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Suspension problems

M

Matt R

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Jun 6, 2004
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Location
Plattsburgh, NY
My car is starting to have some pretty bad suspension problems... it only has 79000 miles, but 8 years of heavy salt on the roads have made a noticeable amount of wear under the car. My problems:
  • Front passenger side, groaning/squeaking. Not sure where it's coming from. When I push down on the side of the car, it makes the sound. Same when I drive over the laptop lip on my driveway.
  • Drivers side front, clicking while backing up and while braking.
  • Drivers side front, clunking when going over bumps.
  • The entire front suspension is just loud in general.
I took my car in to a mechanic, and he tried to tell me one rear and one front spring was snapped, all 4 struts were broken, and the mounts were no good, along with a bad front stabilizer bar (maybe he meant sway bar?). $1400 to fix everything. I got out of there quickly, along with a good laugh in his face.

The rear suspension is nice and quiet, so I'm thinking of the following repairs:
  • Front sway bar bushings. (these are also called end links???)
  • New struts in front.
  • New springs in front.
  • New LCAs in front. (the bushings look worn out)
I'd like to keep this as cheap as possible. Probably new LCAs at the very minimum to make the car feel better. Ideas/comments?

Also, I'd like to try greasing everything to see if that works... where should I be greasing? I'd like a more detailed explanation than "all contact points". That doesn't mean anything when you're staring at the suspension and see a bunch of random parts.
 
If the mech says that 2 springs are snapped, they probably are...this does happen, and I doubt he'd make a claim that's so easily verified unless it were true. This could have trashed your struts and mounts too...

Also, sway bar bushings are NOT the same thing as end links!!! Bushings are the rubber pieces in which the bar pivots, and end links are metal rods that connect the ends of the sway bar to the LCAs.

But if you think you know better than the mech, go for it. Good luck.

*EDIT*
After reading your post again, when the mech said stabilizer bar he meant stabilizer bar. This is synonymous with sway bar and anti-roll bar. As for greasing stuff, I would absolutely not even put any effort into that until you get a second opinion about the "broken" parts if you don't believe the first guy.
 
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The springs don't seem that bad, that's why I don't believe him. It seems like there would be very noticeable problems with 2 snapped springs, like bad braking dive, or tipping to one side, or sagging, or SOMETHING...

I will try to get a second opinion though.
 
Front end links require replacing on a regular basis, especilly if you use the junky OEM Ford parts. The ball joints at each end are way too small for the type of load that they handle. Replace them, but use aftermarket not the Ford crap. They will cost more $$$'s but in the long run you're way ahead.

Unless front end parts have been replaced with non Ford pieces there's no greasing involved. Ball joints and tie rod ends are sealed units. Some aftermarket parts DO indeed have grease fittings, but not the Ford OEM parts.

My 10+ yrs. of experience with these cars is: frt end links make rattling noises when worn; sway bar bushings almost never wear out; springs (frt & rr) do indeed break; & frt A arm bushings need regular replacing (gotta' get a complete assembly). If you need ball joints, don't waste your time replacing them as the rubber bushings in the A arms usually go around the same time and you get new ones with the A arm assemblies. Upper strut mounts/bearings are pretty long lived although they can get buggered up by a tech who's not careful when making a strut/spring change.

I won't bother discussing the rr because you've said it's quiet/OK.
 
Ok so I'll go with the front end links, and LCAs. What's the best site online for those, BAT? (they have a newer "light alloy" version of the SB links... worth the extra $8.50?) If that doesn't do it, then I'll move on to springs/struts. I'm guessing springs/struts are like brakes or tires... always replace in pairs?

I'll also try taking it to my mom's work, she's a bus driver, and they have 7/8 mechanics over there. Those guys are good enough they can tell what needs fixing just by a specific sound.

Bradness, thanks for the answer, that's exactly the info I was looking for.
 
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