So recently I changed the front struts and rear shocks on my wife's ford escape. I used Gabriel ultra struts and shocks. I have always used Gabriel shocks and struts never had any problems with them. Don't care for Monroe they are too stiff. So now I getting a clanking, clunking rattle from front struts. Happens at low speed in parking lots, driving down bumpy roads, turning in and out driveway. Doesn't do it on smooth roads or expressway. I checked the sway bar links, the only play in the links is turning them side to side. Which I think is normal since they should move when turning the wheel. So I right now I'm at strut mounts or the struts. The car rides good just the noise. When I changed the struts, the strut mount from top consist of the the mount, a plastic bearing sleeve or bushing, steel plate that goes on top of spring insulator, then the spring insulator. From my research I found that my mount assembly is missing a rubber bushing that goes on top of spring insulator steel plate. It's not control arm bushing or anything like that. Car didn't make this noise until after changing front struts. Any help would be great.
Ya that's what I was thinking. But you have to buy the whole strut mount. It comes with it. Unforantely they aren't cheap $40 a side not counting taking apart, spring compressor, and front end alignment. Kinda want to be sure.
Are you sure it's not the sway bar links? Very common problem. Pull up and down on the sway bar near each end link and can hear, feel play in the. Make sure weight of vehicle is on the ground when checking. Seems to help
When I put the struts back in the drivers side studs wouldn't line up in strut tower. So I had to turn it. It turned a lot harder than the passenger side. I thinking about just changing both the mounts and sway bar links. Both moog parts. What would you all do? Autozone said they would refund my money if I indeed had to change the struts again. I didn't know but Kyb are recommended oe replacements. The car rides good just the noise.
It's going to be hard to say without looking at it. Struts are not usually noisy on escapes. Did you pull hard on the sway bar? Sometimes it takes some effort to get play out of them.
I'm going to check it out again today. When I get the motivation to go out into the cold. I'm from Michigan and of coarse it bitterly cold out here still.
Ok so I checked it out today again. Checked sway bar links front and back. Pulled as hard as I could on them. I got a steel bar and put it under sway bar on drivers side and pushed up on it. It made a slight clunking sound. Did the same thing on passenger side and it made no noise. Most of my noise when driving comes from drivers side. Checked strut mounts while have my wife turn the wheel from left all the way and right all the way. They were giving no noise. Struts were moving like they should. Popped the hood while she was turning wheel and watched strut mounts them seemed to move freely. I going to replace both front sway bar links. Rock auto has moog sway bar links for $20 a piece.
Also I was wondering if the back ones are known for going bad as well??? They are so inexpensive I was going to change those as well. Thanks everyone for your help.
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