Grinding noise coming from front end.

T

Terrible Juan

Registered User
My car started making this strange grinding noise in the front end recently, especially when you put the ride control in "auto." Whenever the suspension dips a lot it, does this. It sounds like sandpaper grinding together.

I put the car in "auto" mode with the car running and had someone bounce the car for me. It sounds like the grinding noise is coming from the actual struts when you examine it. Again, this only happens when the suspension dips down really low. Is this a common problem?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
If the sound is more prevalent when it's cold outside, the upper control arm bushings are probably bad - although that sound tends to be more of a creaking/crunching than grinding.
 
If you have had an SC for a while we refer to it as the "Winter Scrunchies" My 90 SC only did it when it was cold out and was fine the rest of the year. I would have it checked in case it is some bushings that are worn.
 
99GSXR750 said:
If the sound is more prevalent when it's cold outside, the upper control arm bushings are probably bad - although that sound tends to be more of a creaking/crunching than grinding.
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Yea, it difinitely makes more noise when its cold outside. Is this the bushing that you can see when look at the top of the front tire from the side of the car? Mine are completely destroyed.
 
Juan, I don't think you can see the bushings too well because they are tucked back in where the UCA bolts to the frame. Maybe your ball joint boot is ripped?
 
S_Mazza said:
Juan, I don't think you can see the bushings too well because they are tucked back in where the UCA bolts to the frame. Maybe your ball joint boot is ripped?
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The bushings that I can see above my front tire are completely destroyed (red arrow). Is that what would make the crunching noise, or is it the ones with the blue arrow?
 

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The blue arrow is pointing to the bushing and this is where the scrunching noise usually comes from. The red arrow is pointing to the ball joint cover. When the cover cracks and the ball joint becomes exposed to dirt, air, and water, it starts to grind itself down. This is where clunks and rattles will come from. You don't want to let that go on for too long as the ball joint can eventually separate and cause you some grief.
 
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Terrible Juan said:
The bushings that I can see above my front tire are completely destroyed (red arrow). Is that what would make the crunching noise, or is it the ones with the blue arrow?
Click to expand...

Yes...the cold weather scrunching is caused by worn out upper control arm bushings (blue arrow). Mine looked fine, but replacing the control arm fixed the problem. Your better off just replacing the entire upper control arm assembly. You can get them from Autozone for about $60 each.

David
 
Juan, TBirdSCFan is correct. The red arrow is actually not pointing to a bushing, but rather a rubber boot covering your upper ball joint.

I think the crunch is from an OEM design flaw. I think some people had the crunch long before the bushings could be called worn out.

I just bought a Motorcraft UCA from Five Star Ford (Dan Newman) (www.fordpartsHQ.com) for $65 or so. I love the fact that they make the OEM parts price-competitive with the parts stores. Every dealership in my area seems to charge way above retail and say most things are a special order.
 
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