Need suggestions

LunaEros

LunaEros

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I have what I can only describe as a low pitched muffled rattle in the front of my 02 LS 3.9L. When I bought the car the guy told me he had the control arms and ball joints replaced at all four corners and gave me receipts for it.
It sounds like a bad bushing when you go over rough road or badly done manhole covers. It doesn't do it over smooth road. I've personally had the front lowers & ball joints, fronts struts and strut mounts now replaced with new trying to get rid of it and most of the rest of the suspension components look like they're in decent shape. What could cause that "bad bushing" noise normally and alternatively? Could engine or tranny mounts cause that kind of noise? The sway bar? Some kind of components mounted in the enginge compartment or inside the fenders? It's driving me nuts and I can't seem to find anyone knowledgeable enough to tell me definitively what it is.

Can anyone here give me suggestions on what might cause it? I'm sick of throwing money at it and crossing my fingers.
 
Yes, it could be the sway bar bushings or end-links. Unfortunately, it could also be something else. I don't think that it would be motor mounts in your case. If you can get it to do it while pushing up and down on the front while the car is stationary, then you should be able to find it, maybe with a mechanic's stethoscope.
 
Unfortunately it doesn't seem to make the noise pushing on the front of the car. Only happens when I'm driving it and only over rougher road or bad manhole covers. Unfortunately there's a lot of both of those here in this city.
 
You can remove the sway bar end-links and strap the sway bar so that it can't hit anything and do a short drive to rule it in or out as the problem. (It probably isn't the sway bar, but it is easy and no cost to try this.)
 
Good idea. Thanks, Joe. That gives me one cheap test for two parts (bushings and end links).
Hopefully someone will have cheap tests to rule out other components.

There isn't anything under the hood or in the fenders that could possibly make that noise, is there? How about wheels hubs?
 
I had a similar issue on my 00 V-6. It eventually turned out to be the cat converter on the passenger side starting to disintegrate internally, causing a rattle. replaced cat- problem gone. Do not know if this your problem, but it sounded familiar. Good luck!
 
Bubba 14 said:
I had a similar issue on my 00 V-6. It eventually turned out to be the cat converter on the passenger side starting to disintegrate internally, causing a rattle. replaced cat- problem gone. Do not know if this your problem, but it sounded familiar. Good luck!
Click to expand...

And it sounded just like a bad suspension bushing when it rattled? Were there any other symptoms like loss of power, engine running bad, etc? Because mine seems fine in that respect.
 
Most likely the end links... but the 1st gen was known for the sway bar bushings to deteriorate. They made a design change in the rubber at some point later.

But there were alot of threads on here years ago about the sway bar bushings and how to replace them.

Alot of members were buying the greasable Energy Suspension sway bar bushings (sized to the bar diameter) and installing them.

The only caveat with that was that "stop collars" had to be clamped to the sway bar to stop lateral movement of the sway bar.
 
IIRC... the front v8 sport bar is 31mm. The rear is 28mm.

Not sure about the non sport bar sizes... but the V6 cars had the largest diameters on the front... because the v6 weighs about 100lbs more than the v8.
 
04_Sport_LS said:
the 1st gen was known for the sway bar bushings to deteriorate.
Click to expand...

That's what I was beginning to think on the way home after getting the struts and strut mounts put in. They're the only thing I've not been told was replaced and upon glancing at them from the top through the engine compartment (don't have time to get under it today), they don't really look new or even recently replaced. Since I've only put about 6k miles on it and and the guy I bought it from apparently had the suspension parts he mentioned replaced about a year or two before I got it, I would think they would look relatively recent if he had replaced them.
Hopefully I'll get a chance to try Joe's idea for testing it this weekend and either rule those out or find the culprit.
 
Raise the front of the vehicle and check for play of the steering end links, easy enough. once the tire is off the ground grab it at the 9 and 3 position and rock it back and forth, again at the 6 and 9 position. there should be no play. if there is play then end links are the problem, could be he bought the cheap end links and they wore out quickly. Now if you hear a clunking noise over rough road then suspect the sway bar bushings. Look at the sway bar end links rubber bushings, these also wear out. If changing the sway bar end bushings, go ahead and buy the end links too. They are dirt cheap.
 
Ok (sigh), does anyone have a link for the front sway bar mount bushings? I can't seem to find it at Rock Auto or Ford Parts Giant.
I can find the end links but not the mount bushings.
 
Dealer does not sell the sway bar bushings separately. They come with the (new) sway bar.

Last time I checked (years ago)... a new sway bar assembly (with bushings) was around $120 from the dealer.

As I previously mentioned... Energy Suspension (and one other urethane company) sells sway bar bushings.

You have to know the bar diameter to get the correctly sized bushings... and the hole spacing of the bushing brackets. You will also need to buy the stop collars to prevent lateral movement of the sway bar... through a company such as Graingers.

Might be easiest just to buy the new bar assembly (if still available) through the dealer.

Call the dealer and give them your VIN # to get pricing, availability, and the proper bar designed for your LS.
 
Seriously? Ugh. I guess they think the bars wear out too. Which is stupid because they have the bushings available for the rear bar.
FPG has the bar for $143. Rock Auto doesn't carry it. Anyone know if somewhere else has it cheaper?
Maybe down the road I'll go the Energy Suspension route since they're probably more performance capable and would last longer but for now I just want to replace it quick with stock if that's the problem after I do Joe's test.
I happened to notice going around a curve on rough road at speed it doesn't make the noise so I'm guessing it IS the sway bar. It would make sense too since that's the only suspension parts on the front that haven't been replaced.
 
No... the bushings are molded to the bar. That reduces time on the factory assembly line.

The bar is Dealer Item Only. No parts stores (not even Rock Auto) carries it.

$143 isn't bad... considering I priced one almost a decade ago for $120 at my local dealer.

Again... make sure you give your VIN # to whoever you purchase it from. There are at least 4 different sway bars... if not more.

If you go back and look for old posts, (if possible since the website format has changed), you will find out the bar can be a pain to swap out. Not a lot of room under there.
 
Still check the sway bar end links first. You have to jack it up just enough to take the tension off the links... without jacking it up too high (which would put tension back on the links).
 
Well I think it's a stupid idea from an owner's perspective. But I digress.
I guess I'll get it from FPG. I like them in addition to Rock Auto because they have the option to search parts using the VIN. That's the only way I search on there.
As far as changin it out, I'm going to have a mechanic do it. I'm feeling my age over the past few years and especially so after my heart attack back in April.
I'll only do the lighter and easier stuff anymore.
 
Or... (like said above) disconnect the links and try to pivot the sway bar. If the bushings have come loose from the bar... it should pivot pretty easy (since the bushings are molded (glued) to the bar).
 
04_Sport_LS said:
Yeah... let the mechanic do the cussing... instead of you.:D
Click to expand...

Well not only because of the heart attack. The beginning of last year I also managed to rip my right bicep off the bone so that arm is only at 20% or so of it's past strength. I'm lucky there's another smaller muscle underneath it or else I would've lost movement of it completely.
 
OHHH !!! OUCH!!!

We can't do what we used to.

Old bull still trying to be a young bull. I'm still there.

A number of years back I tried ripping my tricep off on my left arm.

A few years later I found I don't bounce as well as I used to... twice.

Playing human "crash test dummy" a few times over the years didn't help either.
 
Best option, popping both end links from either the bar or the knuckles, if it is the bar bushings, the bar will just swing on its own weight. Sucks about that bicep tear! I can't imagine losing 80% of my wrenching or 'persuading' power! My 2000 LS actually makes rattling noises on rough roads due to loose fitting front calipers! Try light braking to be sure that the noise doesn't disappear before you dive into the other parts. This is a test you can do as long as you can drive!
 
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