when i drive down the road i get a metal sqeaking noise coming from the right front, if i take a right turn i get no noise but then when driving straight and hit a small bump it has this metal on metal sqeak. any ideas? im thinking strut, but when the car is stopped you cant lift it or compress it to get the sound, i have had it on a lift and found none of the under carriage suspension components wrong, i did drop it off at sears and asked if they could look at it and they seemed to think that it wasnt the strut, how ever i dont think they looked very hard. has anyone heard of this or have any clue as to what it may be? it now has 92k miles on it and im not sure if i would be in need of one yet. also one other thing is if i hit a small pot hole it sounds like the strut is maxing out and making a thud noise, so im thinking again that the strut is gone?

any help????
thank you the noise is driving me crazy.
tom

 

I would say either sway bar link or strut cap(upper spring seat)

Try turning the strut nut with a wrench and see if it turns freely. (It shouldn't)

 

what is the diagnosis if the strut nut turns freely, mine does.

to answer thee first post, it turned out to be the upper spring seat. a little silicone lube works as a "band aid".

 

The upper spring seat is bad it the nut turns.