Me 1, Clunks 0

[nailhead_sled]

After living with the most annoying clunking that accompanied any voyage in the Explorer for the last six months I finally decided to get off my ass and start ripping things apart.
A brief stint pulling, smacking and banging on every front end component I found that the only thing which could possibly be causing the problem was the stabilizer bar end links.
This was immediately confirmed when I attempted to remove the drives side link. Not only were the bushings so badly deteriorated that they literally fell apart, but the link itself was cracked in many spots and frozen to the stud. Removal was a major PITA (the fact that I lend a friend my sazall didn’t help either). To get the stud out I literally had to chip away the link.
I then headed down to one of the local Ford dealerships where I purchased the following:
F77Z-5C491-BA NUT-HEX
F77Z-5495-BA STUD
2L2Z-5K483-BA END LINK
Grand total for parts $18.32.

Install was a breeze, while I was down there, I loosed up the stabilizer to frame bushing and gave it a liberal coating of chassis lube.
With everything buttoned up, I crossed my fingers and went for a boot. Immediately upon leaving the driveway I was shocked when the usual clunk was replaced with SILENCE!.
A 15 minute drive confirmed this, as speed bumps, minor road imperfections and the like no longer are signaled with the mind bending noise.
Anybody with the clunks should defiantly consider spending the twenty bucks on new end links before looking at more expensive fixes. It worked for me, and driving is now a pleasure once again.

 

[kfkodiak]

I just did the same thing last week. I had only light noises fron the front end, but the handling had been deteriorating for about six months. I even had an alignment done to try and correct this. I finally installed an Energy Suspension front bushing kit, and now the truck drives better than it ever has! My old hardware wasn't quite that bad, but the link bolts were rusting, and the endlink bushings were hard as rocks. Talk about a cheap fix!

 

[spta97]

I've got a clunk on the passenger side when going over bumps. It is not huge, but it doesn't happen from the driver side to it leads me to believe that it should not happen. The clunk is almost like a low frequency rumbling. Does this sound like what your clunk was?

 

[AAA]

energy suspension bushing kit

I just did the same thing last week. I had only light noises fron the front end, but the handling had been deteriorating for about six months. I even had an alignment done to try and correct this. I finally installed an Energy Suspension front bushing kit, and now the truck drives better than it ever has! My old hardware wasn't quite that bad, but the link bolts were rusting, and the endlink bushings were hard as rocks. Talk about a cheap fix!

where did you get the energy suspension bushing kit from? do you ave part numbers?

 

[Expodriver]

I ordered energy suspension swaybar bushing kits for front and rear from Explorer Express. The part numbers off the invoice are ES45153G - rear and ES45155G Front. Those are Explorer Express part numbers, I believe that you drop the ES and you will have the energy suspension kit numbers. The front kit came with new end links also, much beefier than stock. I am impressed with mine.

 

[kfkodiak]

I ordered it from Central 4 Wheel Drive. Many other places have them too (EE, etc.). The box label says "4.5155G 98-00 Explorer Frt. s.b.b. Set", so the numbers given above are correct. Usually under $40 shipped. These actually made a more noticeable difference than the EE rear swaybar for me. (Though I highly recommend those too!)

 

[nailhead_sled]

I've got a clunk on the passenger side when going over bumps. It is not huge, but it doesn't happen from the driver side to it leads me to believe that it should not happen. The clunk is almost like a low frequency rumbling. Does this sound like what your clunk was?

No, I would not categorize my clunk as a rumbling.
It simply sounded like a component being loose, thus clunking when compressed. Almost like tapping the front end with a rubber mallet.
For twenty bucks and a half hour of your time it may well be worth it, if for nothing else than to eliminate the end links as a possible cause.

 

[goober71]

Tapping sound somewhere under driver side

I read this post, and i have been hearing a similar tapping (clunking) sound going over bumps for the last few days. The handling has been deteriorating over the last couple of months too. The tapping seems to come from under the driver side, somewhere in the region behind the front driver side wheel.
Any idea where i should start? i will probably need a lot of help, since i have never attempted any auto repair so far.
Thanks.

Goober

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

Wow, I haven't heard of too many other guys going and getting the OEM end links, glad they didn't rip you off too badly.

The Energy Suspension stuff sounds nice to me, but I cannot see a noticeable difference between them and the Moog brand replacements available at lots of parts stores. I got them for around $12 a side and my front end quieted down quick. IMO, don't bother with Energy, save some money and get just as good a product from Moog.

 

[kfkodiak]

I haven't seen the MOOG links, but I'd imagine they're pretty similar. I went with the other kit because it included bushings for the swaybar connections at the frame as well.

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

How much did that kit cost you? I paid around $30 for the frame bushings and both end links.

 

[kfkodiak]

$39.06 plus shipping. It was under $40 all said and done.

Still pretty unreasonable, at least with the difference it made in my case. Sounds like the MOOG stuff may be a better deal though.