70 mav 302.new upper/lower balljoints,swaybar endlink kit(polyurethane)also new.whenever i hit little rough spots in the road,i hear a ratteling,clunking sound,kind of like when balljoints go bad.upper control bushings and spring perch bushings seem to be good and tight.everything is brand new,so it's got me stumped.i did notice i have some play in the strut rod bushings.(could the rods give off this sound when i hit a bump in the road?i'm starting to run out of ideas,so any help from the suspension experts is greatly appreciated.thanks...chuck. ps autozone has the upper control bushing kit for $10.99 a side,and the strut rod bushing kit for $17.99 a side. p/n for the uppers are cb14,and the p/n for the rod bushing is,fa939.thought i would pass this info along. all parts are rubber.
It's quite likely that your front shock bushings are worn out or the shock bolts are loose (usually the top). Check 'em...
thanks tl for the reply.i guess i should have stated that the shocks were new gabriels .i checked them anyways(top/bottom)everythings tight.
Well, it could be strut-rod bushings, but they would have to be really worn-out to make noise on little bumps in the road like that. They are $40 for both sides and are not hard to install. I got mine at NAPA. The ones at the other popular auto parts stores looked cheesey to me. The ones from NAPA looked the most like OEM. Other than that, it's really impossible to accurately diagnose your problem over the Internet. Obviously there is something loose or worn, and you just need to figure out exactly what it is...
Whenever I had a problem like that, first thing my dad would say is " It's the nut holding the steering wheel" Other then that I can't be of any help
Jack it up, crawl under there and start shaking things around. I've heard those same noises from loose strut rods (don't forget to use a torque wrench to tighten), anti-sway bar links, and shocks.
My monie is on the upper cont bushings, those are the hardest to diagnose cause of the spring pressure and the angle they take when the wheel is hanging. I once read to check them you put a 2x4 under the upper control arm then lift the car so that the arm rests unto the board, then try to move the wheel assym back and forth while closely watching the bushings for movement.(second set of eyes may be helpful). Good luck!
