Front end noise

[redfiresixer]

So for the last couple of days my front end has been making a clunking sound. I know there is a tsb about front end pop when turning, but it doesnt happen when i turn.

The "clunk" happens every time i take the car over any kind of bump, dip, speed bump, etc. I cant recreate the sound when turning. Ive checked everything under the hood and nothing is loose, and ive looked under the car but im no expert on suspension.

The suspension is all stock. Any insight as to whats causing the noise?

 

[bmaxwell]

If your car is 05-06 then I think that is a transmission brace that come loose or something of some sort. I had another 06 that did that and ford finally figured it out and said that's what it was. May be a TSB on it but I am not sure.

 

[skwerl]

Upper strut mounts? They aren't all that durable.

I couldn't imagine driving on the stock shocks and struts for 5 years.

 

[redfiresixer]

Well ive had the car for 4 months now and havent gotten to any suspension mods.

Its an 05 w/ 58k miles. Whats a good shock/strut that wont break my bank?

Not looking for superior handling but is a DD.

 

[Tungsten06]

If your car is 05-06 then I think that is a transmission brace that come loose or something of some sort. I had another 06 that did that and ford finally figured it out and said that's what it was. May be a TSB on it but I am not sure.

I didn't know that. I'll check that out next time I'm under the car in my never ending quest to find the new noises that pop up each week.

Well ive had the car for 4 months now and havent gotten to any suspension mods.

Its an 05 w/ 58k miles. Whats a good shock/strut that wont break my bank?

Not looking for superior handling but is a DD.

I have Koni STR.Ts on my car. I like them, as long as I'm driving on a half way decent road. I think I paid somewhere like $360 for the set.

As for the noise, I've had it too for months now. Already replaced the strut mounts with the new GT500 versions. I think its the swaybar endlinks clunking. I finally ordered some new ones, but haven't installed them yet. Might want to tigten them up a bit and see if that helps.

 

[lostsoul]

gt500 strut mounts+ koni's FTMFW!

 

[HellsBells]

I have this issue too and it sounds like something is loose and happens only over bumps. No clue what it is but from previous experience with blown shocks, it feels like I'm going down that way.

I have less than 1/2 your miles though...

Does your car make funny noises when you shift gears, especially first to second? What about at idle?

 

[redfiresixer]

Its an auto, no noises when i shift (not that i could hear them under load.)

I'll get under there this weekend and tighten everything up. Just might order some new urethane bushings for everything just to be safe.

Thanks guys!

 

[Swarzkopf]

Sure sounds like a loose sway bar end link to me...mine made a hellacious racket when I didn't torque it all the way down by accident.

 

[Ken04]

Sure sounds like a loose sway bar end link to me...mine made a hellacious racket when I didn't torque it all the way down by accident.

^^ This

 

[AMDanBailer]

When you hit a bump or dip on the highway, does the car still feel like it wants to continue to bounce a little bit?

A clunk can definitely indicate a shock/strut is on its way out. The easiest test is to bounce/oscillate the vehicle by applying force to each corner of the vehicle in search of the clunk. You can see what I mean by watching this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80C2N9ecSj4


They best way to confirm the issue would be to throw it on a lift, check all the strut mounts and for any possible fluid leaking. If they all look good then go ahead and check the sway-bar end-links, engine mounts, transmission mounts, front sub-frame mounts to see if one of those could be the culprit.

 

[redfiresixer]

The car drives as it should and i push it relatively hard daily. I hvent had time to look due to a 40+ hour work week and 15 hours of school, but ill crawl under there tomorrow morning and check things out.

 

[dly]

I went though 2 sets of stock strut mounts and 1 GT500 set. The GT500 set was good for about 15,000 miles. Replace with MM Strut plates and it was worse. I found if I put some thick rubber gasket material under the spring were it mounts to the Strut/shock and all is quiet.


It worked for me. dly

 

[D3AD]

I have this issue too and it sounds like something is loose and happens only over bumps. No clue what it is but from previous experience with blown shocks, it feels like I'm going down that way.

I have less than 1/2 your miles though...

Does your car make funny noises when you shift gears, especially first to second? What about at idle?

Lol, I got all those besides Idle noise.

 

[Tungsten06]

The car drives as it should and i push it relatively hard daily. I hvent had time to look due to a 40+ hour work week and 15 hours of school, but ill crawl under there tomorrow morning and check things out.

Did you ever wind up tracking down the noise? I put new end links on my car yesterday, but I STILL have a clunk on the driver side over bumps. I'm at a loss now.

 

[Swarzkopf]

Did you raise the suspension correctly when installing the new end link?

 

[Tungsten06]

Did you raise the suspension correctly when installing the new end link?

I just took the wheel off, took off the old endlink, put on the new one.

 

[redfiresixer]

Update: removed sway bar and endlinks and no noise. Probably was a loose end link.