Fixed my front end creak.

[Goose17]

Put the Terminator up on the lift to tackle a problem that has been there since I bought it... the front end has been creaking when turning. After some research, I learned it was most likely caused by the steering rack bushings. I bought a new set of poly bushings, but ended up not needing them. The original rubber bushings looked new with only 4400 miles. I pulled the front bushings and greased them as well as the bolts. I didn’t mess with the rear bushings since that requires disconnecting the steering and pulling the rack out.

I took it out for a drive and it is all good. I’ve only driven this car a few times since buying it last year. It’s now vert season in TX... I think it will come out more often now!

I also realized that the bottom of my 04 is not nearly as clean as the 96... time to get busy!

 

[Smooth]

Thanks for posting Goose. I've got the same creak. I'll get after it when I do the front brakes this winter.

 

[Skitzerman]

I had that same noise around 4K miles. Did the poly rebuild and it's been good since then. The creak, the clunk and the rear bumper cover bulge are very common on these cars. Oh! and many smiles per mile are pretty common too.

 

[01yellercobra]

Wasn't there a TSB for the creak? Had something to do with the tubes that pass through the K member not being one piece I think.

 

[ccq8le]

Vert season in Texas??? Must be nice ... The leaves are all changing color here in the NW and soon it will rain 24 hrs a day for 5 months.....


Thanks for the post I need to grease mine again soon!

 

[cj428mach]

Wasn't there a TSB for the creak? Had something to do with the tubes that pass through the K member not being one piece I think.

I think theres a TSB for a creak/clunk in the front end, it has something to do with the control arms I believe. I have it printed out at home, incase I ever needed it for my higher mileage SB car.

 

[TP03]

Took care of this same issue earlier this summer. Got sick of the creaking and sloppy feel in the steering. Installed MM solid rack bushings and was surprised by the difference. I just wanted to get rid of the creak (which it did) but the steering response was much improved. Also install was very easy.

 

[blownfox]

I think theres a TSB for a creak/clunk in the front end, it has something to do with the control arms I believe. I have it printed out at home, incase I ever needed it for my higher mileage SB car.

Do you have the TSB number of a copy of it you can share? My car has a random clunk for the passenger control arm and it only happens pulling in and out of my driveway.

 

[Black Gold 380R]

I took it out for a drive and it is all good. I’ve only driven this car a few times since buying it last year. It’s now vert season in TX... I think it will come out more often now!

You got that right Goose. Been driving my Vert to work all this week. Love driving that car. Although I want to keep the miles off there's nothing wrong with driving a Cobra every day. Could be a DD no problems.................

 

[BADBOYSVT]

Any update on the tsb for front end clunk clunk noise

 

[Zemedici]

You got that right Goose. Been driving my Vert to work all this week. Love driving that car. Although I want to keep the miles off there's nothing wrong with driving a Cobra every day. Could be a DD no problems.................

both my cobras were DDs.

Probably put 60k on them over the 4 years I had them combined.

Left me stranded a few times....hahaha but alls love with the cobras!

 

[52merc]

The squeaky rack TSB is below:

http://www.terminator-cobra.com/Ford_TSB05-14-03.pdf

The squeaky LCA SSB is below:

http://www.terminator-cobra.com/SSM 17100.pdf

Above all courtesy of Joe's website:

Home

 

[jrgoffin]

Yes, if only a site existed ^^^ where just about everything there is to know about the Terminator is in one place...

 

[BADBOYSVT]

man this site is sH@@ when it come to rely on my iphone, so laggy i cant type, or my iphone is SH@@

anyway to OP , I think I have the same front end noise I ask a while back, mabe a years now, been so busy with life, i havent look into it. i dint know they are TBS for these noise lol. I though i am only one. is ford still sell those LCA bushing ?

For Cobra/Mach vehicles, replace with 2R3Z
-
3078
-
AA (Right Side) and 2R3Z
-
3079
-
AA (Left Side).

I think my cobra is lower about 1 inch , its have MM CC.

 

[Goose17]

man this site is sH@@ when it come to rely on my iphone, so laggy i cant type, or my iphone is SH@@

anyway to OP , I think I have the same front end noise I ask a while back, mabe a years now, been so busy with life, i havent look into it. i dint know they are TBS for these noise lol. I though i am only one. is ford still sell those LCA bushing ?

For Cobra/Mach vehicles, replace with 2R3Z
-
3078
-
AA (Right Side) and 2R3Z
-
3079
-
AA (Left Side).

I think my cobra is lower about 1 inch , its have MM CC.

It’s not “LCA bushings,” which are lower control arms. The bushings that I messed with are the steering rack bushings. There are 4... 2 in the front and 2 in the back. The front ones are easy, just remove the nut/washer and pry out the rubber bushing. Thats what I did (one at a time). I then just greased everything thoroughly and reinstalled. I didn’t mess with the rear bushings since the procedure called for marking and removing your steering shaft and then pulling the steering rack forward to gain access. I did the fronts first with the plan to do the rear next if the creak remained. For now though, I think I cured the creak and don’t have to dig further.

I bought a set of poly steering rack bushings from CJ Pony Parts that I didn’t use. I’ll just use them on my 89 when I restore it.