3 Questions about '02 Sonata

[Integraoligist]

Hello all, Just found this forum and am hoping you guys can help me out more than the other Hyundai Forums that I've found which no one really uses...
This entails 3 different questions:
1. I have this loud squeak coming from the rear passenger side shock/tire area. If i bounce the corner up and down its super load... but when driving and I go over 50mph, I can't hear it anymore. What is it? Is the strut bad? Maybe the rubber mount for the spring? I can't figure it out.

2. I have anther squeak in the center dash area... almost sounds like a Relay flicking back and forth super quick... but everything in the dash and instrument panel is working fine.... thoughts?

3. This may relate to question 1 as well... I bought the car back in November, it has aftermarket rims and tires, and whenever I hit a large bump or dip in the road the back tires scrape on the wheel well. The distance from the tire to the wheel well is the same in the front as the back... but when I put anything in the trunk, even 2 cases of pop... I can run over a small crack in the road and it will scrape.
The Rims are 17" and the tire size is P235/50 R17 the front tire has a bubble and all 4 have about 1/4" of thread so I want to buy new tires soon.

Thanks for all the help!

[bad_ass326]

Originally Posted by Integraoligist

The Rims are 17" and the tire size is P235/50 R17 the front tire has a bubble and all 4 have about 1/4" of thread so I want to buy new tires soon.

Well, first off, the tires are too wide and too tall. The recommended tires on a set of 17's are 205/50 R17. Where 205 is the width in mm, and 50 is the height (of the sidewall--rim to tread) to width ratio (50%). Stock tires on that year (from what I can tell) are 205/60 R15.

Here are the specs between the stock, recommended 17's, and your 17's.

Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Difference
205/60-15 4.8" 12.3" 24.7" 77.6" N/A
205/50-17 4.0" 12.5" 25.1" 78.8" 1.6%
235/50-17 4.6" 13.1" 26.3" 82.5" 6.3%

The radius alone (distance from center of rim to tread) has increased by almost an inch, that means when you hit a bump, there's 1 inch less space for the wheel to travel. Your the width of the tire (235 vs 205) has also increased by 30mm, which is about 1.25". With the combination of the wider, and taller tire, and the curve of the wheelwell, I'd imagine that it's rubbing inside. You may also want to take into account whether the guy you bought it from had it lowered as well.

As far as this relating to question 1, it might, although I believe the more probable answer has more to do with one of the rubber mounts rubbing a bit. Most modern cars have that happen from what I've seen. I'd suggest a little grease, but I know some rubbers don't get along too well with petroleum products, so I won't since I don't know that one.

Your second question is a bit too vague unfortunately. Would this squeak be when you hit a bump? Might be the dash rubbing on the outside of the plastic insert that houses the center vents, clock, heating controls, etc. It's not hard to pry off. I usually start at the bottom by the ashtray with a flat screwdriver. You could put a very light coating of lube around it with your finger and see what happens. Remember, whatever you use, you don't want to stink up your car. That goes from the time you apply it, to 3 months down the road.

WD-40, 3-in-1, etc all have a strong smell, and vegetable oils will really stink after some time. I'd recommend your body's natural oils, seriously! Rub your index finger on your nose, ear, forehead, then apply that very tiny bit around the outside of the insert. Such a fine coating shouldn't smell, nor should it stain your dash like some petroleum based products can. It might sound odd, or gross, but it really works. It's also good on the thread of household lightbulbs to keep them from getting stuck in the socket, and it keeps them from squeaking when you insert or remove them.