Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting front end clunks

i have a 99 csvt and when i turn the wheel all the way to the left while driving slow or a stand still it makes a weird clunk noise. the p/s pump was supposedly changed by the dealership about 6000 miles ago.i thought maybe it was the pump, but it still makes the damn noise. there is no clicking while i'm driving that i can tell so i don't think it's the cv joint. but i'm no mechanic so i could be wrong. if some has ahd this problem or might no what it is, i would love some input.

maybe an elongated strut mounting hole in the upper strut mount.

To check open the hood, on the top of the left strut tower remove the nut that is inside the metal cup over the top of the strut tower. When you remove the metal cup you'll see a nut below. Turn the wheel from full right to full left. You'll see the struts rocking in side to side in their mounts (they are supposed to rock like that) Watch carefully as the wheel is turned, if the hole is elongated as wheel reaches its steering stop the strut will slide to the other end of the hole.

If the strut mount is worn the only way to change it is to take the entire srtrut/spring assembly out of the car and disassemble the upper mount from the strut/spring assembly. If you don't have experience working with suspension springs and struts I suggest you are very careful since even with the strut fully extended the spring is still compressed about 6".

You may be able to purchase a new mount from your local ford dealer or other parts distributor. Or you can order them through www.batinc.net

My front sway bar rubbed on my subframe for awhile, creating a clunk when the initial contact was created. It would only do it from time to time though, and when I would turn.

Easy to check, turn the wheels and look. I would give you a detailed fix, but when mine got the best of me, I was on a dirt road, out in the middle of nowhere. I stopped, reached under, grabbed the bar and pulled. Hasnt done it since.

thanks for the input guys. i will check both of your ideas as soon as the damn monsoon stops blowing through.