[jshabouk]

All,

I just passed the 125k mark and was hearing a clunking noise when going over small bumps. Local mechanic said I needed new Struts and they were replaced along with the front and rear sway bar bushings. However, after the reir, the noise was still there, but now seems centered in the car. You can hear it around the firewall area from the inside of the car. The mechanic has also tried to recommend replacing the engine mount bushings. However, after spending ~$1200 already, I am hesitant to pay more if the problem is still going to remain.

Do you guys have any suggestions? Thanks in advance for the help.

Joe

[ludvig]

sway bar links on my 1994 Vision caused clunk sounds over bumps..they not too expensive.....i replaced them and no clunks. I would look at them first

[crypt keeper]

X2 on the links.

[jshabouk]

do you guys have any pics of what I should be looking at? I know the mechanic replaced the sway bar bushings; dont think they replaced the links. Thanks!

[crypt keeper]

This is another member thread on the subject.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...dpIMGwWyzBI8LA

[UPGI2AYDD]

Yeah, swaybar links, guarantee it.

I spent $800 in new strut assemblies to have it be a stupid $30 link!

My opinion, I bought a Napa Swaybar Link. Seemed like a solid product, but after 5000K, the bushes are split WIDE OPEN. So avoid Napa crap, go OEM if you can afford it. Unless someone can mention a reputable aftermarket solution.

With these LH cars (Intrepid, LHS, 300 and Condorde), you want to go OEM and nothing else it seems.

[peva]

I've said and posted many times that it's knee jerk reaction for shops to always want to do a strut job whenever they would have to go to any trouble to figure out what the real problem is on suspension complaints. No skin off their teeth - it's one of the most high dollar suspension repair jobs, and so what if it doesn't fix the problem. Oh well.

Not true on all parts. PCV valves, toe adjuster sleeves, and spring isolators come to mind.

[ludvig]

my mechanic wont be my mechanic anymore if they made me spend $1200 on something that didnt need replacing..that pisses me off hearing stories like that.

[jshabouk]

Here is a pic of the drivers side. I jacked up the car tonight and the sway bar links look new (they are the vertical bars on the right side of the strut, right). They were all greasede up at the ends at the joints though. Is this normal? Any other ideas?

Thanks.

Joe

[ludvig]

those look like them to me...and they do seem new....i dont know why they are creased though since i dont believe mine had greases nipples.......i recall on my friends Taurus, the clunking was caused by the links being loose.......they retorqued them and the sound went away..is it possible they are loose?

[jshabouk]

I just want the noise to stop and then i'm done with this guy...I'm really pissed, trust me.

[ludvig]

If he changed them, its likely not them then. Do you know if they are new? I recall my mechanic, to check them, would grab them while on the hoist and attempt to shake to see if any rattle occurs. Im not sure if this is the correct way to test them or not.

[crypt keeper]

Well seeing as you said its by the firewall the next thing i would check is the steering rack bushings.

Have someone start the car and turn the wheel back and fourth quickly while you are looking at the bolts that mount the rack.

There should be very little movement from the rack so if its sloppy around the bolt heads and the rack moves around easily you need new bushings.

[peva]

Those are the Moog "Problem Solver" line of end links. They do in fact have grease fittings in each end. Who the heck put that much grease all over everything? I wouldn't let them work on my car ever again. When you grease a joint with a fitting, you pump the grease gun once or twice and then stop - even if you don't see any come out of the joint. You don't just keep pumping after gobs and gobs of grease have come out.

Ludvig may be right - the nuts on the end links may just need tightening. I wouldn't trust anyone who put that much grease thru them to have installed them correctly either. Wipe that grease off with a rag, and then see if the nuts are tight.

Also, you didn't sound certain that they replaced the sway bar bushings. If they didn't replace them, they could be causing the noise - they do wear out. Or if they *did* replace them, already having proven themselves to be somewhat incompetent, they may have put the wrong size ones on (they come in two sizes - if they put the larger ones on the regular size sway bar, there would be clunking noise).

[jshabouk]

they put the grease...i was surprised by the amount once I took the wheels off tonight...

I noticed something else...Advance auto has these sway bar end link bushings, they look like rubber spacers and washers (Advance Auto Part No. 9.8105G). Should these have been installed as well as part of the New links? Could the fact that these are not there be the reason for the knocking? Could they be shifting just a little when I hit bumps?