just have to live with front end noise I guess

[bigmd]

my balljoints are new.they came with the new lower arms i bought

 

[bigmd]

ok I m at my wits end with this car.to the point where i hate driving it.it sounds like a bucket of bolts.i cant see it being my endlinks since they are the new ford design but i still have to get under there and check them.what do you guys recommend?

 

[07VistaChicago]

ok I m at my wits end with this car.to the point where i hate driving it.it sounds like a bucket of bolts.i cant see it being my endlinks since they are the new ford design but i still have to get under there and check them.what do you guys recommend?

I don't think it's the actual end links per say, but it's the end links combined with an enlarged strut hole. I would first make sure all the strut, strut mount bolts are tight (in the engine bay). Then move to the end links. Take them a part and try a star washer on there and tighten the snot out of them.

 

[bigmd]

Ok.struts are new so holes should be round.should a try new strut bolts for the spindle?now,I can feel the looseness when I go very slowly up driveway or over bumps.

 

[bigmd]

Also after I had fixed car still wasn't quiet.I'm leaning toward strut mounts again

 

[gil_t2]

mine had the wrong type of sway bar bushing. the ridge was rubbing the radiator support, got the correct ones and now quite

 

[bigmd]

gil t2 where they from factory like that?

 

[gil_t2]

no they came with sway bar, but the stock if worn can do the same,

 

[TheKurgan]

ok I m at my wits end with this car.to the point where i hate driving it.it sounds like a bucket of bolts.i cant see it being my endlinks since they are the new ford design but i still have to get under there and check them.what do you guys recommend?

Spray everything down with WD-40 and get it on a curvy road or open track and get all the new parts seated in real good.

 

[Mach2burnout]

Man, Have you tightened those fricking endlinks up yet? Mine was doing the same damn thing and all it was was the left end link needed about a half turn tightening and no more noise. You've had 20 people tell you that. The new struts have slightly larger holes in them than the stock. So tighten them up, I bet the noise will be gone. Lock tight it while your there and mark the bolts as I said before. Just because the parts are new don't mean they cant be loose.

Here's why it makes so much noise - the sway bar actually works as a spring, at static position it has no load. The least little turn you make the bar gets loaded because of chassis roll, that is why it helps handling. Through bumps, etc. it also gets loaded, only then it is a sudden loading not a gradual loading as through curves. That is why if you go to a larger sway bar your ride will be diminished some because it increases the overall spring rate of the suspension. When a component on that bar is loose, even just slightly, each time the bar gets a sudden loading that bolt takes a jar, the vibration (noise) caused by this carries right through the chassis of the car. If left loose long enough the component attached by the bolt can cut through the bolt, as well as wollow out the hole in that component.

I hope this helps.

 

[bigmd]

what do you guys think of Fords bolts being one time use only as they are labeled?Maximum Motorsports sells strut to spindle bolts with a finer thread.

 

[07VistaChicago]

Ok.struts are new so holes should be round.should a try new strut bolts for the spindle?now,I can feel the looseness when I go very slowly up driveway or over bumps.

My struts were new too and still did this. Have you tried tightening them yet? There is a thread with 1000's of posts all about problems with end links until they are tightened up.

 

[bigmd]

no i still have to get under there.i will have to try this week.I just thought the new endlink design was to prevent this.ill give it a go

 

[808muscle]

I too have the same front end clunk. I have the GT500 strut mounts ready to install. We'll see if they solve it.

 

[rojizostang]

I too have the same front end clunk. I have the GT500 strut mounts ready to install. We'll see if they solve it.

i hope so. i plan to tackle mine next week also. the thing is with mine, with the front end in the air, if you slowly turn the wheels back and forth, you can feel it pop even with the wheels off the ground. is there any chance the problem could be with tie rod ends or the steering rack or anything like that? I've never heard of anyone having trouble there.

 

[bigmd]

that could be something with steering.mine just sounds like a piece of shit going over bumps.horrible!!!!!!

 

[keith88lx]

Mine developed the clunk this week. I'm checking the sway end links tomorrow. My 88 LX had the same noise a year ago, it was the end links.

 

[bigmd]

i still have to check mine.been very lazy.

 

[rojizostang]

well, i tackled the upper strut mounts today. the good news is, i've had the front end apart so many times that i was able to change both sides out in about 1.5 hours.

of course, the bad news is, the noise is still there. i'm starting to believe it's in the steering rack/linkage/tie rod ends somewhere. i suppose it could be the ball joints too.

back to the drawing board.

 

[bigmd]

yep ive thrown a ton of cash for upper mounts 2x.new GT500 arms, and new endlinks.still worse then ever.