i have that annoying clunking in the front end, both left and right side, and when going over uneven pavement it fells like my swaybar is dancing a jig banging around. now here is the thing, i dont know if its the sway bar, but i have a new set of aftermarket links, and bushings to replace. they look like they have never been replaced before, but they also dont look like they are bad. they still could be.
i have been looking for some tips, and instructions on replacing these but was not able to find any for 8th gen. links are pretty straight forward, but the issue is the lower nut. its so tight there behind the control arm that i can hardly get in there, and when i loosened it up, it just keeps spinning but is not unscrewing. i will try a pair of Vise grip pliers to hold on the other side as there is no place for a wrench to get in there. the new links i have do have a nut on the back side to be held. just a stupid OEM design on old links.
My bigger problem are the bushings on the sway bar. these are in such a tight space and are accessed through the wheel well, and kind of hard to unscrew the mounting bracket. anyone done this before? anyone has some tips on how to do this without shrinking ones arms to squeeze in there. this clunking is driving me nuts, and i want to slap these new bushings in there and see if it stops. links are worn out, but still don`t look that bad. dealer examined the ball joints and said they are good. i thought strut mounts are shot, but took the towers out, they are pretty decent.
one thing i am affraid off is the bushings on the control arm being bad, and dont want to do that job of replacing those. anyone had to replace these because of clunking in the front?
i know that its usually caused by bad links, or bushings on the sway bar, but on explorer there are apparently 5 different things that can cause this, or all of them together, or a combination of them.
btw, for you who will say i have bad strut mounts, i dont, replaced with new monroe ones that are supposed to be better than OEM, still clunking.
thanks