Strange pop clunk noise from front end??

[slpstell]

my patience is wearing very thin with this.. I changed the front suspension/struts/springs/ball joints/upper strut mounts.. I tightened everything to spec and now when I put the car in drive and stop i get a pop /clunk noise.. when i put the car in reverse and then hit the brakes same noise.. im thinking maybe the upper sway bar end links are the culprit im thinking of changing them out.. also i dont know if other s197s have this problem but when im under the car i can twist the tie rods and they make a clank noise?? any ideas?? the noise in driving me crazy..

[05bluestang]

Sway bar link. I had the same thing, it does not matter what I do (including Loctite) they keep comming loose after a few hundred miles. I made it a point to tighten them every so often...................

[Hotshot]

just like 05bluestang said. I had same issue, its the endlinks on the "dogbone" of the front swaybar. I had the pop after i swapped mine out to a GT500 one, i had it pretty bad for a while. I went to tighten it up and everything was still torqued down properly. over time it has faded to the point where now it pops maybe one every other week. i can live with that.

Try adjusting the swaybar and hopefully you get it fixed

[slpstell]

I was thinking of just getting new ones but idk if that will fix it i cant seem to tighten them good enough... do you have the same play in your tie rod ends?

thanks hotshot im going to try and see what i can do today

[Hotshot]

i didn't really have any play in them at all honestly. at the endlink there was a rubber section that looks like it compressed during the tightening process, thats what i chocked up to the clunk issue but there was no way to make it 100% snug to where it wouldn't clunk. I just made sure it was torqued down to spec, no sense over-torquing and breaking something.

I was thinking that since it went away after a while it had to "settle" but i'm no mechanic, i'm just saying what makes sense to me personally. If you've changed that many suspension components then i believe its still got to be the endlinks at the dogbone connection.

[GBabeStang05]

I have the clunk too! It's either what the people above said or the strut tower mounts. Once I'm home for break my dad's going to officially 'diagnose' mine, but he thinks that's what it is. My suspension and stuff is all only a few months old, the car drives fine I just get that annoying clunk

[infamousjim]

for endlinks you can buy either the new ford revised pieces, or give sam strano a call, he makes his own that are aparently he best in business... (stranoparts.com) The guy is a mustang god, and as long as you'll buy stuff he'll talk to you on the phone about your car for hhhhours

also, is your car lowered? I have once heard about brand new strut mounts giving people problems when cars are lowered (need gt500 or steeda ones)

not sure about play in the tie rod ends... It doesn't sound normal, but next time i go under my car I'll give 'em a tug

I too have a clunk here and there, but my (2nd set) balljoints are already wearing out, autocrossing tears them up very quick, next step is to upgrade to gt500 pieces.

'Jim

[slpstell]

well i only put the gt 500 suspension in with gt 500 uppermounts with moog ball joints, my car isnt lowered at all.. as for the tie rod ends i have no play at all only twist play.. im going to try and see if i can maybe put a washer on each end of the links and tighten the crap out of them and see what happens..

[infamousjim]

i'm not sure i would use washers, Definitely load them up with red loctite though.

[slpstell]

hmm lol idk what to do the noise is so annoying im ready to rip the sway bar out with end links and see if there still is the pop sound.. i can duplicate the noise anytime i like all i have to do is stop and go back and forth and it makes the noise..