[timeagain]

I originally posted this in the GT section, thus I'm posting in the V6 section since my Mustang is not a GT, although this problem appears to be relevant to all newer Mustangs. I'd be interested to here others thoughts on Mustang front end suspensions. My thoughts below.

I have an 06 Mustang V6 with 5000 miles on it. I have this same clunking noise, primarily from the right front side. I took it to the dealer and they replaced the right front strut. This made no difference, clunk is still there. The service advisor wrote on the paper work that "some clunk noise is normal". This is crap. I've had cars with 180,000 miles on them that don't make front end noises. After reading this forum, I believe it's a design problem. When watching Ford Mustang commercials they should have a warning regarding clunking noises coming from front ends, like pharmicutical companys warn of side affects from presciption drugs.

[06 Slvr Bullitt]

I've had my Mustang since August of '06 and I'm pushing close to 8,000 miles and so far I haven't experienced any clunking noise. I say take it back to the dealership and keep taking it back until they take a serious look underneath the car to see what's wrong, especially since it's still under warranty.

[MarkAT]

I get the clunking noise at times too. It depends on the surface I'm driving on. It's light but it's there. It is endemic to the type of front end the Mustang uses. I've heard it in other cars with McPherson Strut front ends. It's a little annoying, I agree, but Ford didn't work on deadning it like some other manufacturers. The Lincoln quiets it down real nice but it also is a much more expensive car.

Mark

[06SatinSilverV6]

i have about 5k miles on mine now and no unusual front end noises. hey just a thought i am a chrysler mechanic and we see alot of sway bar bushing and endlink problems. when these go, especially the bushings, they have excessive play between the bushing and the bar itself causing it to klunk, and sounds like the front end is gonna fall out. just some food for thought, and i agree especially with low miles that shouldnt have happened, but **** happens.

[whtstdhrse]

follow ford tsb-07-18-02-I have done my own and two others.good fix.replace w/2008 upper strut mounts.

[stlwagon]

Can almost guarantee it's the vertical sway bar link. The nuts tend to loosen over time.

[FYouGitive]

Originally Posted by stlwagon

Can almost guarantee it's the vertical sway bar link. The nuts tend to loosen over time.

I have a Steeda front bar (still sitting on my workbench) whose instructions say, "Be sure to use Loctite™ RED ... " on those nuts. I think that's a little extreme, and am planning to use BLUE with new "single-use" locknuts on assembly.

Previous installations, even with new locknuts have worked loose a bit. Of course, throwing the car around in an autocross may contribute to that.

The strut-to-body nuts seem to work loose, too.

I'd not been able to do the link nuts to proper torque. The manual says (approximately) "DO NOT LET THE THREADED LINK ROTATE AT ALL. USE THE IMMOBILIZER FEATURE (10mm hex on the end of the threaded part)." Well, no matter how deep or shallow your socket, on a regular torque wrench you can't torque and immobilize simultaneously.
http://bradbarnett.net/service_man/C...loded_View.pdf
http://bradbarnett.net/service_man/C...ilizer_Bar.pdf
I found the answer was "crowfoot", an open-end wrench that extends from the torque wrench's drive lug, and lengthens the torque arm by about ¾ inch.

Now I just need to find out where the force point is in the shank of my old-but-good "clicker" Craftsman torque wrench, so I can figure out what smaller torque reading is equivalent to 85 lb/ft (148 for the strut nuts).