Bushing sounds like an old man!?!?
- Thread starter BodyByAAS
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DieselDan
Dedicated LVC Member
Lower ball joints and upper control arms are probably shot, i'm not pulling your leg, this is a common M8 problem.
I would also replace your sway bar links and you will need an alignment after you repair the joints.
Lower ball joint failure has put a lot of nice M8s in the junkyard, they start squeaking and then can separate at any time.
I would also replace your sway bar links and you will need an alignment after you repair the joints.
Lower ball joint failure has put a lot of nice M8s in the junkyard, they start squeaking and then can separate at any time.
Ok - is this a tough job to tackle on my own? I dont want to get had at the dealership, and I am confident enough that I (and a mechanically inclined friend) can tackle. How can I narrow down whats making the noise?
Sapperfire
Dedicated LVC Member
Wanna do it yourself..with no air?...
1) Jack wheel up and place stand under it, let car down on stand placed at the subframe so the wheel can "hang"
2) grab wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock possitions and wiggle left and left..should be NO wiggle (this method checks steering linkge -inner/outter tie rods), roll hands to 12 and 6 o'clock and do a push/pull bottom pull/push top wiggle (this method checks upper and lower ball joints)
3) spin wheel while having other hand placed on the lower control arm or frame near the wheel..vibrations in a faulty bearing can be felt this way
4) remove the wheel and do a visual inspection, check all grease boots for cracks and signs of leaking grease/ or rust in the joints where boots and grease no longer exist
from what you are saying, it sounds like you have bad sway bar links, if the boots are bad, replace the links
here is the most important part of this suggestion...if you're links are bad..replace them with TRW straight links..
There are some brands that have the union cups at an angle..those are not worth a crap..trust me..get the straight TRWs
normally with ball joints you'll hear it pop more than groan , and typically you'll hear tie rods while turning and not so much on bumps..that's not "law" or anything...just personal experience from a guy who does brakes/sussp/steering for a living...
Finally last step....replace rims on the proper side of the car!!!!
1) Jack wheel up and place stand under it, let car down on stand placed at the subframe so the wheel can "hang"
2) grab wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock possitions and wiggle left and left..should be NO wiggle (this method checks steering linkge -inner/outter tie rods), roll hands to 12 and 6 o'clock and do a push/pull bottom pull/push top wiggle (this method checks upper and lower ball joints)
3) spin wheel while having other hand placed on the lower control arm or frame near the wheel..vibrations in a faulty bearing can be felt this way
4) remove the wheel and do a visual inspection, check all grease boots for cracks and signs of leaking grease/ or rust in the joints where boots and grease no longer exist
from what you are saying, it sounds like you have bad sway bar links, if the boots are bad, replace the links
here is the most important part of this suggestion...if you're links are bad..replace them with TRW straight links..
There are some brands that have the union cups at an angle..those are not worth a crap..trust me..get the straight TRWs
normally with ball joints you'll hear it pop more than groan , and typically you'll hear tie rods while turning and not so much on bumps..that's not "law" or anything...just personal experience from a guy who does brakes/sussp/steering for a living...
Finally last step....replace rims on the proper side of the car!!!!
topher5150
Dedicated LVC Member
ball joint
Sapperfire
Dedicated LVC Member
Wanna do it yourself..with no air?...
1) Jack wheel up and place stand under it, let car down on stand placed at the subframe so the wheel can "hang"
2) grab wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock possitions and wiggle left and left..should be NO wiggle (this method checks steering linkge -inner/outter tie rods), roll hands to 12 and 6 o'clock and do a push/pull bottom pull/push top wiggle (this method checks upper and lower ball joints)
3) spin wheel while having other hand placed on the lower control arm or frame near the wheel..vibrations in a faulty bearing can be felt this way
4) remove the wheel and do a visual inspection, check all grease boots for cracks and signs of leaking grease/ or rust in the joints where boots and grease no longer exist
from what you are saying, it sounds like you have bad sway bar links, if the boots are bad, replace the links
here is the most important part of this suggestion...if you're links are bad..replace them with TRW straight links..
There are some brands that have the union cups at an angle..those are not worth a crap..trust me..get the straight TRWs
normally with ball joints you'll hear it pop more than groan , and typically you'll hear tie rods while turning and not so much on bumps..that's not "law" or anything...just personal experience from a guy who does brakes/sussp/steering for a living...
Finally last step....replace rims on the proper side of the car!!!!
Is this tough? Opening a door was tough..when you were 3...
Bout the same principal, turn thingy until other thingy comes off, replace thingy and turn other thingy the other way to put it back on
1) Jack wheel up and place stand under it, let car down on stand placed at the subframe so the wheel can "hang"
2) grab wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock possitions and wiggle left and left..should be NO wiggle (this method checks steering linkge -inner/outter tie rods), roll hands to 12 and 6 o'clock and do a push/pull bottom pull/push top wiggle (this method checks upper and lower ball joints)
3) spin wheel while having other hand placed on the lower control arm or frame near the wheel..vibrations in a faulty bearing can be felt this way
4) remove the wheel and do a visual inspection, check all grease boots for cracks and signs of leaking grease/ or rust in the joints where boots and grease no longer exist
from what you are saying, it sounds like you have bad sway bar links, if the boots are bad, replace the links
here is the most important part of this suggestion...if you're links are bad..replace them with TRW straight links..
There are some brands that have the union cups at an angle..those are not worth a crap..trust me..get the straight TRWs
normally with ball joints you'll hear it pop more than groan , and typically you'll hear tie rods while turning and not so much on bumps..that's not "law" or anything...just personal experience from a guy who does brakes/sussp/steering for a living...
Finally last step....replace rims on the proper side of the car!!!!
Is this tough? Opening a door was tough..when you were 3...
Bout the same principal, turn thingy until other thingy comes off, replace thingy and turn other thingy the other way to put it back on
LOL The rims will be done once I HAVE to get under the car. I do feel a wobble from my car at around 50-80 - but not always, maybe 75% of the time. I assumed this was me needing an alignment, but perhaps its something like the links as you mentioned.
LOL makes enough sense!
Sapperfire
Dedicated LVC Member
Also, before you start crawling around in your garage, call a few shops, lots of places offer FREE visual inspections, my shop does as well as several of our competitors..
JustBrakes, Midas, Firestone, NTB, BrakeCheck...
Just don't make a commitment to have it fixed, I would call, ask about inspections at the wheels..mention you hear a noise and are not sure what it is
there's several parts that will make noises when bad, and honestly it's anyones best guess until "eyes on"
just keep in mind..with what you've told me, sway links are cheapest, easiest to place, do not require alignment..and are a MAJOR factor in handling, out of the other possibilities
not saying that ball joints aren't VERY important..but those tiny little links on the sway bar make a HUGE difference
JustBrakes, Midas, Firestone, NTB, BrakeCheck...
Just don't make a commitment to have it fixed, I would call, ask about inspections at the wheels..mention you hear a noise and are not sure what it is
there's several parts that will make noises when bad, and honestly it's anyones best guess until "eyes on"
just keep in mind..with what you've told me, sway links are cheapest, easiest to place, do not require alignment..and are a MAJOR factor in handling, out of the other possibilities
not saying that ball joints aren't VERY important..but those tiny little links on the sway bar make a HUGE difference
Thanks man - I have to take it to Ford for the recall, and they said they would do an inspection of my entire car for me for free - thats probably the best course of action.
Sapperfire
Dedicated LVC Member
If ya got the time, take a camera along..please use camera..most phones don't do justice..
If ya toss a $5 at the tech, they may even hold a flash light while ya snap a few shots for us
If ya toss a $5 at the tech, they may even hold a flash light while ya snap a few shots for us
Sapperfire
Dedicated LVC Member
---visual inspection--- no more guessing
chicken
SHEOOOOOOOOT
i was gonna say the list of possibilities just goes on and on and on.
it could be:
upper control arms/ball joint
lower ball joint
outer tie rod ends
sway bar end links
poss but not likely strut rod bushings (leading arm from LCA to subframe)
till someone looks at it, all were doing is guessing
it could be:
upper control arms/ball joint
lower ball joint
outer tie rod ends
sway bar end links
poss but not likely strut rod bushings (leading arm from LCA to subframe)
till someone looks at it, all were doing is guessing
I got back there today, looked around and all I could find that made sense was, on the control arm I think, there is a 6 inch bar that connects to the strut im thinking.. bolts onto both pieces, has a rubber bushing on each end.
Well, that rubber is melted, dried out, and falling apart. Its pratically non-existent at this point. I am assuming this will need to be changed
Well, that rubber is melted, dried out, and falling apart. Its pratically non-existent at this point. I am assuming this will need to be changed
Sapperfire
Dedicated LVC Member
-dispicable me-
no, those sway bar link bushings come from the factory...broken...they're fine...honest
the 6 inch bar is the Sway Bar Linkage, like I told you many many posts ago...change those, and any other pieces you see that have bushings fitting those' description of otherwise destroyed
Sapperfire
Dedicated LVC Member
YouTube- Anti sway bar link repair
when he says "that's it" that's not it, don't forget to grease them
when he says "that's it" that's not it, don't forget to grease them
Its the lower control arms. You need to fix that asap!!! Mines did the same thing. They would squeak and moan while turning especially after a rain storm. One day i notice it was getting hard to steer, once i got home i turned the wheel to the right and when i turned the wheel back, powwwww!!!! The car fell to the ground. Its not hard to replace, but you need pb blast and possibly some heat. AND CHANGE THE STRUT ROD BUSHINGS AT THE SAME TIME