Suspension clunking / popping..

808muscle

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Maybe these will eliminate my clunking.

Edit: Found some on ebay with reasonable shipping rates to Maui. For $250 I am willing to take the risk. I hate the fucking clunk noise!!! Makes the car sound like a huge piece of shit. Will update after install.
 
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TrackWhore

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Maybe these will eliminate my clunking.

Edit: Found some on ebay with reasonable shipping rates to Maui. For $250 I am willing to take the risk. I hate the fucking clunk noise!!! Makes the car sound like a huge piece of shit. Will update after install.

Updates? Mine is driving me insane as well.
 

08stang

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i have had the same problem or symptoms with my 08 GT upon inspection it appears that the passenger side A-Arm was some how moving and hitting the rear Mount/bushing it would be a very small amount of movement maybe a 1/8 of an inch, im guessing this because there appears to be slight marks on the rear bushing where it is making contact then backing off again. new Steeda bushing are going in all the way around tomorrow so ill update if this fixes my issue or not.
 

69Mach1-409

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Sorry I haven't updated.. I've had continuing issues with the brake upgrade.

Checked out the A-arm bushing and it looked fine. ..checked the K-member to body bolts and they were tight. ..also checked the ball joints and there doesn't seem to be any noise while moving them or play in them.
 

SD07GT

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Sorry I haven't updated.. I've had continuing issues with the brake upgrade.

Checked out the A-arm bushing and it looked fine. ..checked the K-member to body bolts and they were tight. ..also checked the ball joints and there doesn't seem to be any noise while moving them or play in them.


How many miles on ball joints ? We're spindles removed to check ?
 

08Eleanor

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VERY common issue.

The sway bar end links were what was clunking in my car, apparently a poorly designed link.

Ford updated the part and I replaced them with the superceeded part and new nuts and no clunking since.

Also had a bad strut mount that was popping or creaking especially on the freeway from the endless unevenness.
 

SD07GT

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The sway bar end links were what was clunking in my car, apparently a poorly designed link.

Ford updated the part and I replaced them with the superceeded part and new nuts and no clunking since.

Also had a bad strut mount that was popping or creaking especially on the freeway from the endless unevenness.


he already removed the sway bar it's not the endlinks
 

69Mach1-409

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The sound only happens when the front wheel is going up a curb, speed bump, etc and the passenger side front suspension is extending.
 

SD07GT

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The sound only happens when the front wheel is going up a curb, speed bump, etc and the passenger side front suspension is extending.


If you have done everything else already which it looks like you are going to have to remove the spnidle and check the shank of the ball joints. I replaced over 50 sets of ball joints In Arizona with sn197 style mustangs 2005 and up.

If you spoke with Griggs or Jason at Maximum Motorsports they are going to come to the same conclusion. You can't correctly check ball joints like you did in the old days because those we're made out of metal and these are made out of hard nylon and they will give you a false reading while being unloaded. I'm not saying if really super worn out you wont be able to get movement out of the wheel while being on a lift or jack stands. The ball joint isn't really bad in that sense but it has groves in the ball part or it and pops on the race.

That's why they tell you not to tighten the sway bar end links with an impact gun because you will spin the nylon ball causing grooves and you will get popping out of the end links also.

I promise you they will be bad ..meaning when you press on the shank and let go they will come back to center and not stay where you position them with the correct amount of tension on the shank.

If you put some Steeda x-5 in with the taller shank you wont have anymore problems and they have a grease fitting ..Moog makes these also in the stock shank size with a grease fitting.

Lowering springs really eat up these ball joints for some reason, people are ridding on bad ball joints and don't even know it. This is my step by step procedure.

1) I check upper strut mount ..make sure it has gt500 mount, updated TSB mounts,or camber plates.
2) I remove sway bar and end links
3) I check hydro mounts on A-arm and the other busing on the front of the A-arm and make sure all bolts are torqued to spec
4) I check to see If front strut is damaged or leaking and the bolts are torqued to spec.
5) I check k-member bolts and torque
6) I check front brake calipers bolts
7) I check tie rod end nuts are torqued to spec.
8) I REPLACE BALL JOINTS !

I will tell you something you don't have to remove front A-arms to remove BALL JOINTS , get your self a C-cup remover and press them out . I can do each side once the tire is removed in 30 minutes.
 
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69Mach1-409

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If you have done everything else already which it looks like you are going to have to remove the spnidle and check the shank of the ball joints. I replaced over 50 sets of ball joints In Arizona with sn197 style mustangs 2005 and up.

If you spoke with Griggs or Jason at Maximum Motorsports they are going to come to the same conclusion. You can't correctly check ball joints like you did in the old days because those we're made out of metal and these are made out of hard nylon and they will give you a false reading while being unloaded. I'm not saying if really super worn out you wont be able to get movement out of the wheel while being on a lift or jack stands. The ball joint isn't really bad in that sense but it has groves in the ball part or it and pops on the race.

That's why they tell you not to tighten the sway bar end links with an impact gun because you will spin the nylon ball causing grooves and you will get popping out of the end links also.

I promise you they will be bad ..meaning when you press on the shank and let go they will come back to center and not stay where you position them with the correct amount of tension on the shank.

If you put some Steeda x-5 in with the taller shank you wont have anymore problems and they have a grease fitting ..Moog makes these also in the stock shank size with a grease fitting.

Lowering springs really eat up these ball joints for some reason, people are ridding on bad ball joints and don't even know it. This is my step by step procedure.

1) I check upper strut mount ..make sure it has gt500 mount, updated TSB mounts,or camber plates.
2) I remove sway bar and end links
3) I check hydro mounts on A-arm and the other busing on the front of the A-arm and make sure all bolts are torqued to spec
4) I check to see If front strut is damaged or leaking and the bolts are torqued to spec.
5) I check k-member bolts and torque
6) I check front brake calipers bolts
7) I check tie rod end nuts are torqued to spec.
8) I REPLACE BALL JOINTS !

I will tell you something you don't have to remove front A-arms to remove BALL JOINTS , get your self a C-cup remover and press them out . I can do each side once the tire is removed in 30 minutes.

Thanks, when I upgrade the Struts I'll replace the GT500 mounts again and upgrade to the GT500 lowers. Hopefully that will solve the issue and allow the car to perform better in one shot!

Probably won't be till winter now as I used my 'mod money' as a down payment on my 2013 Raptor that should be here in Nov.
 

AutoXRacer

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Mine used to pop and it was the strut plates... I replaced them with J&M camber plates...noise gone!!!

Why would you put GT500 strut plates knowing how crappy the Ford ones are...they are still the same Ford design!!! Unless it was a bad run of plates...
I would suggest going with aftermarket of better quality.
 
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69Mach1-409

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I thought it was them as well. I replaced them with the GT500 strut mounts when I put the FRPP 'P' springs on.

Thanks for the suggestion though.
 

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