front end popping

[mattchaney]

I have the infamous front end popping noise happening mostly when lateral pressure is on the car such as in a turn. I got under the car and tried to pry up on the ball joint and there is no play at all. I tried lifting on the wheel and there is no play. strut mounts seem tight, so I think it may be the sway bar bushings or end links. I will try removing the end links and tying up the sway bar as suggested in other threads to see if the noise stops. I called the lincoln dealer to get pricing on the bushings and end links...parts guy says lincoln has changed something so that the bushings now come on the bar and I need to buy the whole bar to get the bushings. Now I know from others on this site that ford parts network sells those bushings separate and they have slits in them to slip them on the bar. So now for my question, setting cost aside, would it be easier or better to buy the bushings only and slip them on the bar or to replace the whole bar with bushings already on it? also does this new bar have "slip on" style bushings or are they molded onto it somehow that would make them better and keep them from popping again? Are there any write ups on how to do this procedure or is it easy enough to figure out as you go?

 

[01lssport]

I have the infamous front end popping noise happening mostly when lateral pressure is on the car such as in a turn. I got under the car and tried to pry up on the ball joint and there is no play at all. I tried lifting on the wheel and there is no play. strut mounts seem tight, so I think it may be the sway bar bushings or end links. I will try removing the end links and tying up the sway bar as suggested in other threads to see if the noise stops. I called the lincoln dealer to get pricing on the bushings and end links...parts guy says lincoln has changed something so that the bushings now come on the bar and I need to buy the whole bar to get the bushings. Now I know from others on this site that ford parts network sells those bushings separate and they have slits in them to slip them on the bar. So now for my question, setting cost aside, would it be easier or better to buy the bushings only and slip them on the bar or to replace the whole bar with bushings already on it? also does this new bar have "slip on" style bushings or are they molded onto it somehow that would make them better and keep them from popping again? Are there any write ups on how to do this procedure or is it easy enough to figure out as you go?

I have the samething going on with my car too. It will only pop every once in awhile (in the front end). I have replaced the sway bar bushings and end links and still getting the pop every once in awhile. It seems to only do it when turning left or right and the front wheels are at different heights i.e. like backing out of the driveway or taking a turn at high speeds and hitting a bump. I wonder if thats why they changed to a solid bushing? I am going to check the wheel bearings just to be safe. If you find anything let me know please. Thanks.
:Beer

 

[joedirt]

if u wanna really check your ball joints accurately, lift the front end of yer car up.. one side at a time. so the front tire is about 4 inches of the ground. with your prybar.. slide it under the tire and pry up. with the other hand push in on the top of the tire. and pry up on the bar. there shouldnt be any play whatsoever. also why u are there u can moved the tire from side to side and up and down to check bearing wear and tierod play.

im not sure how true that is that u have to get a NEW sway bar. but if ur goin to go through with it.. might as well go with a aftermarket. something more beefy

 

[DLS8K]

if u wanna really check your ball joints accurately, lift the front end of yer car up.. one side at a time. so the front tire is about 4 inches of the ground. with your prybar.. slide it under the tire and pry up. with the other hand push in on the top of the tire. and pry up on the bar. there shouldnt be any play whatsoever. also why u are there u can moved the tire from side to side and up and down to check bearing wear and tierod play.

im not sure how true that is that u have to get a NEW sway bar. but if ur goin to go through with it.. might as well go with a aftermarket. something more beefy

I would agree with checking the tierods

 

[mattchaney]

Ok, I just got back from a drive with the end links undone from the steering knuckle and the sway bar tied up and whammo the popping is gone. :Beer So now I am left wondering if the parts guy was right and I should get the new bar with the bushings already on it rather than getting new bushings with slits in them to slip over the sway bar. Anybody's thoughts are appreciated. By the way 01lssport, my symptoms were exactly the same (popping in and out of driveway and on higher speed turns or like you said when the wheels were forced into different heights. Did you try undoing the end links like I did and tying up the sway bar? I am really thinking I should just get the whole new bar if this was a design defect that lincoln decided to change.)

 

[01lssport]

Ok, I just got back from a drive with the end links undone from the steering knuckle and the sway bar tied up and whammo the popping is gone. :Beer So now I am left wondering if the parts guy was right and I should get the new bar with the bushings already on it rather than getting new bushings with slits in them to slip over the sway bar. Anybody's thoughts are appreciated. By the way 01lssport, my symptoms were exactly the same (popping in and out of driveway and on higher speed turns or like you said when the wheels were forced into different heights. Did you try undoing the end links like I did and tying up the sway bar? I am really thinking I should just get the whole new bar if this was a design defect that lincoln decided to change.)

Well if your right and sounds like you are I'm going to be pissed. When I bought my car it was making the popping sound over every bump. The dealer told me that they were replacing the swaybar and bushing, the parts were on order. I took the car in about a week later and they replaced them.
The poping stopped for a while. Probably because I wasn't driving the car very aggressively when I first bought it. Now it's a different story which is why I'm getting the occasional pop.
The only thing I don't understand is why haven't alot more people had this problem if the split bushing are crap? Who knows. Let me know how it turns out when you replace the swaybar.

 

[DLS8K]

Well if your right and sounds like you are I'm going to be pissed. When I bought my car it was making the popping sound over every bump. The dealer told me that they were replacing the swaybar and bushing, the parts were on order. I took the car in about a week later and they replaced them.
The poping stopped for a while. Probably because I wasn't driving the car very aggressively when I first bought it. Now it's a different story which is why I'm getting the occasional pop.
The only thing I don't understand is why haven't alot more people had this problem if the split bushing are crap? Who knows. Let me know how it turns out when you replace the swaybar.

When I had this noise in my car, I ended up replacing struts/shocks front and rear because they were a little worn (not making the noise however). Since I had my front suspension ripped apart, I was going to just replace the stabilizer bar bushings, however, the Ford store sent me the entire stabilizer bar. The reason for this was they said it was a revised design (the bushings aren't split.......they are solid wrap-around) so it was supposed to be better I am told. My stabilizer links had to be cut off, so I replaced those too. I did that about 3 months ago and haven't had a problem.

 

[lsbit]

The passenger bushing is a beotch to replace. I bought the split bushings and installed them a few months ago. No problems yet.

 

[bigdog1279]

i had the same probelm with my 91 continental
but it was the sway bar link would break every couple of months and i would here the poping they sed the sway bar might need to be replaced or the frame might be damage under the car

 

[01LincolnLSV8]

Grrr...

The passenger bushing is a beotch to replace. I bought the split bushings and installed them a few months ago. No problems yet.

anyone know the part number to these bushings he is talking about? Cause this noise is driving me up a wall, i'm actually haveing the same problem, over EVERY bump i hear a klunking noise, its ridiculous...

 

[lsbit]

anyone know the part number to these bushings he is talking about? Cause this noise is driving me up a wall, i'm actually haveing the same problem, over EVERY bump i hear a klunking noise, its ridiculous...

Sorry...It looks like I didn't keep that invoice, or it is in another folder.

 

[hockey930]

does anyone know where I can get swaybar bushings without buying a whole swaybar? I don't have the money for a whole sway bar and ths noise is driving me nuts.
Eamonn

 

[01lssport]

I don't think that they make just the bushing anymore.

 

[lsbit]

does anyone know where I can get swaybar bushings without buying a whole swaybar? I don't have the money for a whole sway bar and ths noise is driving me nuts.
Eamonn

You might have to find a dealer that has some left. I guess I got lucky.

 

[lexdiamondz10304]

I believe they have them at fordpartsnetwork.com , there around 9 bucks each.

 

[hockey930]

update, I got the bushings from fastpartsnetwork I belive it is, I put them in myself and the car is quiet. The old ones did not look bad at all, but it was the problem.
Eamonn