Weird feeling in front end

[WhiteSnake74]

Everyone has the problem but no one looked into it at Ford?

Climb under the car, have a buddie do quick turns on the steering wheel. Dont go to full lock just short turns. Watch where the outter tierod end connects and see it it has play in it. It will be very suttle if it does. Like a small up and down movement. Car must be on the ground.

Next, watch the steering shaft going into the rack. Have buddie do the same thing. Watch for play in rack aasembly and shaft. Again car must be loaded on the ground.'

If that fails jack up front end. Push on tires top to bottom then left to right. See if has any play.

If still not sure, leave car jacked up and have buddie turn wheel again. See if anyplay is found in control arm bushings.

Yours has the same problem?

Did you fix it with any of the steps you mentioned? Which one worked for you?

 

[CompOrange04]

Are you sure is not the creak/squeak (sounds like an old door) when you turn the wheel at a complete stop? If so, your problem is the rack bolts sleeves that make the metal to metal sound. There is a new TSB for it.

do you have a link for this? I have this problem all of a sudden

 

[samill2]

Same problem...subscribing.

 

[torch4svt]

+1

 

[03soniccobra01]

Same thing happened to me...And they replaced all the same crap...With the same outcome.....It continued untill I bought a strut tower brace...Now it never does it!


P.S. When changing oil...Don't let the oil run over the drivers side bushing for the rack.....Used oil eats those things up!Makes them soft and makes them swell!!!!! :beer:

 

[WhiteSnake74]

Same thing happened to me...And they replaced all the same crap...With the same outcome.....It continued untill I bought a strut tower brace...Now it never does it!

Really???

And your car had the same symptoms I described? That knocking when backing out on an incline and turning the wheel?

Which one did you buy?

I saw the MM Strut Tower Brace; but there is some serious drilling in that installation.

Here is the link for the installation instructions: Click Here

 

[WhiteSnake74]

Could it be something related to the sway bar?

 

[TERMN8U]

Mine makes a pop or a thunk also, but i have a strut tower brace.

 

[WhiteSnake74]

Mine makes a pop or a thunk also, but i have a strut tower brace.

So you have a strut tower brace and still have the thunk also?

:shrug:


I think it has something to do with the rack or the sway bar.

 

[WhiteSnake74]

Here are a few things that G03Stang from socalterminators told me to check:

Steering rack bushings
Steering shaft (possibly the bearing plate in firewall)
Something rubbing on the a arms
Suspenion bolt lose
Kmember bolt lose
CC plate bolt lose
Maybe front spring isnt sitting in the a arm properly
Loose motor mount bolt
Bad strut

I will verify each and everyone of them and let you know if I find the fix.

Stay tuned.

 

[WhiteSnake74]

Today I took my car to a buddy of mines who is a Ford Tech.

We let the car cool down for a while.

Then he told me to open the hood and with the engine turned off (so he could clearly hear any pop), let the car run back out an incline. As soon as we heard the first two or three "clunks", he told me: "Stop! I found what the problem is".

He saw a LOT of play on the top of the drivers' side strut.

Apparently it's the rubber that it's on top of the strut. I don't know the name for it.

He told me 2 things: You can either replace it with OEM parts or you can go with some GOOD Caster Camber plates.

I think I will go with the CC plates.

Which one do you guys recommend? He told me about the new 4-bolt STEEDA CC Plates. They sell for about $219 on the STEEDA website.

 

[Coiled03]

Get yourself a set of MM C/C plates for $200 and never look back. Don't even entertain the Steeda set.

 

[unit213]

Get yourself a set of MM C/C plates for $200 and never look back. Don't even entertain the Steeda set.

I have Steedas 4 bolt CC plates. Very nice IMO. I've heard that MM C/C plates are "noisy". Not sure how or why that would be...or if it's even true.

Not the best pic in the world, but you can see the C/C plate:

 

[WhiteSnake74]

I have Steedas 4 bolt CC plates. Very nice IMO. I've heard that MM C/C plates are "noisy". Not sure how or why that would be...or if it's even true.

Not the best pic in the world, but you can see the C/C plate:

How about the Steedas? No strange noises with them?

I've heard that the ones from UPR are a little bit noisy.

I don't want to get rid of one noise, and get a new one from the CC plates.

 

[unit213]

No issues what-so-ever with the Steedas. Zero noise from them...quiet as a church mouse.

 

[MidLifeC]

No noise from the MM units either. The MM units are steel - I'd rather have steel than aluminum holding up my front end.

 

[WhiteSnake74]

Since Saturday the car has been great. No clunk or weird feeling whatsoever.

The tech took out the bushings and adjusted the upper strut mount bolt.

I will replace the bushings next Saturday. Apparently they are bad.

I was thinking not to buy the CC plates cause I don't have future plans with the front end. I will keep it stock, so CC plates are not that useful if I plan to leave everything else stock.

So to all of you guys that have these pop/clunk problem in the front end, you might want to check those bushings in first place.

Good Luck! :thumbsup:

 

[03Cobra_Poison]

Awesome! i hope that is what is whacked on mine. been dreading a trip to the dealer so they can tell me to leave it while they drive it all over creation to find out the problem. no way. thanks guys. had this problem for over a year.

Today I took my car to a buddy of mines who is a Ford Tech.

We let the car cool down for a while.

Then he told me to open the hood and with the engine turned off (so he could clearly hear any pop), let the car run back out an incline. As soon as we heard the first two or three "clunks", he told me: "Stop! I found what the problem is".

He saw a LOT of play on the top of the drivers' side strut.

Apparently it's the rubber that it's on top of the strut. I don't know the name for it.

He told me 2 things: You can either replace it with OEM parts or you can go with some GOOD Caster Camber plates.

I think I will go with the CC plates.

Which one do you guys recommend? He told me about the new 4-bolt STEEDA CC Plates. They sell for about $219 on the STEEDA website.

 

[WhiteSnake74]

Awesome! i hope that is what is whacked on mine. been dreading a trip to the dealer so they can tell me to leave it while they drive it all over creation to find out the problem. no way. thanks guys. had this problem for over a year.

Actually the problem wasn't the bushings, it was the strut.

When they removed the strut from the car, to replace the bushings, it was all greasy. All that grease on the strut can only mean one thing: Bad Strut!

Replaced the strut and no problem ever since.

So you might want to check out if that is your problem.

A great way to confirm it is to back out the car and turn the wheel and have someone to grab firmly the black strut cover inside the wheel wel area, and if you feel the pop in it, voilá.

Good luck!

 

[Oh Three Cobra]

I tightened the front upper strut mounting bolts. I was able to tighten them up quite a bit. It made no difference. I can still it when backing up when I first move the car.