Metal on metal sound... shocks?

Rick500 · April 9, 2008

I've noticed lately that when I back out of my driveway, at the point where the driveway meets the road (there's a little bit of a dip), I hear what sounds like a metal-on-metal sound as the front tires go over the gutter.

I still have the original shocks, 95k miles, 2002 Explorer XLT 4WD. I'm assuming that's probably the problem, although I haven't noticed that the ride is bad, or any bouncing of the front end or anything.

Any other things to check? (I was quoted over $700 for all four installed... yeesh...)

E.B. Cornburner · April 9, 2008

Most likely it's not the shocks, but a dry sway bar bushing. Mine did the same thing.

There's a simple and almost free fix for these. Get a grease gun with some good waterproof marine grade grease, and a needle grease gun adaptor (usually around 4-5 bucks at any parts store) and jam the needle in between the bar and bushing, and connect your gun to it, and pump it full of grease.

Problem solved.

Rick500 · April 9, 2008

Thanks! I'll definitely give that a try. Much cheaper than shocks.

trucku · April 9, 2008

I had a metal on metal sound when hitting small dips. It turned out to be broken sway bar link. It would bank into the sway bar end when the truck hit bump or rocked left to right.

Good tip on bushing I need to do that. Sound like an creaky old boat when going over speed bumps

E.B. Cornburner · April 9, 2008

Some day if I feel really ambitious, I'm going to drill out a hole in my swaybar bracket all the way thru the rubber bushing, and screw a grease zerk in them. Then if they start to creak again, it'll be easier to lube them.
Although, the needle adaptor does work well too...I had creaky swaybars on my old Durango, and that's when I got the brainstorm to grease them. Better than a year later, they were still quiet.

tower · April 9, 2008

$25 and about 30min (max)

http://store.summitracing.com/partd...907830+4294924642+4294925130+115&autoview=sku

E.B. Cornburner · April 10, 2008

tower said:
$25 and about 30min (max)

http://store.summitracing.com/partd...907830+4294924642+4294925130+115&autoview=sku

I'd get these if I really wanted to improve my handling, but I'm happy with mine as-is. These bushing kits aren't greaseable either, and I know from experience that urethane bushings creak and groan once they get some miles on them. Lots of the Energy Suspension bushing kits are greaseable...That's what inspired me to try greasing the factory ones in the first place. I saw a kit that had zerks right in the brackets.

If I were to buy these, I'd add a zerk to them the same way as I was thinking about doing to my OEMs. I'd want to take a soldering iron and carefully melt a spiral groove in them to allow the grease to flow throughout the whole bushing too. I wouldn't think this would be necessary with the stock ones, as the rubber is soft enough to let the grease ooze everywhere.

Rick500 · April 10, 2008

Darn it, I just had my new Destination A/Ts installed today... I wish I'd remembered to carry a grease gun along; would've saved me a trip under the truck if I'd done it while the wheels were off.

tower · April 10, 2008

E.B. Cornburner said:
I'd get these if I really wanted to improve my handling, but I'm happy with mine as-is. These bushing kits aren't greaseable either, and I know from experience that urethane bushings creak and groan once they get some miles on them. Lots of the Energy Suspension bushing kits are greaseable...That's what inspired me to try greasing the factory ones in the first place. I saw a kit that had zerks right in the brackets.

If I were to buy these, I'd add a zerk to them the same way as I was thinking about doing to my OEMs. I'd want to take a soldering iron and carefully melt a spiral groove in them to allow the grease to flow throughout the whole bushing too. I wouldn't think this would be necessary with the stock ones, as the rubber is soft enough to let the grease ooze everywhere.

To each there own. I have been using polyurethane bushings for many years on many cars and have never had one fail.

Cheap, easy, last a long time (over 100k on the X) and improve handling, for me its a win,win,win.

E.B. Cornburner · April 11, 2008

Mine never really failed, per se, but they did get noisy after a bit. The noise of urethane bushings squeaking is much louder than rubber ones too. At least it was on the car I installed them.

tower · April 11, 2008

For me noisy=fail

Metal on metal sound... shocks?

Rick500

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E.B. Cornburner

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trucku

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tower

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