CalStang'07

Taco Bill: Okay our CalStang just turned one this month. We just love this 5-speed GT/CS!! But we do not love the factory clunky sounds or the slop in the drive train, when changing or shifting gears! I have driven sticks all my life and have somehow learned to drive it so smoothly that I don't even think about or have that anymore. But when I let a Mustang friend or one of my sons drive it around, all the clunking is back again. Because they are just not used to the S197's drive train. When this happens to them, they say things like "What was that?"or "Did I break it?". It can be just a little bit embarassing to explain all of it to them, to say the least! so I would really like to try to tackle this one and fix it if I can!!

So my question for our Mr. Bill and for all our drive train guru's is. What have you all done to quite this problem down and to make it sound like a new GT/CS Stang should? I know that some of this has been kicked around before, but not as a total solution fix!

I've had and wrenched on stick shift cars and Stangs for over thirty years now and have never encountered sounds like this in a new ride! Got to believe that it might be a combination of the wonderful two-piece drive shaft, the light weight control arms, the very soft arm bushings, and a very thin and flexible upper control arm and soft bushing. Plus that the 5-speed tranny which has always been known to be a little clunkyness in itself!

Also. Being an old Design Engineer, I've got to believe that the lack of good floor insulation back there, does not help this sound problem! Plus with such soft rear suspension bushings, the control arms pivot bolts, may just be thumping the mount points on the body, each time you shift and release the clutch a little too quickly? Then the body could act as a big sound speaker to ampify these noises? Those are my possible ideas on this drive train noise problem. Where to start on this quest for quiteness?

Do we start with the upper control arm and a bushing replacement and work our way down to new lower units too? Then move on to a quality aftermarket one-piece driveshaft to fix this noise? Maybe some firmer motor mounts too? What worked for you Mr. Bill or for you out there gang? Has anyone yet made this noise go completely away in their own 5-speed S197? Really want to here everyone's own fix thoughts on this problem!

Hah. My own Son the High performance Stang builder says "Just crank it up on the GT/CS's 500 sound system Pop" And also. "The problems are all gone when pulling above 4000 RPM!" All ideas are welcomed. Hope I have not opened up a big Pandora's Box on this subject!! Thanks. Here we go!! CalStang

letnan

I get the same problem with mine but it does not cluck if I shift at 2800 rpm or better wish I had an answer for it too.

2k7gtcs

I was experiencing some of the same. Just a general klunky looseness in the rear. Not the diff mind you but obviously in some bushing or something. My car is lowered with springs and and new shocks/struts but it seemingly got worse especially on those 1-2 shifts it just felt a little klunky. Last night I installed BMR relo brackets for my lower springs and the Steeda billet LCA's. Today the problem is solved. It's disappeared. I guess it was partially the LCA but I realy think it was the bushing at each end. The car is tight but not to much NVH. Also put in a MGW shifter and thats way better too. I did not touch the upper 3rd link as many do, but I think its perfect right now. So I'd say LCA's, everyone does it, and I can finaly attest it is necessary and I should have done it sooner.

CalStang'07

Thanks: Nice to here of a satisfied Stang owner on this drive train clunking problem!! Enjoy getting good feed back. Great help for deciding about ordering some new pieces, for the coming winter tear down/upgrades. Believe that installing the BMR lower control arm relocation brackets, might be a very good upgrade along with the tighter bushings lower control arms. When shifting, this has to be helping to control the rear axle's counter rotation forces during the loading and unloading of the torque loads! This by moving the mounting leverage point farther away from the center of on this problem? Thanks! Any others out there who have found their own magic fixes for this problem? Calstang