Front end knocking/clunking

ghunt81

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Winter before last, I went all through my suspension, put in new Koni STR.T's, new BMR springs, and new strut mounts (I bought them from LMR and was under the impression they were GT500 mounts but to be honest I don't know if they are or not. They were a really good price so maybe not). I replaced the strut mounts because I had been getting an occasional "pop" from the front end on sharp low speed turns.

Anyway, it was all good last year. Over the winter this year the car was on jackstands most of the winter but all I did was upgrade the brakes, I never touched anything else on the suspension.

It was fine for the first couple weeks I was driving it and now every single time I go over a bump I'm getting this fairly loud knocking/clunking noise from the front. Could it be possible those strut mounts are already shot? They don't even have 10K on them. I can't think of anything else that could be making the noise, and I have not yet had a chance to raise the car and take the front wheels off to look.
 

86GT351

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Winter before last, I went all through my suspension, put in new Koni STR.T's, new BMR springs, and new strut mounts (I bought them from LMR and was under the impression they were GT500 mounts but to be honest I don't know if they are or not. They were a really good price so maybe not). I replaced the strut mounts because I had been getting an occasional "pop" from the front end on sharp low speed turns.

Anyway, it was all good last year. Over the winter this year the car was on jackstands most of the winter but all I did was upgrade the brakes, I never touched anything else on the suspension.

It was fine for the first couple weeks I was driving it and now every single time I go over a bump I'm getting this fairly loud knocking/clunking noise from the front. Could it be possible those strut mounts are already shot? They don't even have 10K on them. I can't think of anything else that could be making the noise, and I have not yet had a chance to raise the car and take the front wheels off to look.


Go over all the Suspension Bolts for tightness and proper torque. Also carefully check the Hydro Bushing in the control arm. The rear Bushing is a Hydro (Liquid Filled) Bushing. Over time the bushing can collapse and cause some noise.
 

07 Boss

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I bet it's your sway bar end links. They are notorious for coming loose. Many people torque these down with the car in the air and that makes the problem worst. Have your suspension loaded and re-torque those.
 

oldVOR

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^^^ This ^^^

I'd lean towards the sway bar end links as well. Had the hardest time on the '05 getting those to stay tight with the original links. Swapped them out to the 11-14 style links and they've stayed put since the original torque setting.

As 07 Boss mentioned, torque them with the suspension loaded for best results.
 

ghunt81

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If it is those, I wonder how they would have come loose between last year and this year...hm.

I'll have to take a look.
 

86GT351

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If it is those, I wonder how they would have come loose between last year and this year...hm.

I'll have to take a look.

If it is the Stabilizer Links they are a ball and socket joint as well that move thousands of times per day when driving. They go bad.
 

RED09GT

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I remember reading that the nuts were thread deforming and were a 1x use part. Mine loosened up and got noisy several times before I got a set from freedom racing with the rod ends and haven't looked back.
 

ha1234

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Something that I don't think has been mentioned: You installed new springs, but did you install the isolator (plastic tube that goes around the coil spring)? When I installed new springs, I did not install the isolator properly and it made a popping sound when I went over bumps or took a left turn. I reinstalled it and all is well now.
 

nawagner

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First thing to check with front end clunks is sway bar end links, always. They are not torque to yield or one time use, just a PITA to get tight with the design. The newer models have a better design but can't remember which year it started. 2010 maybe?
 

ghunt81

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I parked the car, turned the wheels all the way to one side and reached under the car and grabbed the end link...yep, it moves around, but the nut does not look loose. Pretty sure they are original so I guess they need replaced. I just ordered some greasable Moog ones from Rock Auto that look like they are the upgraded design.
 

07 Boss

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I parked the car, turned the wheels all the way to one side and reached under the car and grabbed the end link...yep, it moves around, but the nut does not look loose. Pretty sure they are original so I guess they need replaced. I just ordered some greasable Moog ones from Rock Auto that look like they are the upgraded design.

If the end link is loose the bolt needs to get tightened down regardless. You have to hold the shaft as you tighten the bolt. That sounds kind of dirty. Anyways I can't remember as I have not had a sway bar for years but I think I used an ratchet wrench on the nut and I think it was an allen wrench to hold the shaft. Or is that the strut shaft I'm thinking about? Either way it takes two tools to tighten that bolt properly.
 
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ghunt81

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When I put mine back on I used a socket on the hex end of the stud and a box wrench to tighten the nut. Everything was good when I put it back together, the play seems to be in the ball ends of the links themselves.
 

Phil1098

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I put on the new style factory Ford links on mine when I put on my Eibach sway bar kit. I bought them from Rock Auto too and torqued them on the bar when it was out of the car. Easy enough to get a torque wrench on them on the strut. The new style Ford links have a bigger surface that goes up against the strut or the bar. Fixed my loose log clunking 100%.
 

ghunt81

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Swapped out the links on Saturday- the driver's side one was actually loose on the top. I don't think the links were even worn out but I replaced them anyway.
 

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