Weird clang in front end. Help.

[Charles Sullivan]

A few days ago I took my '02 to the dealer to correct the "ranger lean" I have the ford extended warranty. They relaced both rear springs with new ones, and i suspect they tweaked the torsion bars. At any rate it sits level and didn't cost me anything. However, it has picked up a new problem since they worked on it. Very quite on smooth roads and on most road bumps(installed new Monroe Reflex shocks before they replaced springs) but when you hit a washboard surface or pothole I get a metallic clang with every bounce of the front wheels. It's from the left side I think. At first I thought it was a loose shock-but could not find any thing there or anywhere else that I thought could be the culprit. Could this be ball joints (44000 miles)? I feel nothing unusual in the wheel. Any ideas before I take it back to the dealer?

 

[Jim Dolinski]

Does it make the noise if you have the brake pedal ingaged ? could be a loose caliper or pad ?

 

[FlipTrac_511]

Is it a metallic "clang" with reverberation or just a "clack"?



After Goodyear aligned my Trac and installed their camber kit, the upper control arms, where the kits are installed, started making this metal to metal "clack". It's now become become an annoying squeek everytime the front axle hits a speed bump, but when I spray it with a bit of WD40 the squeeking gives way to "clacking". I plan on tightening the bolts in the affected area.

 

[Charles Sullivan]

The brakes are not engaged when the noise occurs. It is a metal to metal "clack" rather than a clang I guess. It does not sound like a loose body part. I'll take a look at the control arms. Thanks

 

[FlipTrac_511]

The manager at an alignment shop pointed out that the upper control arm bushings were shot and concluded that was the culprit of my front end squeek and metal on metal "clacking" noise. Do your bushings looked cracked?