i hear a hollow sort of clunk from what seems like driver's side rear. it was really noticable when there was plowed snow packed parking lots and going parking lot speed or slower. also 20-30mph over patches. i hear it also, but much less, over a thoroughly bumpy road (blacktop with 4-5 years of neglect and 1,000's of cars a day). dealer hears it, just backing out of the dealer's garage to go for a ride with the mechanic, the little drop-off/bump between the cement of the garage floor and outside area you could easily hear it. then we did a trip through their lot which was snow packed/plowed and we could hear it all over the place.

1st they thought a blown strut so that was replaced. 2nd they replaced what they referred to as a sway bar bushing, but it looks like they replaced the whole end-link (i wasn't clear that the two terms meant the same thing or not).

still have the noise occasionally on the bumpy roads but we've not had snow the last week so haven't been able to test that way.

i know there is noise when going over bumps or railroad tracks, but i'm beginning to wonder if this isn't "normal". particularly if it's due to cold, below 20 F? i pretty distinctly noticed it 4-5 weeks ago when we did have a cold and snow spell. so maybe this is just how it is under these conditions, but then the mechanic too thought there was a noise.

not sure what else it could be? any thoughts or anyone else with similar?

 

Unfortunately, this is a somewhat-frequently occurring noise on our cars. The prevailing wisdom seems to be rear sway bar bushings, which it sounds like has already been done on your car, or the trunk weatherstripping (see here: https://themustangsource.com/f804/re...6/#post6553727). There's lots of discussion of this in the Warranty & Service Issues area, and my advice is to keep on your dealer until it's fixed. I gave up too easily, thinking it was just part of having a solid rear axle, and now I'm way past warranty without it being fixed.

 

thanks. not sure if creaking is my sound though. more like a clunk almost as if you wrapped a hammer in a couple turns of a bathroom towel and then tapped it against a steel plate. or maybe that hammer on soft wood. i'll search for more. thanks.

 

I'm about 90% sure we're talking about the same noise - it's sort of hollow-sounding? Same one my car has.

 

Clunk = rear sway bar. Either the links and/or bushings. BOTH must be replaced (by Ford, under warranty, of course). You ask above what 'links' are. You have your sway bar which runs parallel to your rear axle (side-to-side) between the rear wheels. It is held in place by two metal rods (links) that connect the sway bar to the chassis, which use bushings between the metal contacts. Try crawling under your car (rear), and bang on the rear sway bar with your fist in various spots...if it's totally solid-sounding, then all is okay. If it 'clunks' or 'vibrates' or does not sound 100% solid, then you have your solution...Ford needs to replace both end links plus the bushings.

 

Hey guys,

I recommend you bring your vehicles in to your Ford dealers and have them checked out. Then, PM me with your VIN, dealer, mileage, full name, and best daytime number so I can escalate this to the customer service manager for your area.

Deysha

 

thanks. good idea about banging on the sway bar with my fist. i wasn't sure if the term bushings mean the same as end-link when they first mentioned replacing the sway bar bushings. to me they are two separate things, like you said cushions between the metal parts are the bushings i know about. i'm clear now. i'll give the dealer a call again. thanks all.