Strange creaking sound

[Ondergard]

First off, sorry if this is not in the right section...

Betsy Blue has, or has developed, a funny creaking. It has always happened when she goes over a pothole or a speedbump. It sounds how my knees feel, if you know what I mean, but louder!

Anyway, a friend of mine was visiting the other day, and I took him out for a tootle around the village in Betsy Blue. I'd never carried a passenger... and the creaking started up big style. It even began to sound like something was scraping along the floor as we drove back down the road!

I checked the underside back at home, and the exhaust pipe, and nothing looked or felt amiss. When I drove her on my own, it was back to normal - a creak (like a very loud and huge bedspring!) if you went over a bump.

The sound definitely comes from the passenger side. I think it is the rear leaf-spring suspension, although it all looks okay to my untutored eye, and there's no sagging. Someone locally suggested giving the leaf-springs a right good old soaking with WD 40, or some penetrating oil (the leafsprings do look a bit rusty) to see if that eases off the creak, and if it seems to work to then try to give the springs some proper greasing.

So, my questions to the experienced... does it sound like I'm on the right track as to the source of the creak? If not, has anyone any other suggestions? If so, then would the WD 40/penetrating oil application be good, bad, startlingly stupid, or whatever?

[aupickup]

is it the rubbers or bushes creaking or squeaking
springs should be left dry as per manual

could be a cracked spring

[bmcecosse]

Front damper bolts tight??? Torsion bar coming through the floor ? Suspension needing greased - and/or inner bushes on lower suspension arm worn out ??

[IaininTenbury]

First place I'd check would be the eye bolt bushes -they make a very audible creak when the rubber wears through.
Thats the inboard front suspension joint where the bottom wishbone joins the chassis leg below the engine bay if you're not sure.

[Ondergard]

Thanks for all the advice, folks... so, here's the follow-up question!

Assuming that any or all the suggestions are correct (if it's possible that they all are?) do people think I am looking at megabucks to get it fixed, and major complications, or should it be relatively simple?

[MarkyB]

If it's the eye bolt bushes, my favourite contender, then it's a straight forward enough job, an easy one for someone who has done it before.

I'd suggest using plastic bushes or a metalastic bush rather than replace with rubber as these last a lot longer.