(This is the forums archive - If you want to get back to the main site simply
click the banner above and you will be taken to our homepage.)
Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums is the Ultimate Online Resource for Owners and Enthusiasts of American Luxury Cars. Feel free to browse through our archive - but make sure you make it
back to our main site - Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums
The noise seems to be getting gradually louder and more assertive. Whenever I go over a bumo the is a definite rattle or clanging from my front end and over 90km\hr the steering wheel seems to rattle and vibrate a fair bit. Anyone had this experience??
Thanks
Matt
Posted by: mharrison
You didn't state what year vehicle you have, but it is common for these cars to have both bad ball joints and bad sway bar bushings. Either of these can cause the noise and feel transmitted through the steering wheel.
I would put it on a lift or jack stands and try to move the bottom of the wheel in towards the car and away from the car. This will tell you if you have severe slack in your ball joints. If you are able to move the wheel like this, it is most likely the ball joint that needs replacing. You'll also want to get under there and examine the black rubber boot on the ball joints. If they are torn, the joints are most likely completely dry and need replacing.
If both ball joints look OK, it is most likely the sway bar bushings. You can test this by unhooking the sway bar end links and driving to see if the problem goes away. If it does, it is time for new sway bar bushings or a new sway bar.
BTW, on a high mileage car, it isn't uncommon to have both of these problems. My '01 with 155,000 did. You can search LVC for the replacement process on both of these items.
