front suspension noise
- Thread starter R-lincoln
- Start date
chris2523
93 Mark VIII
strut rod bushings and inspect the tie rods and steering rack for movement/clunking.
HANG THE EXPENSE
Well-Known LVC Member
clunk
Make sure you use MOOG parts or you will be doing this again......soon.I know this first hand.
Make sure you use MOOG parts or you will be doing this again......soon.I know this first hand.
did some csi work and figured out its been hit in front drivers side before, bumpers new and theres 2 brackets on inside opening of rad support that arent connected and bent back, reason i started looking is if you notice in pics sway bars is slightly bent inwards and sway bar links bent to f :shifty: body lines are all straight tho
should i replace sway bar? it isnt that bad but still noticeable by eye can it be heated and bent or will that destroy the bars flex?
should i replace sway bar? it isnt that bad but still noticeable by eye can it be heated and bent or will that destroy the bars flex?
chris2523
93 Mark VIII
oh boy. i wouldn't heat it.
as long as the bar isn't rubbing on anything, i don't know that i would even mess with it unless it drives funny.
also, they sell bent sway bars like that. are you sure it wasn't made that way?
i know the moog one's are bent, and the TRWs are straight.
as long as the bar isn't rubbing on anything, i don't know that i would even mess with it unless it drives funny.
also, they sell bent sway bars like that. are you sure it wasn't made that way?
i know the moog one's are bent, and the TRWs are straight.
BAD97LSC
Dedicated LVC Member
that sway bar link is nt bent, you just have 2 different end links on the car. some companies sell straight links for the cougar, t-bird and mark, some are the bent ones. so just clearing that up for you that the car may have been hit, but that end link is not bent due to a hit, its bent because thats how it came. two completely different end links.
thanks for the info on strut rod bushings happened to check this thread before going to get parts early this morning and quickly ordered the bushings in time to get it done today
Icarus
Dedicated LVC Member
Mevotech and Moog are not the same, nor even vaugely comparable in quality 
Oops. That is what I get for posting from work without the part in front of me. They are actually Raybestos Part #5451102B. They are reboxed Moog parts for very cheap prices.Mevotech and Moog are not the same, nor even vaugely comparable in quality
well i re tightened everything checked torque on bolts and still get this clunk noise sometime when turning right, sounds like somthing is shifting slightly, thought for sure it was where lcas mounts to frame but i tightened the s... out of it tie rods are good no play uppers seem fine these were only 2 things i didnt replace, any idea where else to look, i did have oil pan job done at a garage iam wondering if its something they did or didnt do? they would have had front end apart to drop k memeber i took it back to them to see if they forgot to tighten bolt and all they said was its because my lcas and bushings were almost shot, but i replced all that and still
Icarus
Dedicated LVC Member
Take it to them and ask if they can find the clunk?
This worries me.... I have a "clunk" too. I felt sure it's the strut rod bushings. The previous owner has reciepts for Upper and lower control arms, three sets of front struts had arnotts now ford OEMs. tie rod ends and i think even the sway bar end links..... only thing never replaced was the strut rod bushings which i'll be putting in tomorrow.... but after this post i'm worried it's not my problem...... :-\
chris2523
93 Mark VIII
get under the car and listen while someone shakes the steering wheel back and forth.
could be inner/outer tie rods or the rack itself.
could be inner/outer tie rods or the rack itself.
billcu
Dedicated LVC Member
I once had a brand new lower ball joint that was binding (new Moog/TRW LCA).
It would bind then release when I backed up and pulled forward with the wheel turned one way or the other in the driveway. I had someone watch the wheel while I did this, he could see it jerk.
It's rare, but it's easy to check for.
It would bind then release when I backed up and pulled forward with the wheel turned one way or the other in the driveway. I had someone watch the wheel while I did this, he could see it jerk.
It's rare, but it's easy to check for.
i checked for movement tie rods are good racks has slight play but nothing noty normal for its age,
it feels like something shifts almost when i turn, like a clunk clunk sound going to take it up to a friends performance shop to use a hoist, the guys at garage where work was done are idiots and i want to punch the one mechanic out pretty bad the loser who kept saying its scrap and not worth fixing cuz its a mark viii they had k memeber apart so iam sure something they did caused this because it never happened before.
it feels like something shifts almost when i turn, like a clunk clunk sound going to take it up to a friends performance shop to use a hoist, the guys at garage where work was done are idiots and i want to punch the one mechanic out pretty bad the loser who kept saying its scrap and not worth fixing cuz its a mark viii they had k memeber apart so iam sure something they did caused this because it never happened before.
You would be surprised at how far a little play in the inner tie rod ends goes. Check em out.
Strut rods are a bit of a PITA to change on this car, but not impossible.
Oh, when tightening the cam nut on the LCA to frame, make sure your car is on a 4-post lift or at least some how sitting at ride height with normal weight on it. Otherwise LCA bushings will bind, and have a funny ride and a short life.
If all else fails, check your hub/wheel bearing assembly. Don't forget to replace lock nut if you remove the hub at all.
It very well may be your wheel bearing, I had one, I thought had been changed, but hadn't, it was making a sound like one of the Half shafts was going bad, turns out the roller bearings in my right rear were so worn, they were basically trying to hop over each other; hence the clunk clunk sound.
Have you changed the bushings that hold the sway bar to the frame? Change your oil filter while you're doing that. With those brackets removed, I can actually get my filter out with minimal strain. I know they wouldn't likely cause clunk, but still a good idea.
Just hope it's not like my problem...broken front shock. I couldn't find the damn rattle for the life of me, until my bag suddenly folded one day.
Strut rods are a bit of a PITA to change on this car, but not impossible.
Oh, when tightening the cam nut on the LCA to frame, make sure your car is on a 4-post lift or at least some how sitting at ride height with normal weight on it. Otherwise LCA bushings will bind, and have a funny ride and a short life.
If all else fails, check your hub/wheel bearing assembly. Don't forget to replace lock nut if you remove the hub at all.
It very well may be your wheel bearing, I had one, I thought had been changed, but hadn't, it was making a sound like one of the Half shafts was going bad, turns out the roller bearings in my right rear were so worn, they were basically trying to hop over each other; hence the clunk clunk sound.
Have you changed the bushings that hold the sway bar to the frame? Change your oil filter while you're doing that. With those brackets removed, I can actually get my filter out with minimal strain. I know they wouldn't likely cause clunk, but still a good idea.
Just hope it's not like my problem...broken front shock. I couldn't find the damn rattle for the life of me, until my bag suddenly folded one day.
thanks for the tip i just had fron end jacked up on stands to tighten lcas, and just noticed the lazy c..ts didnt even put new oil filter when doing pan or change a crusty oil line thats now got a slow leak i could never run a business like that and to think they used to be so good until the owner started running the place
i could never run a business like that and to think they used to be so good until the owner started running the placehad front end up again tonight to check out some things drop my tie rods to fix something and even tho there is no play in them at all the boots are f'ed and iam going to need to replace them as well now, might as well do uppers now too, did sensor mod after fixing everything and noticed even tho i drilled hole in same spot on both brackets the pass side sat a bit higher in front so i raised bracket more tonight, loving the look of it now just dying to get paint, but itseither save for paint or keep doing other mods, i know paints usaully last but right now its in flat black primer after body work and its killing me, at first i thought it would be kinda cool but its never clean and only looks good wet or at night, but then again so do some of the girls i know lol
I just did the strut rod bushings. Was no where near as bad as I've heard. It took over an hour for the drivers side because i thought i could wiggle the strut rod out without unbolting the LCA, wrong wrong wrong. Just save the time and unbolt the thing. I'm pretty confident i'll do the passenger side in about 30 mins.
I also didn't use air tools, torches or a BFH. just a couple of sockets a vise grip and an adjustable crescent wrench.
The drivers side was bad and the only way to tell was when the weight of the car was on it. Hanging it seemed tight and decent. weight of the car on it and the caps on the end were flopping around. I think it's pretty important to have weight on the suspension when looking for clunks in these cars. I have a feeling even after i change the passenger side I'll still be looking for a clunk in my car. The sway bar bushings look a little tired and the UCA's haven't been changed in about 24k miles. I've only had the car for two weeks but i have all the receipts from the previous owner.
I also didn't use air tools, torches or a BFH. just a couple of sockets a vise grip and an adjustable crescent wrench.
The drivers side was bad and the only way to tell was when the weight of the car was on it. Hanging it seemed tight and decent. weight of the car on it and the caps on the end were flopping around. I think it's pretty important to have weight on the suspension when looking for clunks in these cars. I have a feeling even after i change the passenger side I'll still be looking for a clunk in my car. The sway bar bushings look a little tired and the UCA's haven't been changed in about 24k miles. I've only had the car for two weeks but i have all the receipts from the previous owner.