95 zetec ATX. 110K miles
i hear a cluking sound in the rear on some rough streets etc. must be some suspension item
. I'm thinking sway bar links. they seem loose, but the bushings aren't torn or worn to where metal to metal contact would occur. Nothing else looks out of the ordinary, though. What do you think? If I need 'em are these rubber parts available at a typical autozone type place?
Yep, a bad strut can definitely do that. Been there, done that....twice.
Odds are its your sway bar bracket. Most liekly bent.
Do a search in the suspension forum for cures. Easy fix if you just want to order a new bracket. Uninstalling is one bolt
If there's no obvious play in the links, and the struts are not leaking, I would go back to the sway bar bushings theory. I had this problem, drove me and the dealer nuts. I had a little play to slide the bar around but the rubber looked to be in good shape. That little bit of play, under high stresses with the wheels hitting bumps causes a loud thunk of the bar hitting the hard rubber.
Brian
99 SVT
98% sure this sounds like sway bar links. They're cheap and easy to install. I'd also do the front ones soon as well.
Presumably you've already read the
FAQ on this topic.
The FAQ is all well and good, but if the bushings are the cause of his clunk as mine were (and actually had to be replaced twice before the links gave out) the grease is a very temporary fix at best. The bushings have hardened and slightly shrunk. Visual inspection of the bushings will not show that they are bad. You must grab the bar and try to slide it left and right. If you can do so, they are contributing to your noise (perhaps not the only source though).
Links are much easier to inspect. They should be holding the bar tightly at the connection, and they shouldn't show any signs of ripping/cracking/looseness.
Start by inspecting the links. Next check struts for oil leakage (not likely, but easy check and you want to rule it out), then check how the brake lines are run, are any possibly swinging around? If all that checks out and you can slide the bar around, I would be "98%" sure it's the bushings.
Do some more diagnostic work and let us know what you find.
Brian
99 SVT