Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Rear end clunk!

Also check the nuts on the top of the damper mounts. They have a habit of comming loose allowing the shock to click up and down.

Easy to check and tighten

"V brackets are held on with one bolt" Where???? Center, where the big side to side bushings are held! (Sway bar bushing clamps) Thanks for being specific!

When I push on my rear tire sideways, there is a loose clicking sounds/play. I took wheel off and religned and torqued. Same problem!! I don't here the GGrrrrr sound but I do hear clunking on cornering. Could the rear wheel bearing on corners cause the clunking sound? What else would cause the rear wheel to move a bit as I press sideways on it with my foot??? As always, thanks in advance!!!!!

Sorry I didnt get into specifics in that last post, but what I was referring to was the sway bar U-brackets.

There is one bolt holding the U-brackets to the frame; as a result, weld seem like the only solution when a bigger 22mm sway bar is installed with the STOCK brackets.

I hope this clears up in any confusion.

And you might want to check your rear spring to see if it is broken.

You will physically have to raise the vehicle and remove the wheel in order to see.

I looked up into the spring housing and looked great and does not sit differently then other side and are sitting at the correct height! Thanks for further info.

P.S. How hard is it to get that bolt off! I have already tried just removing the bolt near tire that connects to link. Could not get it to budge. I put liquid wrench "Yellow can" WAited tries!! No success! I am think that the sway bar clamp bolt is going to be harder to loosen. Any advice!

I just purchased this bar and would appreciate any help to get this bar on right the first time.
Thoughts others have given me on this are: 1) the bushings supplied break down easily because the grease-lube doesnt stay put.
2)End link bushings are needed.

Is the fix having the stock brackets welded on or buying the kit from SCA and having those brackets welded on.

On a side note, how is it the 24mm bar is having no problem with the stock brackets but the ProgressTech (SCA) bar is? I assume people will develop problems as the brackets wear under stree. Thoughts?

pssst..pssst.. the "U" brackets are the brackets that hold the sway bar to the body. After market sway bars have been known to bend the stock brackets out of shape. SCA makes a fix for this problem. They give you heavier "U" brackets but you have to weld on new mountings that will allow you to bolt both ends of the new brackets. If you don't do this you may have to live with a "clunky" swaybar. But, don't tell anyone I told you.

i have a 99 SVT with the so-called "odd-sized" gas tank. i had the SCA fix modified to fit by having the part on the driver's side trimmed down so that it would not come into contact with the gas tank. still, it is precariously close when there is a full load in the back seat.

for those suggesting welding the stock brackets, i have one question, and that is that because one would have to weld with bushings in place, whether or not doing so would effectively make the bracket so hot that it would melt the urethane bushings?

- David

so dcl, did it work? is the clunk gone?

ford replaced the driver side bushing so there is no clunk right now until i assume the bushings streches and the back to the same old thing.....

if i didnt like the bar i would say the hell with it and put the old one back on.

shaun g is correct...however the only problem is if you find out you have the odd sized tank. :rolleyes:

well, i had the upgraded U-brackets welded in when i first installed the sway bar . . . so far i've put about 3k miles on my car with the SCA sway bar and have yet to experience the clunk. however, like i said, i have noticed that the upgraded U-bracket didn't fit on the driver's side at first, so i had to have that one trimmed back to avoid contact with the gas tank. however, the tolerance is still very tight, and it comes into close contact when there is a heavy load in the back seat.

i am worried that as the car ages, parts will flex and eventually there will be contact between the gas tank and this upgraded U-bracket piece. therefore i am thinking about going back to the stock brackets and having them welded in place instead so that they won't bend and "clunk". however, i'm worried that if i have the stock pieces welded in place, the welding process it will be a permanent fix, and be too hot for the urethane bushings. any thoughts on this?

- David

With all this mention of "clunking" sounds, I would seriously suggest suspecting the suspension springs. They can break (actually, there is a known problem that Ford will not admit to) and still allow your car to remain at or near stock right height. Jack the car up, remove both rear wheels, and yank on the springs. They should not move in their mounts. If they do, you know they are broken. Even if they do not move, they could still be broken. Because of the design of the springs, it is hard to see the top (where they usually break) to tell if they are still in tact.