I have a very noticeable squeaking, sounding like it's emanating from the rear suspension. (it's not intermittent, pretty permanent). In recent months, I have had a replacement rear sub frame, and 2 x new rear suspension top strut mountings fitted. Is there a likely cause for this annoying noise?

I would say lubricate the brake cable that goes through the loops at the rear end.

1 hour ago, F0CUE said:

I would say lubricate the brake cable that goes through the loops at the rear end.

Now, treat me like a stupid 5 year old (you won't go far wrong!), what are the 'loops' you talk of?

Give the exhaust a wobble.  The rubber hangars can get creaky as they age.

Also lube the rear ARB bushes if they weren't replaced with the subframe.

1 hour ago, StephenFord said:

Now, treat me like a stupid 5 year old (you won't go far wrong!), what are the 'loops' you talk of?

Ignore that was a quick reply saw somebody with similar issues and have found out it's a totally different setup 🤣

19 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Give the exhaust a wobble.  The rubber hangars can get creaky as they age.

Also lube the rear ARB bushes if they weren't replaced with the subframe.

Finally stopped snowing so just went out to car. Exhaust gives no squeaks when wobbled, so pretty sure it's not that. Have drenched the bushes in silicon spray so will leave overnight and see if it helps. Thank you...

Tom, don't laugh, but am I lubricating the right area?

1 hour ago, StephenFord said:

Tom, don't laugh, but am I lubricating the right area?

Is that your heat shield hanging down above If that is loose it could be another source or noise. No that is the swaybar link bushes but it looks different to the MK2.5 strangely enough. The ARB bushes are in the center of the anti roll bar where it bolts on. I have brand new pair of them in my shed as was going to change them when I had my MK2 but the bolts would not budge so gave up. 

16 minutes ago, F0CUE said:

No that is the swaybar link bushes but it looks different to the MK2.5 strangely enough. The ARB bushes are in the center of the anti roll bar where it bolts on.

This.  (Although to be pedantic, those are ball joints rather than bushes lol).  Just follow the ARB back from those balljoints and you'll see the P shaped clamps around the ARB with rubber bushes inside.  That's where you need to be spraying some lube.

2 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

This.  (Although to be pedantic, those are ball joints rather than bushes lol).  Just follow the ARB back from those balljoints and you'll see the P shaped clamps around the ARB with rubber bushes inside.  That's where you need to be spraying some lube.

Lol was like what bushes are they couldn't decipher from the pic there cos they are further back.

It's number 2 and 3 if this makes any sense seems to be harder to get pics nowadays.

1 hour ago, F0CUE said:

Is that your heat shield hanging down above If that is loose it could be another source or noise.

Not heat shield, reversing light, and on solid...

I know what I'm aiming at now, just have a problem though of short arms! Done my best, and if it doesn't work, will get it up on a ramp Monday for a proper soaking...

7 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I know what I'm aiming at now, just have a problem though of short arms! Done my best, and if it doesn't work, will get it up on a ramp Monday for a proper soaking...

Good luck it would annoy me too.

On the drive to 'my guy' this morning, the squeak had totally disappeared. It was a damp wet morning, and he said that this only reinforced the diagnosis of the bushings needing lubricated. However, he suggested that squirting lubricant on them was only likely to be a temporary solution. So, he's going to remove the bar, and apply some, 'special red grease' on the bar where the bushes rub on it which will be a much more permanent solution.  I can't leave car with him till next week, and I'll report back if successful or not. 

Well, popped in this morning where he dropped anti roll bar, removed bushes, cleaned up bar, greased appropriately, and inside of bushes, good job!

Sadly, on drive home, it was quickly evident that this was not the fix for my 'squeak/groaning' noise. Oh well, it's an annoyance, but car still works!

Are you 100% sure it's coming from outside?  The rear seats, spoiler, spare wheel and tailgate can all cause a squeak if they're slightly loose.  As it's a constant thing, you should be able to recreate it by poking around...it's just knowing where to poke!  

2 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Are you 100% sure it's coming from outside?  The rear seats, spoiler, spare wheel and tailgate can all cause a squeak if they're slightly loose.  As it's a constant thing, you should be able to recreate it by poking around...it's just knowing where to poke!  

I'm as sure as I can be it's from outside. After 40 odd years with cars, I'm pretty adept at tracking down where noises come from. The back seat is solid, as is the spoiler and spare wheel. It's a kind of creaky/groaning noise, which is quite noticeable on moving off from a stop, and at speed disappears. Also, if wet, I can't hear it which definitely leads me to think that the rain is lubricating whatever is causing it LOL Lucky it rains here 300 days of the year 🤣

Just a thought, but could it be dried up shock absorbers?

2 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

Just a thought, but could it be dried up shock absorbers?

I suppose the only way to tell is to change them, or, is there another test?

They're not ludicrously expensive and (on a 2005 car) now quite old. It won't hurt to change them anyway.

I notice you have had the rear end off. Are you sure you correctly re-torqued? New bolts?

 

27 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

I notice you have had the rear end off. Are you sure you correctly re-torqued? New bolts?

 

Yes, replacement rear sub frame, and rear top suspensions. I rely totally on the guy in the photo to do all work, and he is even fussier than I am, so would be confident that is was all done properly. (I even have had the tenacity in the past to ask him to 'bodge' some jobs for quickness and cheapness, he almost threw me out 🤣). When I sold my previous car, a Toyota Celica GT4, he bought it, as he'd worked on it for years and knew it was all done proper, and that did cost me a fortune!

9 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Yes, replacement rear sub frame, and rear top suspensions. I rely totally on the guy in the photo to do all work, and he is even fussier than I am, so would be confident that is was all done properly. (I even have had the tenacity in the past to 'bodge' some jobs for quickness and cheapness, he almost threw me out 🤣). When I sold my previous car, a Toyota Celica GT4, he bought it, as he'd worked on it for years and knew it was all done proper, and that did cost me a fortune!

I'm not saying you don't know what you're doing, but most times these bolts are stretch bolts and require torque AND angle, say 120NM plus 60 degrees