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Strange knock from underneath

K

KL99SE

New CEG'er
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Messages
23
Location
Aiken, SC
Hey, If any one can help, you guys can. Everytime I make a turn or or go over a bump a sound comes from the front of the car, near the front left tire, that sounds like a "knock". The passengers in the car hear and feel it also which makes me think it could come from the other tire too. And it's not just from making full turns either, sometimes a slight turn of the wheel will cause the knock also. I also tend to notice it when I am slowing down too.

Recently, about a month ago, I had the transmission rebuilt and all four tires replaced. I took the car back up the the tire shop to look at and they test drove it and heard the knock. They inspected everything by looking at all of the connectors, went through and tightened everything and then checked for anything else that could be loose. They came up with nothing. The shop is a very repuatable bussiness and would have no problem taking care of it if it was something that they did/didn't do. As for the transmission, I don't know if anything could be loose there. The car still drives fine and this problem does not effect driveabillity.

Here is some other info about the car that may be important. It is a 99 SE Zetec w/108000 miles. Sorry for it being so lengthy. Hope I gave you enough to work with. Thanks in advance.
 
Thanks for the help. I will check into that. What is it that the sway bars do exactly? Also, is there any urgency to having this repaired?
 
KL99SE said:
Thanks for the help. I will check into that. What is it that the sway bars do exactly? Also, is there any urgency to having this repaired?
Click to expand...

They connect the sway bar, which runs the width of the vehicle, to the strut assembly. You've got such a setup both front and rear. No, there's not really any urgency here, for its unlikely that the sway bar would just divorce itself from either the bar or the strut, but the noise will get old, as you're likely finding out. To give you an idea, you could drive the car without the links, but the car would handle like a drunken sailor.

Its an easy fix -- and cheap, too, so no need to wait too long.
 
Thanks for the help everyone, I will jump on getting it taken care of then. I will let you know how it turns out
 
todras said:
If it's not that then check the lower control arms. Bushings might be shot.
Click to expand...

Indeed. And if you end up doing all of this stuff, might as well do strut mounts and sway bar bushings, for once you pull the LCA's, the alignment will be all out of whack. Might consider the once and done approach, then you only have to make one trip to the alignment shop. All depends on how much you want to spend, and if you're picky or not.
 
Why would the alignment be out? LCA's have no play in them that I can tell. Tie rods when replaced are the only part that causes the alignment to go out AFAIK.
 
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