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suspension making noise after strut replacement


spugeddy
04-09-2010, 01:43 PM
Well it was making noise before the strut replacement, but I bought two new Monroe front struts, and had them put on, but I didn't replace the mounting hardware at the top of the tower. Sorry can't remember the name of it.

Still when I go over bumps or railroad tracks, it is the same "broken shock" sounding clank (metal on metal).

Any thoughts

Airjer_
04-09-2010, 01:56 PM
Stabilizer bar links or bushings.

spugeddy
04-09-2010, 02:04 PM
I've done the P171.... repair, and brakes, shocks, etc on other cars..

Is this repair hard. And do you have to get an alignment afterwards?

Sorry for the newbie questions.

northern piper
04-09-2010, 05:37 PM
if you aren't doing any tie rods than the alignment isn't necessary really. If you're doing the sway bar bushings and end links, the next thing is your lower control arms and tie rods. You may be looking at doing the whole thing. That's what I did last year and then got the alignment done. I was of the impression that within 6 months I'd be likely doing the rest anyway so while I had things apart..

Bottom line, I'd be your clunk is sway bar bushings.

old89lsc
04-10-2010, 12:10 AM
I replaced my struts with Monroe quick struts last fall. Boy did those things squeak like crazy when they were new. They squeaked over bumps and they squeaked when turning the steering wheel. They definitely sounded more like old shocks than my old shocks did. After use, they did quiet down. Overall, though, I am not impressed.

wiswind
04-10-2010, 10:39 AM
In my case, the monroe quick struts were fine......but the stablilizer links were not.
Mine squeaked......clunked, etc after about 1 year........they were the nylon type....installed at the same time as the struts.
After a number of years, it is pretty hard to remove the stablilizer links without damaging them.
I would recommend that one use Moog brand for replacement links.

spugeddy
04-12-2010, 09:10 AM
I was under the van this weekend and grabbed hold of the stabilizer links (verticle bars attached to the shock?) and they are definatley making noise. The bushings (further back, to the rear) didn't appear to have any warping, or "air" between them and the metal, and the noise was coming from the verticle sway bar link....

SHould I pay someone to change both these areas.

I have the jacks, and jack stands, but don't want to get over my head if it is too much work.

old89lsc
04-12-2010, 07:21 PM
I don't know how hard it is, but if it turns out not too bad of a job in the driveway, please post it. Sooner or later I will have to replace mine and I would rather not pay for a job that isn't all that bad.

When I went to replace the struts my Haynes said that the steering knuckle would have to be removed. Well, I didn't really see going after that myself. I got a local Meineke to install the parts that I bought, saving me some money. I watched them do the job. It was easy; they put it on the lift, took off the wheels, and used an impact wrench to take off the bolts connected to the strut. The steering knuckles were left attached. I think that the whole thing was done in an hour by the two guys working on it. I felt like an idiot.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

northern piper
04-12-2010, 08:03 PM
the end links are easy. the hardest part is detaching the nuts that hold onto the strut and the sway bar. They're usually corroded and need some coaxing. Use lots of pb blaster. Once they're off, the new ones get put in. Pretty simple job.

wiswind
04-13-2010, 06:27 PM
I was lucky with my '96 windstar........needed new sway bar links.....but the sway bar bushings are still original and in good shape after over 220K miles.

spugeddy
04-14-2010, 08:44 AM
I think I am going to try to links, and see it that solves it.

I'll post pics, or DIY of it if I am successfull.

northern piper
04-14-2010, 03:01 PM
wow those are some bombproof sway bar bushings! I average about 25k on the ones I have! We must have even lousier roads than I thought!

wiswind
04-14-2010, 07:57 PM
I think it also depends on the replacement bushing that you get.
My '96 could have 1 of 2 different diameter sway bars.......VERY close in size.....so if you get the wrong size......they won't last.
Also.....it depends on the material used to manufacture the bushing.......some are better than others.

The other thing that I read.
You do NOT want to use oil or oil based grease on the bushings, as that will soften (break down) the bushing material.
You use a silicone based lubricant.......I was given Motorcraft "Mini-Vent Window Lube" when I gave them the Ford Specification number that I got from the alldata manual instructions for the sway bar link bushing replacement.
That stuff is SUPER slippery.

Those 3 reasons are enough to make me leave good OEM bushings alone......my luck....I would spoil a good thing.

spugeddy
04-18-2010, 06:58 AM
I bought the Moogs and am going to put them on today. I'll post later.

One link had the grease fitting lubed, but the other side looked dry.

Should I try to top it off with the silicone?

spugeddy
03-05-2011, 06:45 PM
I attached a grease fitting to the sway bar links and added some grease.

The clunking I was getting from these new links has gone away.

Windstartled
07-29-2012, 11:16 PM
if you aren't doing any tie rods than the alignment isn't necessary really. If you're doing the sway bar bushings and end links, the next thing is your lower control arms and tie rods. You may be looking at doing the whole thing. That's what I did last year and then got the alignment done. I was of the impression that within 6 months I'd be likely doing the rest anyway so while I had things apart..

How the f... did you manage to push the rear segment of the control arm into the bracket on the subframe? I just spent 4 hours trying to push, coax, kick, pry, hammer the dang bushing into the bracket but it just won't go and I'm just about to blow up! :banghead:

It looks as if one end of the bolt tunnel inside the bushing is protruding slightly on the left side. My first thought was to grind off the offending protrusion but thought I'd check in here first in case I'm missing something obvious, wouldn't be the first time. They are Moog units in case that's relevant.

BTW I just mailed your DVD, my memory was already lousy when I was 20 so imagine at 49 :redface:

northern piper
07-30-2012, 06:43 AM
thinking back about when I did my LCAs I know the fitment issue did come up. I recall installing the rear attachment point first, then hauling on it to get the front lined up. Then it was the "simple" task of attaching to hub area. I know it's a bit of a struggle but it does go, assuming the bracket hasn't been bent in some way..


oh, thanks for the dvd! I"ll keep my eyes open!

np

Windstartled
07-30-2012, 09:32 PM
thinking back about when I did my LCAs I know the fitment issue did come up. I recall installing the rear attachment point first, then hauling on it to get the front lined up. Then it was the "simple" task of attaching to hub area. I know it's a bit of a struggle but it does go, assuming the bracket hasn't been bent in some way..

I got the bastardhttp://www.opeonthenet.com/phpBB2/images/smilies/icon_025.gif

Took me all day, working in stifling heat and guzzling about 14 bottles of water (they were small bottles), not exactly the type of vacation I had in mind. Turns out that the best method of doing this is to partially engage the rear bushing in its bracket, then insert the big front bushing and insert the pin, which can only be pushed from the back. Not that easy having to poke around in that small opening in the subframe. Once the front bushing is securely pinned I noticed that the rear one seemed to be much more willing to enter the bracket when I lifted the arm from the balljoint end. In order to have both hands free I went to CT and bought a tiny hydraulic jack for ten bucks, put it on a block underneath the arm and pushed it up very gradually while tapping lightly on the arm with a dwarf hammer. When the height was right it popped in by itself. :)

northern piper
07-31-2012, 06:35 AM
I've always been of the impression that if you can't swear for 15 minutes straight without repeating yourself then you shouldn't be doing auto repairs...


glad you got it done!

Windstartled
07-31-2012, 11:41 PM
I've always been of the impression that if you can't swear for 15 minutes straight without repeating yourself then you shouldn't be doing auto repairs...


glad you got it done!

The upgrade yielded interesting results. Visually the most obvious change is that the front of the van now rides a full 5 inches higher than it used to and the vehicle is now perfectly horizontal. Goodbye low-rider and good riddance Since the strut assembly is the same height as the old one I can only surmise that the front springs on the old ones were terminally sagging under load. Another major improvement: that annoying camber is also gone, front wheels are now perfectly vertical. This is a widespread issue with 99-03 Winnies and now I'm convinced that the culprits are the lower arm assembly and more specifically the ball joint, both of mine were shot

Road test #1 was dissapointing, as soon as I hit about 10 mph a horrible grinding noise emanating from the right front wheel became apparent (the whole street could hear it). Back to my driveway, jack up the passenger corner, put the van in neutral, spinned the wheel by hand and sure enough chirp....chirp....chirp every second or so. Turns out the soft metal rotor shield had been slightly bent at the bottom during my project and was dragging against the rotor's edge. Pushed the shield back with a screwdriver, problem gone.

Road test #2 was much better. Just saying that the van handles better would be quite an understatement. I would say the handling is what Ford meant it to be when they redesigned the platform in '99 around a light truck frame instead of a car like the 95-98 models were. The result not surprisingly is that it handles like a mid-size SUV. You sit higher and the suspension is a bit on the firm side (when compared with a car or first-generation Winnie) but very stable on bumpy roads.

Gone are the metal clunks so now at last I can hear the mysterious muffled thuds many minivan owners complain about regardless of which brand/model they are driving. I am 99% convinced these come from the strut mount bushings and that the reason we minivan owners complain more about it is because we are almost sitting on the dang front wheels and there is not enough distance between the strut tower and the passenger cabin to dampen them properly. This low-level noise is not accompanied by any harshness so most people don't noticed them anymore, but me' I now hear them in almost any car I happen to be riding in.

northern piper
08-01-2012, 10:59 AM
5 inches!!??

wow that's a ton of height (or loss thereof) I'm sure your van rides much better now. Good job!!

Windstartled
08-02-2012, 08:07 AM
5 inches!!??

wow that's a ton of height (or loss thereof) I'm sure your van rides much better now. Good job!!

Yes, 5 inches. I knew front end was riding low so I took measurements before and after, but no measurements were needed to notice that spectacular growth. The ride is stellarly improved and with the center of gravity pushed further back it handles very well, even though I haven't had the alignment done yet. Just waiting 'til after I fix the brakes tomorrow if it's not too hot. I noticed one of the front brakes was dragging slightly but when I took the caliper apart I saw that the pistons' boots had disintegrated. Depressing the brake pedal caused one one of the pistons to pop out and brake fluid came out gushing, not good.

sexy2014
03-01-2016, 11:19 PM
yes was trying to find out once you put on your new struts, why will it be making the squeeking noise? it wasn't making noise while the old ones was on there

scubacat
03-02-2016, 12:49 AM
When do you hear the squeak? Over bumps or when you turn the steering wheel?

sexy2014
03-02-2016, 01:44 PM
both, it even make noise like when you slow down to turn in driveway and also it squeeks when you get out of car from the passenger side

scubacat
03-02-2016, 02:10 PM
It could just be a bad strut. One of the ones I replaced on my car squeak and make some noise when I first start out driving but it goes away after a little while. There's probably a seal inside that's not properly lubricated and maybe some of the oil gets on it after some movement.

If you bounce that corner of the van manually does it still do it? If so, it's probably the strut.

phil-l
03-03-2016, 09:41 AM
It might not be the strut. I've seen the squeak problem in my Windstar - it ended up being the passenger side ball joint. Yes, just bouncing the van slightly by hand could make it squeak.

The ball joint doesn't have a grease fitting (few vehicles do this these days) - but working a grease gun needle under the boot worked fine for me - no more squeak.

sexy2014
03-03-2016, 11:25 AM
ok thanks but its a monte carlo but I can check the ball joint or like you said it could be just a bad strut and yes it squeaks when you bounce that side, someone said it could be my tires, is that so

scubacat
03-03-2016, 03:25 PM
I would suggest reposting your question to the monte carlo forum. This forum is for the Ford Windstar minivan, and any advice we give here would probably be irrelevant.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=114

smata67
03-03-2016, 07:26 PM
It is so inexpensive (about $60), easy to accomplish, and so compelling the results that both the sway bar links and bushings should be replaced whenever any front end work is performed or about every 50K. I have had both Moog and Mevotech product there and, quite frankly, the Mevotech product is the way to go. If you go to their parts selector, they actually have two different sized bushings depending on your sway bar diameter, so mike your bar and get the exact size needed. Their sway bar link, like the Moog, has a grease fitting. But the Mevotech's superiority rests in how the joint itself is protected. The Moog has a rubber "skirt" that you can flip the other way and expose the joint. It is not sealed. The Mevo's boot, if you look closely at the pictures, is sealed at both ends (on the rod side with a wire spring), protecting the joint from water and dirt that can get into it. There is a small hole in that blue rubber skirt that begins to bleed out the grease as the boot swells when you fill it. I have an Avalon I just put these on which also has this design. The Mevo bushings for that vehicle were also made in the USA by RAMCOA or something like that, which also makes the Moog bushings.

12Ounce
04-10-2016, 06:41 AM
I replaced my struts with Monroe quick struts last fall. Boy did those things squeak like crazy when they were new. They squeaked over bumps and they squeaked when turning the steering wheel. They definitely sounded more like old shocks than my old shocks did. After use, they did quiet down. Overall, though, I am not impressed.

I, also, am not so impressed with the Monroe product. Does anyone offer an opinion on the Gabriel brand? ...other brands?

scubacat
04-10-2016, 12:11 PM
I tried KYB and monroe. There's a lot of negativity toward Gabriel on various Internet forums.

I have learned that only OEM are actually built to the manufacturer's specs, both for longevity and HOW they work for stability control. After my 3rd swap, I gave up and went back to OEM. Same for the back shocks. What really bugs me is that the motorcraft weren't that much more expensive, and came with new hardware, too. (nuts, bolts, bump stop and boot). You do have to swap over the spring, but it's such a huge improvement in performance. It's been over a year and still working great.

Others seem to like the quick struts, but in my experience, 6 months or so later the van is bouncing around as if they're not even there. I'd be interested to hear from someone whos had them on over a year.

scubacat
04-10-2016, 12:19 PM
Note: for motorcraft struts, Ford calls them "shock absorbers", so when you look for them on rockauto or wherever, they're lumped in with the "Shocks" category. I wonder how many people miss that and think they're not available.

Stealthee
04-10-2016, 12:57 PM
While not a Windstar I put Monroe quick struts on my 07 Grand Prix and have zero complaints a year later.

12Ounce
05-05-2017, 11:34 AM
DISCOVERY OF OLD ANNOYING NOISE SOURCE

Mind you, I can't be very proud for finding it...it took so long. It's been with me for a very long while I worked all around the solution. I've recently replaced the Monroe Quik-Struts, steering rack, links and bushings, engine and tranny supports, etc, etc. This work wasn't devoted to the noise, it was just needed on my old (450K miles) 1999. But as I added more and more new parts, stiffening everything as I went, the noise went from being "barely noticeable" to "annoying"!

So it became time to do some serious searching: I had the wife move the steering wheel back and forth, a small angle ... with wheels on dry pavement and engine idling. Tranny in P, and brakes fully on ... I peered underneath with a powerful penlight looking for looseness in the various twisting connections. It was easy to find: the spot welds connecting the sway bar bracket to the sub-frame had broken free. The bracket was doing a dance against the sub-frame on the driver's side.

Now to do some welding....

phil-l
05-05-2017, 11:59 AM
Good find!

Can you post some pics of exactly how the joint failed? My '00 is still just under 200K miles - but I worry about things like this happening to my Windstar, and want to check potential trouble spots.

scubacat
05-05-2017, 05:39 PM
DISCOVERY OF OLD ANNOYING NOISE SOURCE

Mind you, I can't be very proud for finding it...it took so long. It's been with me for a very long while I worked all around the solution. I've recently replaced the Monroe Quik-Struts, steering rack, links and bushings, engine and tranny supports, etc, etc. This work wasn't devoted to the noise, it was just needed on my old (450K miles) 1999. But as I added more and more new parts, stiffening everything as I went, the noise went from being "barely noticeable" to "annoying"!

So it became time to do some serious searching: I had the wife move the steering wheel back and forth, a small angle ... with wheels on dry pavement and engine idling. Tranny in P, and brakes fully on ... I peered underneath with a powerful penlight looking for looseness in the various twisting connections. It was easy to find: the spot welds connecting the sway bar bracket to the sub-frame had broken free. The bracket was doing a dance against the sub-frame on the driver's side.

Now to do some welding....

Nice. Do you mean part the U-clamp bolts to? That's crazy.

I'm about to have a shop do the steering rack for me next week. These things were a lot easier in the south, but now in the rust belt, everything gets rust-welded together and you need a torch for every other fastener it seems. I literally could not break the jam nut free on the tie rod end last week! I had a wrench and beat it with a sledge hammer and it didn't even budge! Crazy.

12Ounce
05-05-2017, 06:05 PM
Yep, the part that the U-clamp bolts too. There is no rust whatsoever involved in this instance. (You are welcome to move down, if you wish ... though I love Chicago also.)

Comparing the welds on this broken sub-frame to a newer replacement ... the welds are awfully few and small. On the newer sub-frame the welds are complete in length and are very heavy. Makes me wonder about the more important welds on the old part.

12Ounce
05-06-2017, 02:16 PM
Welding complete. CLUNKING/THUMPING GONE! Steering and handling more precise now. My ride is back!

scubacat
09-21-2017, 03:59 PM
Yep, the part that the U-clamp bolts too. There is no rust whatsoever involved in this instance. (You are welcome to move down, if you wish ... though I love Chicago also.)

Comparing the welds on this broken sub-frame to a newer replacement ... the welds are awfully few and small. On the newer sub-frame the welds are complete in length and are very heavy. Makes me wonder about the more important welds on the old part.

Welding complete. CLUNKING/THUMPING GONE! Steering and handling more precise now. My ride is back!

Congrats! Nice work. I lived in Atlanta for 20 years (am a GT alum) but left a few years ago. Had to sell my house in Peachtree Corners. I still am in town every few months or so.

Our 02 is still going strong. A shop rebuilt the transmission for $1750. Only took 3 attempts but it's been driving beautifully for months now. The new rear axle has quieted things down in the back substantially, too.

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