Front end popping/clunking sound ??

Ok, Paul and David heard this sound yesterday on my cobra. If you are backing out of a driveway or any incline and have the wheels turned hard to the right, when you are backing up, makes a popping grinding sound from the front right. Paul and david both thought it might be a tire rubbing, but after a brief inspection, didn't see anything. After talking with brother, he said he heard it as well except that the car wasn't rolling when he did it. He suggested that there might be a bearing in bind somewhere, either on the front A-arms or something like that.

My questions, has anyone had an older mustang and experienced this sort of thing and know what it is??

Might check the inner and outer wheel bearings where they bolt to the front spindle. You can usually see if they are loose by jacking up the front tire and trying to move it top to bottom back and forth. If it wiggles or makes the noise the bearing needs replaced or tightned. You could also sheck the front strut and possible ball joint or outer tie rod end. That is about all that it could be if not rubbing =

BUSHINGS!!! possibly a bad pushing on the front A-Arms. They make a new A-ARM poly Uerithane kit for your car. Stage3 has it.

Just a thought

the same as the top and......check the lower ball joint or that top onion were it pops out on top of the strut. also check the sway arm bushings. last thing... check the engine cradle bolts. you never know.

yep there isn't much else it could be.....unless of course your wheel fell off and that would absolutely cause grinding while backing out of your driveway. i know i know stfu

Might as well check the muffler bearings while I'm under there, lol. Thanks guys for the tips. Will check all of those next time I can get under it.

Paul, how free are you next sunday?? Tech Day??

Did the front fall off?

you can get one from theses guys. i had 2 on my old 91 coupe mustang. works great.

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10

Have to look at it again. ... I'll have to see what's up this weekend. I have a feeling Momma is going to want some Family time.

ewwwww

Jerry.. I have the very same noise in my 02 and I found it to be the caster camber plate on the passenger side. It starts to come loose a little from time to time and it doesnt look loose because of the spring under it. If you have adjustable plates on the car go check them to see if they are at all loose. It doesnt take much at all for the force on that strut to move a plate if it starts to get loose at all.

Thanks, brent. Going to take it and get a 4 wheel alignment done and have them check that as well.

TOP STRUT BEARINGS

Do you speak from experience, or is this another guess??

It could just be a fart? Did you eat chili before the popping noise started? I know bumps make them pop out every now and then.

I had a popping sound like that, or what I imagine yours sounds like. After a little bit more driving the 'shaft' (input funny joke) on the strut broke. I replaced the struts and no more popping sound! Do you have caster/camber plates on yours? If so you might want to check those too as mentioned above...

the car has the stock suspension on it.

03.sonicblue wrote:the car has the stock suspension on it.

hmm.. Then yours may be a strut or something like that. Could just be as simple as needing a tie rod end lubed. Normally as new as your car is you wont have too many things like that going on. I would lean more towards a faulty strut or something binding..

Im not sure where to look. I am going to take and get a four wheel alignment and balance done. going to have them look over the front end while its in there and see if they find anything. Seems to drive OK and only does it when backing, never had it do it while in forward motion (at least its not as noticable going forward)

my 07 does the same thing,top strut breanings.

^^^^
Who's that? New member??

Thanks Tony, welcome back to the forums

thats two for the top strut bearings, think I will start there.

start there. you mean you still haven't checked to make sure you wheel was still on like i said. man that's dangerous to drive around like that .

for real though i figured you wou'd've at least started to knock off some of the possibilities by now.

Its just a matter of time and having the space and the tools to do it. really need a bigger garage than mine, one like Pauls would do nicely. However, I do have a fridge full of frosty beverages, if anyone wanted bring over a jack and some jack stands.

Are strut bearings something I need/can replace? If so where do I get new ones.

Well you can bring it to my work and have them do an alignment check and figure out your problem, then you can go fix it yourself :) I work at Hibdon right off the Creek on Memorial. Cant miss it!

that would be great if you could, when do you work? I will bring it by Friday or Saturday if you will be around. I live a mile and a half away and was going to bring it by there over the weekend. Knowing someone there makes it that much better.

Jeremy...you not going to school?

I work Friday and Saturday.

Nope Jarrod, Im taking a semestor or two off. It kind of sucks but some stuff came up so I had to move back. Ive just been working a whole bunch since then.

Jerry, I think my cobra was doing the same thing. If i remember they said it was slack in the drive train like the driveshaft and it was normal. They said it happens in first but not really noticable but it was really noticeable in reverse. I could be wrong

I dont think that is what it is in this case. Really feels like something in the front, sometimes it can even be felt in the steering wheel, just depends on the angle of departure from inclines.

Going to run it by Jeremy this afternoon after work and see what they can find. Just want to make sure nothing is going to fall of before we head to Branson next weekend.