Front End Clunking Over Bumps

[Mtredneck]

2015 Ford Explorer XLT 3.5L V6, Everything stock.
I'm the third owner and bought this from an owner who lived on county gravel roads so I know it got plenty of washboard and rough roads in it's first 100k.

I get a pretty decent clunk that sounds like maybe the front right side when I hit any minor potholes. Distinct clunk with rebound clunk a couple times. I read forums and confirmed my suspicion of likely sway bar noise, maybe tie rod, or sway bar links.
Since I want a stable front end for wife and kids I just swapped out inner and outer tie rods, sway bar links, sway bar bushings...still getting the clunk. All parts replaced showed wear enough that it was a good call to replace for regular service. Also had a twang when steering hard back and forth so I replaced both front strut assemblies. That solved the twang sounds, but still have the clunking when hitting any pot hole.

Zero play in the wheel when I check wheel bearings and ball joints (done this a few times because I want to blame ball joints). Read some more and decided engine mount is suspect, so I changed the front right engine mount tonight...still getting the clunk.

I'm running out of ideas on the cause here. I removed that transmission cooling intake doohickey underneath just to see if that possible was the cause, but the clunk is deep enough it sounds very much like a suspension issue. The fact if I rock the car even fairly slowly (10mph) through a pot hole I get this 3 or 4 clunks back, I keep thinking suspension. I took a hard look at the lower control arms with their rubber bushings and can't see anything suspect, and cant get any play on them when I mess with em.

At this point I feel the only things left are the second motor (transmission mount), control arm bushings, or ball joints that are currently passing my checks.

What am I missing on this damn clunking?

 

[peterk9]

Using the 'Search' feature I found several threads on "clunks" including this one. Front end clunk - bushing failure?

Peter

 

[Tazoez]

2015 Ford Explorer XLT 3.5L V6, Everything stock.
I'm the third owner and bought this from an owner who lived on county gravel roads so I know it got plenty of washboard and rough roads in it's first 100k.

I get a pretty decent clunk that sounds like maybe the front right side when I hit any minor potholes. Distinct clunk with rebound clunk a couple times. I read forums and confirmed my suspicion of likely sway bar noise, maybe tie rod, or sway bar links.
Since I want a stable front end for wife and kids I just swapped out inner and outer tie rods, sway bar links, sway bar bushings...still getting the clunk. All parts replaced showed wear enough that it was a good call to replace for regular service. Also had a twang when steering hard back and forth so I replaced both front strut assemblies. That solved the twang sounds, but still have the clunking when hitting any pot hole.

Zero play in the wheel when I check wheel bearings and ball joints (done this a few times because I want to blame ball joints). Read some more and decided engine mount is suspect, so I changed the front right engine mount tonight...still getting the clunk.

I'm running out of ideas on the cause here. I removed that transmission cooling intake doohickey underneath just to see if that possible was the cause, but the clunk is deep enough it sounds very much like a suspension issue. The fact if I rock the car even fairly slowly (10mph) through a pot hole I get this 3 or 4 clunks back, I keep thinking suspension. I took a hard look at the lower control arms with their rubber bushings and can't see anything suspect, and cant get any play on them when I mess with em.

At this point I feel the only things left are the second motor (transmission mount), control arm bushings, or ball joints that are currently passing my checks.

What am I missing on this damn clunking?

Mine ended up being both lower control arm bushings.. replaced both control arms and quiet as a church mouse

 

[Odrapnew]

Mine ended up being both lower control arm bushings.. replaced both control arms and quiet as a church mouse

Same here. Just completed both control arms about 2 weeks ago. No more clunk.

 

[SHUMAX]

2015 Ford Explorer XLT 3.5L V6, Everything stock.
I'm the third owner and bought this from an owner who lived on county gravel roads so I know it got plenty of washboard and rough roads in it's first 100k.

I get a pretty decent clunk that sounds like maybe the front right side when I hit any minor potholes. Distinct clunk with rebound clunk a couple times. I read forums and confirmed my suspicion of likely sway bar noise, maybe tie rod, or sway bar links.
Since I want a stable front end for wife and kids I just swapped out inner and outer tie rods, sway bar links, sway bar bushings...still getting the clunk. All parts replaced showed wear enough that it was a good call to replace for regular service. Also had a twang when steering hard back and forth so I replaced both front strut assemblies. That solved the twang sounds, but still have the clunking when hitting any pot hole.

Zero play in the wheel when I check wheel bearings and ball joints (done this a few times because I want to blame ball joints). Read some more and decided engine mount is suspect, so I changed the front right engine mount tonight...still getting the clunk.

I'm running out of ideas on the cause here. I removed that transmission cooling intake doohickey underneath just to see if that possible was the cause, but the clunk is deep enough it sounds very much like a suspension issue. The fact if I rock the car even fairly slowly (10mph) through a pot hole I get this 3 or 4 clunks back, I keep thinking suspension. I took a hard look at the lower control arms with their rubber bushings and can't see anything suspect, and cant get any play on them when I mess with em.

At this point I feel the only things left are the second motor (transmission mount), control arm bushings, or ball joints that are currently passing my checks.

What am I missing on this damn clunking?

I would bet you $100 it's the front lower control arms. Replace both! People will look at them and they "appear" fine. It sucks to pay the $ on a chance, but I went through it on two Explorers. I can almost assure you that's the issue. Find a good independent and replace with OEM parts. Do NOT use MOOG unless you want to do it again in a year.

Shumax

 

[Mtredneck]

Sorry for not replying I researched this to death on the forums (yes I saw the thread on sway bar bushings, and I replaced those back when I did everything else).

To bring things up to speed I ended up replacing the lower control arms and solved my problems, initially. Then I got some noise back and rechecking noticed my sway bar links were loose. The nuts that came with them appeared to be locknuts and so I didn't use any locktite on them. In my defense, I've rebuilt several front ends and never had this happen before, but every dog has its day.

So to bring this up to speed, as the sound has been slowly building back up over the past 6k miles I decided to replace the sway bar links with fresh new ones. To my surprise, this has made the clunking MUCH WORSE.

Now I'm at a stage of guessing which part has failed as everything has been replaced. I have new strut mounts arriving as I have read the isolator bushing fails commonly.

I'm just out of ideas on what could fail so quickly. There has to be an issue with these explorers as a design failure from reading pages of others fighting with it. I'm thinking if the strut mounts don't solve it, could it really be the lower control arms again so soon? I might invest in a press to push new bushings since the assembly isn't very cheap.

Well there you have it. Anyone who can give me an idea of what would be clunking and get worse once the sway bar end links are firmed up with fresh parts?

 

[Odrapnew]

Could be the upper strut mounts like you said. I think one test is to have someone turn the wheel back and forth while you put your hand on top of the strut mount under the hood. If you feel grinding, the mounts are likely shot.

One other thing to try. Remove the sway bar links and tie the sway bar out of the way so it doesn't move or hit anything. Then, take it for a short drive. If the clunk is gone, most likely the links. If the clunk is still there, you essentially ruled out the links as being a failure.

Out of curiosity, can you explain the clunk? Is there a certain area that it seems to be coming from?

 

[Mtredneck]

I'll take it for a short drive at lunch so I have it all fresh in my head and hopefully give the most detailed description. I was thinking about the idea you mention of taking the sway bar links off. I am wondering though if I get no clunk couldn't it be the sway bar/links or still a strut or control arm that isn't being affected by the sway bar? I'll be back with noise description later today.

 

[Odrapnew]

I'll take it for a short drive at lunch so I have it all fresh in my head and hopefully give the most detailed description. I was thinking about the idea you mention of taking the sway bar links off. I am wondering though if I get no clunk couldn't it be the sway bar/links or still a strut or control arm that isn't being affected by the sway bar? I'll be back with noise description later today.

That is a possibility, but I don't think it's very likely (just my opinion though).
Any chance you have your old links to try if needed?

 

[Mtredneck]

Ok, took for a quick spin on the gravel roads around here. They aren’t smooth, but not as rough as this sounds. It seems like I can turn off from the sound briefly with the wheel. Maybe by taking slack out of the tie rods??

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[Odrapnew]

Wow, that's noisy.

It could be tie rods. If you rock wheel back and forth (vehicle stopped), do you get the clunk?

When you take the turn, it could be loading the sway bar links so they don't rattle as much. When going straight, the links go from tension to compression easily since the wheels are roughly equal. In the corner, one is in more biased toward compression (outside) and one is in tension (inside), due to body roll, so it doesn't really bounce the links.

I'd say get back under and check the links are tight.

 

[Mtredneck]

I’m going to pull the links off and take it for a spin. I don’t know how I could get them toghter than what they are, but that sounds like a good first step.

 

[SHUMAX]

That should be easy to track down - it’s so loud. Wow. Yes, Unhook the links and drive it. No noise and you found your issue. I suspect that’s what it is. Have you replaced the sway bar bushings? Does not sound like strut mounts to me...

 

[david22585]

Ok, took for a quick spin on the gravel roads around here. They aren’t smooth, but not as rough as this sounds. It seems like I can turn off from the sound briefly with the wheel. Maybe by taking slack out of the tie rods??

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April 1, 2021

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Sounds like mine, I believe the rear subframe bushings are shot.

 

[Mtredneck]

Just fixed mine for $0.49 or so. My right side sway bar link had pulled through the strut mount. This particular end link had a slightly enlarged collar behind the threads that managed to pull through the hole, and therefore was impossible to tighten against. I picked up a grade 8 1/2” washer and it fit snug against that collar. Reassembled everything and she’s nice and quiet again.

 

[Odrapnew]

Just fixed mine for $0.49 or so. My right side sway bar link had pulled through the strut mount. This particular end link had a slightly enlarged collar behind the threads that managed to pull through the hole, and therefore was impossible to tighten against. I picked up a grade 8 1/2” washer and it fit snug against that collar. Reassembled everything and she’s nice and quiet again.

Interesting that it was able to pull through. Were they Motorcraft endlinks?

Thanks for following up with the resolution. Too many people report a problem and never come back to update if/when it's resolved.

 

[Mtredneck]

Interesting that it was able to pull through. Were they Motorcraft endlinks?

Thanks for following up with the resolution. Too many people report a problem and never come back to update if/when it's resolved.

Interesting that it was able to pull through. Were they Motorcraft endlinks?

Thanks for following up with the resolution. Too many people report a problem and never come back to update if/when it's resolved.

Interesting that it was able to pull through. Were they Motorcraft endlinks?

Thanks for following up with the resolution. Too many people report a problem and never come back to update if/when it's resolved.

Definitely not Motorcraft. Some elcheapo option I tried, but in my defense I’ve never had much issue with cheaper end links. Wouldn’t go the cheapest on a bearing assembly but a stabilizer end link is pretty simple. I think the mounting hole had been worked open some from the last one and this one didn’t have much of a bearing surface to purchase against. Then add that I tightened the living hell out of it and probably helped swage it through.

 

[Mtredneck]

Just in case this could help someone else. I start getting complaints that the clunking sound is returning. Beyond frustrated I could only assume the end links I installed being cheap were trashed, probably all too early from the one bouncing around from the last problem. I couldn't generate any sound through manually pulling/jerking/rubber mallet, so I decided to pull both end links and take it for a drive, no noise.

I noticed that my sway bar was exceedingly snug, to the point of almost frozen. It has new bushings from the first round of fixes, but I decided to pull the bushings and re-grease everything up. Put everything back together including the end links that sounded bad, and no noise. I'm guessing the small amount of grease that came with my bushings wasn't quite enough and being fresh bushings with grip my sway bar has had little movement and this was causing premature wear on the end links and causing the sound. I fully expect the end links to not have a long life as they were cheap and already have been punished, but betting the next set will last if I get quality ones and with my sway bar not froze up.