My early '04 had this problem which was fixed.

 

Hurray!!!! Yippee!!!! My creaking is gone!!!!

(well, almost anyway - read on)

I finally was able to convince my dealer (Passport, Alexandria, VA) to replace the compression rods. Here are the parts they replaced:

ROD COMPL - TENSION, FR - 54469-AL511 Qty 1 $151.87 Each
ROD COMPL - COMPRESS - 54468-AL511 Qty 1 $153.22 Each

After driving my usual course today, I was barely able to hear any of the original "creaking" sound. But it was still there very faintly when going over some rougher bumps. Overall, the fix is a 95% success! I am delighted, even if Passport was still saying "we couldn't reproduce the sound..."

(For background info, my "creaking" or "crunching" sound was coming from the front end, both sides, mostly at low speed, more noticeable in colder temps, and when driving over slight undulations in pavement, driveway aprons, dips and humps in the road.)

THIS IS THE FIX!!

Come on Infiniti, it's time to inform your dealers about this!

 

mine does the same, i have an 03' sedan a/t...took it to a shop thinking it could be the bushings but it's not bushings are perfect, I was told because the car is lowered.

 

Yeah, that's it. But you don't get a good sense from that drawing just how beefy the compression rod is. I suppose because it's aluminum, it has to be larger than a comparable part in steel.

 

When its cold outside (sub 40s) and I make the right turn out of the office parking lot onto the street, I'll sometimes hear a creak from the front right portion of the suspension. That's the only time I hear it and it only started doing it once I lowered the car. With the incompentance of my dealership, it's worthless to even ask them to fix it because the work order will say "unable to replicate" I'm moving to Atlanta shortly where the winter temps are far warmer and the roads are significantly better. Hopefully that alone will quell many of the squeaks and rattles of this car

 

were they lubed properly? i lubed my bushings, noise went away. it has been lowered for 2 years. no creaking since then.

do you have a sport package?