Hi I bought a 1972 cutlass supreme about a year and a half ago I'm not very experienced in certain areas so I was hoping someone might have an anwser for me. I've got a squeak that can be heard at low speeds but only in drive you don't hear it in reverse. Could this be a bearing or is it a squeaky speedo cable or is it something else entirely

 

Welcome to the site. You can eliminate the speedo cable by disconnecting it from the side of the transmission and test driving it.

 

Welcome to the site. It could be the cable, or ujoint, also front wheel or rear axle bearing. Post some pictures of your car when you get a chance.

 

Welcome to the group... Put the vehicle on a lift or well supported jack stands, start it and see if the sound can be tracked from some of the moving parts... Rotate the front wheels by hand to check for bearing noise etc...

 

While a "squeak" can certainly be anything, the speedometer cable is a very good candidate. I just replaced the ones (there are two) on my '78 Toronado. Does the squeak disappear or get less loud at highway speeds? Does the speedometer needle waver back and forth as it sits at a certain speed or as its climbing as you accelerate? Does the squeak vary in volume up and down in time to the needle's movement?

It's very common for old speedometer cables to make noise. I've experienced it on pretty much every old car I've owned. You can lubricate the existing cable. You can put in a new one if one is available.

As noted, you can determine if the cable is the source of the noise by disconnecting it from either end and seeing if the noise goes away when you drive the car.

 

Thanks for the help I'll be sure to try these once the snow melts and I can take the car out from under the cover.