Help Me Diagnose a Noise

[Sky Render]

I noticed a day or two ago that I'm getting what sounds like a pop, click, or mild clunking from what seems to be the front passenger side wheel. It's most noticeable if the windows are up (obviously), and it seems to occur at low speeds and on relatively flat/even pavement. I also seem to be able to "feel" the noise. It doesn't happen all the time or consistently.

I've got Steeda springs, Koni Yellows, and Maximum Motorsports camber plates using the stock strut mounts.

I know the stock strut mounts can fail and are known for making popping noises, but before I drop the coin on new mounts, is there a way I can make sure that's where the noise is coming from?

 

[AlbertD]

I had a similar noise at one point and it turned out to be the front LCA hydra bushing. Just throwing that out there as another thing to look out for.

 

[Sky Render]

Yep, I saw that there's a TSB for that. Only thing is that it says in the TSB that it happens going over speed bumps and such. My noise seems to only happen on smooth ground.

EDIT: Pushing down hard on the passenger fender causes an audible clunk sound.

 

[Synyster06Gates]

Sway bar end links maybe? My 06 did something similar - weren't quite tightened all the way after the suspension was done.

 

[Sky Render]

I think the noise might actually be from the rear. Could this be it? Looks like my fuel lines are dangling? Can anyone confirm this?

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[Muh-stang]

First post. Yay!

I have the same issue! All stock suspension though.

I went under my car and my end links wiggle a good bit. Also, moving the sway bar corner near the end link, the actual bar, it makes the same clicking noise. But moving the end link up and down doesn't make the noise.

It looks like you've overhauled your suspension though so we may not have the same problem although that is literally the same thing I have going on. Exactly how I would describe it. Also, my front brake from the same area, passenger side, howls like crazy when braking at highway speeds and fades really quickly. No idea what is causing that and don't know if they are related

 

[Sky Render]

Welcome! Are you referring to your front or rear suspension? Because at this point I'm puzzled as to where my noise is coming from. It's inconsistent, very loud sometimes and nonexistent other times.

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[Muh-stang]

Front sway bar. Mines never all that loud, sometimes a bit louder than others but it does it when I'm coming to a stop on smooth roads or uneven roads. I got under my car and jostled the bar around on the passenger side and sure enough it was clicking. Tried tightening the bottom end link bolt while securing the actual end link and couldn't get it any tighter and still makes the noise. BUT both of my end links wobble around a decent but. Is that normal?

 

[Sky Render]

I'm going to check the sway bars front and rear later this week. It's driving me insane. I can't figure out if it's suspension or just gear backlash from my Eaton TrueTrac.

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[Sky Render]

I isolated the problem to the passenger side front, which is where I thought it was coming from originally. My friend pushed down on the driver side fender repeatedly, causing the clunk, while I moved around looking for the noise. It seemed to be coming from the passenger side front end link. As I was jacking the car up, I heard that clunk again.

I checked the sway bar end links, which were a tiny bit loose (1/8 to 1/4 turn at most), but they didn't seem loose enough to cause problems. On a whim, I looked up the torque specs for the sway bar bushing saddle to radiator support bolt (52 lb-ft) and broke out the torque wrench. The driver's side was tight. But the passenger side bolts... were about 3/4 to a full turn loose.

Put the wheels back on, dropped the car, and no clunk as it was settling. Even STRANGER was that when I pushed down on the fenders, it was a lot harder to compress the suspension. Like 2-3 times as much force needed. I went for a quick spin around the neighborhood and the car seemed quite a bit quieter. I didn't hear or feel the clunk at all.

So I think we fixed it. I think.

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[Synyster06Gates]

Yep - I was going to say sway bar end links. I had the same issue with mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H04nUhEhi5c

 

[Muh-stang]

Holy crap. Mine definitely isn't as loud as that video. Ok so the radiator support? Is that one of the main bushings toward the front of the car? Not around the end links?

 

[Synyster06Gates]

That video was the end links not being fully tightened.

 

[Sky Render]

My problem was the bushing saddles that attach to the radiator support. They're supposed to be 52 lb-ft, if I recall.

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[Synyster06Gates]

Oh damn. I was skimming over the post and read that the end links were slightly loose then assumed that was the fix.

 

[oldVOR]

My problem was the bushing saddles that attach to the radiator support. They're supposed to be 52 lb-ft, if I recall.

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Was a new bar installed and not torqued or the factory stuff loosened up from cone killing?

 

[Sky Render]

Was a new bar installed and not torqued or the factory stuff loosened up from cone killing?

I have an aftermarket front bar. When I installed it last fall, I didn't have my 3/8"-drive torque wrench, so I just used my calibrated elbow to tighten the bolts.

Apparently my elbow needs to be recalibrated.