explorer is making a banging noise in front end

[johnv45]

My Explorer seems to drive ok, but the noise in the front end is getting worst, so I parked it for now. I checked everything under the front end that could. Everthing seems to be tight. But could the ball joints be bad and making all the noise when I go over a bump or man hole cover in the road. It sounds like my spare tire is loose and banging on the fram, except the noise is from the front end????????????????????? john

 

[Black Mammoth]

Did you replace the rotors recently? If you didn't use locktite and lock down the bolt that holds your caliper to the knuckle, it could be your caliper bouncing around. The only thing I can think of is that you have something going bad in your suspension. What that might be, I'm not sure. I'm fairly new to Explorer's.

 

[96ExplorerXLT]

mines banging too, but it sounds more like a metallic banging. It happens when i let off the gas sometimes but touching the gas or tapping the break usually fixes it....anyhting simmilar to yours?

 

[johnv45]

front end nosie

My seems to only make noise when I hid a hole or a man hole cover in the road. It bangs or rattles three or four times until the road is smooth again. When I was checking underneath the caliper did have a little play in it , but not a lot that it would bang or rattle. johnv45 First chance I get I will check the ball joints and take a second look at that caliper.

 

[Black Mammoth]

My seems to only make noise when I hid a hole or a man hole cover in the road. It bangs or rattles three or four times until the road is smooth again. When I was checking underneath the caliper did have a little play in it , but not a lot that it would bang or rattle. johnv45 First chance I get I will check the ball joints and take a second look at that caliper.

The caliper should have NO play at all. It sounds like a bolt (maybe several) is loose. The bolt may look like it is in, but it's really not. Because since the caliper is floating, it can separate between the knuckle and the caliper. If you didn't put locktite on and crank it down hard, I would put money on that bolt.

I should know from personal experience I didn't lock it down with locktite and it worked itself loose. Everytime I went over a bump or on a rough road, I would hear the same thing. It will get worse over time and eventually work itself free. It doesn't hurt to tighten them down to check. You can actually tighten both down without having to jack the car up.

I still stand by the statment that the caliper should NOT move at all. My money is on a bolt that's not tight enough.

 

[Husker_J]

Hey! I have been having the same problem with my 95X. I had both the lower ball joints replaced and saw a BIG improvement. However I was still getting the same noise as you described, I thought it sounds like a loose shock so I took it to my mechanic and he looked the whole front end over and determined that it was a worn tie-rod end. He quoted me 180.00 parts and labor for moog ends(both sides). I am going to get the work done and will let all know if the clunking sound goes away. Also, thanks to you guys I will have him check the caliper bolts as well....MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

[A Wise Guy]

Get ready for a bunch of front end work. Probably upper and lower ball joints to start with.

 

[Commtech]

Another consideration is the Radius Arm Bushings. My X would make a knocking noise when going over speed bumps. I had them replaced with Poly ones and it cleared the knocking. But I have a squeak in them now (I have sprayed WD40 on them and the squeak stops)..

 

[TPLYNCH]

Commtech - Radius Arm Bushings are a '91-94 Ex feature only.

Another piece that clunks on '95+ are the torsion bars. There is a small kevlar patch that wears off on them and you get metal on metal when the torsion bar moves.

 

[johnv45]

Ball joints

Hi: Just got home from work and rolled Eddie out in the drive way and jacked up the front end. Used a crowbar bar under the front tire and had my wife :fire: check for movement when I moved the tire up and down!!!!!!!!!!!! I had about 1/2 inch of movement in each balljoint. HOLLY COW!!(lower ones) At least I know what it is. I waunt do the job myself. I'll post how much it costs me to get it done. Thanks for all the repleys. johnv45

 

[A Wise Guy]

After my warranty replaced the lowers and the front end was quiet for about a day the uppers decided to start banging around. Luckily it was done as a come back so there was not a deductable the second time around.

 

[Eneurb]

Out of all the replies posted, I don't see any mention of stabilizer end links... I may have missed it if it were posted, but they break all the time.

 

[johnv45]

That was one of the first things I checked. I first thought it was the stabilizer bar end links that connect the end of the stabilizer to the frame. The rubber gromets on the top and bottom. But they were in oog shap,nice and tight. johnv45

 

[Ranger Al]

banging noise, I would check the u-joint on the drive line...

 

[Heavymentill]

I know you don't want to hear this but I had the same noise and this is what it was.

\

Busted Flywheel caused my torque converter to bang aginst the bellhousing.
Didn't last long from first sign of noise till total failure. I repaired it myself but this job is not for the mechanically challenged.

 

[Ranger Al]

Whoa! I hope you would check everything that could possibly making the noise first before dropping the the Tranny or crack it open to check the flywheel.

 

[Heavymentill]

You can always take your starter off to gain access just to take a peek using dental mirrors.