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Front end clunking very similar to bad sway bar bushings on 2013 AWD (3rd generation)

10K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  KlusterMonkey 
#1 ·
As the title says I have been experiencing a modestly loud clunking noise going over bumps which sounds very similar to bad sway bar bushings for a few weeks now. The noise happens specifically when one side or the other hits a bump, but I don't believe it happens when both hit at the same time. The problem appeared suddenly just after passing the 90k miles mark, and to my recollection I do not remember hitting any potholes or having anything major happen to the car like that before the noise appeared. After replacing basically the entire front suspension (New shocks/struts, sway bar links, sway bar bushings, control arm assemblies), the noise is slightly quieter now although still present, leaving both my mechanic and I clueless as to what is causing this problem. Since only a few thousand miles after buying the car brand new, there has been a clunk after coming out of a right hand turn (on the front right of the car) that Ford claimed was "within operating tolerances" and refused to fix under warranty. I'm not entirely convinced this is related to the noise I'm hearing now although it does sound similar and I thought I would mention it in case it's helpful. At this point my mechanic has said to keep driving it until the problem gets worse, and while the car drives better than ever I am concerned this will only get worse as time goes on and explode into a major issue down the road.
 
#2 ·
First I would check the torque on all the fasteners, especially the sway bar nuts, one maybe slightly loose and under load will make noise just like a bad link. Seen this more than once!!! Also if the new parts are non Ford parts they may have grease fittings, were they lubed at time of installation??? Thirdly, new does not always equal good, Many new Chinese parts are not created equal. I would also attempt to look at the sway bar bushings itself, these I believe are above the sub-frame and not easily seen and doubtfully changed for the same reason. could even have a loose fastener on the sub-fame. Also check engine and transmission mounts, on a bump one could be internally bottoming out. If all else fails find a shop with "chassis ears" these are magnetic microphones (usually 4 or 6 listening devices) that are strategically placed under the car and are listened to one by one to determine where the noise is coming from.
 
#5 ·
Sorry I abandoned this, been really bust with uni and work recently and it slipped my mind.

My shop ended up figuring out the problem is in the steering rack unit somewhere, and essentially determined it needed to be replaced to fix the problem. That would be consistent with a newish groaning sound when steering at very (less than 5mph) low speed. They said I don't need to replace it until the noises get noticeably louder or more frequent which has yet to happen, so I guess I'll just wait and see.

Thanks so much for the help!
 
#6 ·
Just a quick follow up to this also if you're having this problem, note where the steering wheel is positioned then try turning to the left and right of that point by a few inches each way. If you hear a small clicking/clunking sound when you do that you may have the same issues I do.
 
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