A puzzler: Loose suspension noise, solid feel?

[Science Abuse]

1997 LSC, 103k mi. Just had ball joints done 8 months ago, and shortly after this noise came up. It's gotten slowly worse, though I've only driven it 2000mi this year.

-It sounds like metal on metal, with a grinding kind of sound, like a threaded bolt sliding in and out of a hole. Almost like a loud, very rapid Ticking.
-It's very sharp, very fast. Not a constant sound.
-It is not quiet. I can feel it through the floor.
-Definately front, 90% sure its the drivers side.
Gets mysterious:
-Happens only when going over "accute" bumps. I can go over speed-humps at 20mph and not get a sound. But a crack in the pavement will make the noise.
-Cannot be reproduced on jack stands. No amound of hammering, prying, or massive moment arms can get any suspension component to make anything resembling the noise.
-Seems to get worse as the car warms up.
-No bolts are loose in any of the obvious suspension bits (sways, control arms, steering), and the wheel bearing is solid. The car doesn't "feel" loose at all, but that sound is worrying me.

The Strut arm busings are nasty looking, is there anything else up there that moves around?

 

[98lincmk7lsc]

What brand did you use for the ball joints?

Also, if your SRB's look nasty, that might be a good place to look.

 

[Stangman]

I'm also voting SRB's. Either the front or the rear fronts.

 

[Science Abuse]

What brand did you use for the ball joints?

Couldn't tell you, I had a shop do it. Huge suspension bolts are not somthing I'm equipped to handle in my rented driveway.

I may take it to a dealership for diagnosis, just to see if they find anything wrong with the work that I'd had done in the spring at the local shop. If that's solid and they say SBR's too, I can take it back to the local shop and get a better price. I'm going to need an alignment after this, too..... good time for tires, too.

 

[slowmkviii]

My bet is end links.

 

[Science Abuse]

My bet is end links.

That was my hope when this cropped up, but I've given those a solid shaking and beating while under the car and haven't gotten any noise or movement out of them. I suppose it could be fairly harmless to disconnect them and take a quick drive, to see if the noise dissapears.

 

[Roadboss]

Grab the front fender well and lift the body up and down. It will take some muscle as you want the body to move around 6 inches or more. If you hear the noise, then most likely you have worn sway bar links. Having worn out strut rod bushings doesn't help either.

 

[Science Abuse]

Grab the front fender well and lift the body up and down.

Done, in many ways. I tried it as you mentioned (though I don't have the ass to do 6"), and also while on stands, using a jack to compress and decompress the suspension with me under the car. Can't produce the noise. I tried approaching my driveway at various angles, which will compress one wheel at a time. Results were inconclusive, had no consistent effect on the noise.

 

[SleeperMark]

Here's a link to mine. Sounds like you have a similar problem. I had the same problem and literally changed every part in the entire front end. Turned out to be the sway bar bushings at frame. I got the MOOG polyurethane off Amazon and am very pleased



http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=84081

 

[slowmkviii]

I still say end links and get the srb fixed too.

 

[Sapperfire]

Load pics of all your components... that helps us solve your problem a lot better.

 

[Science Abuse]

Load pics of all your components... that helps us solve your problem a lot better.

I was actually considering using my GoPro to get a vid within the wheel well.

 

[Sapperfire]

Still pics are better... can't pause and zoom