2012 Titanium Front Strut Low Speed Noise (Clunk/Rattle)

[Dysan911]

Originally Posted by thejordan

if the bushing is too thin or the bolt hole too wide, i could see it being a suspect. you'd have to measure the bushing dimensions and call around to find an aftermarket one to fit in (or cut one to size).

if you jack up the car on one side and try to shake the wheel, it should be reproducible. it's the same trick when checking the wheel bearings.

Agreed. I am curious what the LCA bushing setup looks like on the ST.

[Dysan911]

ST suspension walk around.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/t...alkaround.html

[thejordan]

ST is a few hundred pounds heavier, so I imagine the components are beefier. A bad bushing could lead to it shifting front/back in the bushing (ex: when hitting a driveway dip). Ball joints also demand suspicion. Not sure if the Focus has greased filled ones or not.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by Dysan911

Cory, Thanks but I'm not sure if you realize I've already taken my car into my local dealer's service dept and they've made an attempt to repair it already. When I told them it didn't fix the issue I got told basically that they want to see I'm completely satisfied and that I have plenty of warranty left, they will talk to the technician who worked on my car and get back to me...

Dysan911,

Ah, thanks for the update. It sounds like they’re getting to the bottom of it for you.

Cory

[Dysan911]

This is regarding the rear LCA bushing on the ST.



The bigger and more visible one at the rear is primarily tasked with handling acceleration and brake torque reactions and the fore-aft component of pothole strikes. Such a load entering at the ball joint is turned through 90 degrees by the L-shape of the arm so it can be absorbed in the rear bushing as an inward force. Here in the ST this bushing is firmer than the base car because of the ST's much greater acceleration and braking potential and a somewhat lessened need to deliver a plush ride.

[Dysan911]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

Dysan911,

Ah, thanks for the update. It sounds like they’re getting to the bottom of it for you.

Cory

Oh yeah. They just called me and gave me the official "At this point we've done all we can and will have to wait for the Engineers to give us a resolution".


Also I was told that my first repair was after all BOTH SIDES!. So all this time I thought this was just the left side coming due for the issue. Its actually not the case. I wondered why the parts on the first repair were in quantities of 2 and this time half the items were replaced.

[BlazeFocus]

Originally Posted by Dysan911

Oh yeah. They just called me and gave me the official "At this point we've done all we can and will have to wait for the Engineers to give us a resolution".

There's your sign..

[Lipshurt]

Not sure about you guys, but my sound is such that it is loudest when the car is stressed the least. Like when it is coasting over really small bumps at very low speed. It also does it when shifting suddenly, or suddenly letti g out the clutch when coasting. That points toward mounts maybe. It does it while accelerating and also while braking and turning or not turning.if it were the bushings then it would mainly do it when the car is stressed....right?

My sound is for sure the sound of something that is loose. As it gets warmed up that sound becomes tighter until it goes away completey. It's its 45 degrees outside it does not go away completely.

After many times poking around under the only things that make the sound that I have found so far are: (and these are not the problem as determined by insulating them)
1) the hood prop rod
2) the manual shift lever at a the top of the tranny. The one with he counterweight. When you jiggle up and down its the EXACT same sound. Hard to insulate it though so maybe I did not do a good job of insulating it. My mic did not pick it up though even when I put the mic right next to the lever.
3) the battery cover. Removing all the battery cover pieces did nothing
4)the hood it self. I put rubber all around the hood and it was quiet as can be when tapping all around the hood.nitbhad no effect on the noise. I really thought that was it though for about a half hour:)
5) the front license plate...nope


The only thing I've found that makes he sound and I have NOT ruled out is the play in the driveshafts/cv joints. Jiggling those side to side makes the exact same sound. How would those respond to heat? My thinking is that they wound heat up slow, cuz they get heat from the ends of the shafts. From both ends (brakes and tranny). That would explain how long it takes for the sound to go away when heating up. It also explains the fact that when it is making the sound I seem to be able to feel play in the wheels, or get the vibe that the wheels are loose.

This week I drove my old 2001 jetta that we still have in the family, and it has almost 300 THOUSAND miles, on all the original suspension pieces, and that thing is tight as a drum and silent in the front. I'm gonna jiggle the driveshafts on it. If they jiggle back and forth, then that theory get dumped:)

I'm pretty relaxed about the noise now, in my mind I have concluded that its a minor thing, but one that shold be fixed. I have spent many hours on it. No money so far though:)
I found a set of chassis ears for 120 bucks......tempting

[thejordan]

Originally Posted by Lipshurt

The only thing I've found that makes he sound and I have NOT ruled out is the play in the driveshafts/cv joints. Jiggling those side to side makes the exact same sound. How would those respond to heat? My thinking is that they wound heat up slow, cuz they get heat from the ends of the shafts. From both ends (brakes and tranny). That would explain how long it takes for the sound to go away when heating up. It also explains the fact that when it is making the sound I seem to be able to feel play in the wheels, or get the vibe that the wheels are loose.

Wait, your axles should have 0 play in them... they should only rotate, not wiggle. This may suggest center diff problems or some other onslaught.

The cv boots are loaded with grease, this heats up as use increases.

[thejordan]

Originally Posted by thejordan

Wait, your axles should have 0 play in them... they should only rotate, not wiggle. This may suggest center diff problems or some other onslaught.

The cv boots are loaded with grease, this heats up as use increases.

EDIT: comprehensive list, refer to all TX-____ part numbers.

apparently they are different part numbers for 2012 models and 2013 models.

2012 models:
3B436
(TX-565)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
5-Speed Manual Trans - MTX75 ; RH
$276.80
Vehicle Build Date before: 12/14/2011


3B436
(TX-566)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
6 Speed Auto Transmission DCPS ; RH
$266.38
Vehicle Build Date before: 12/14/2011


3B436
(TX-639)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
5-Speed Manual Trans - MTX75 ; RH
$223.38
Vehicle Build Date after: 12/15/2011


3B436
(TX-640)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
6 Speed Auto Transmission DCPS ; RH
$222.06
Vehicle Build Date after: 12/15/2011


3B437
(TX-568)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
5-Speed Manual Trans - MTX75 ; LH (Left)
$179.06
Vehicle Build Date before: 12/15/2011


3B437
(TX-569)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
6 Speed Auto Transmission DCPS ; LH (Left)
$182.46
Vehicle Build Date before: 12/14/2011


3B437
(TX-641)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
5-Speed Manual Trans - MTX75 ; LH (Left)
$144.36
Vehicle Build Date after: 12/16/2011


3B437
(TX-642)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
6 Speed Auto Transmission DCPS ; LH (Left)
$147.16
Vehicle Build Date after: 12/15/2011


2013 models:
3B436
(TX-565)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
5-Speed Manual Trans - MTX75 ; RH
$276.80
Vehicle Build Date before: 12/14/2011


3B436
(TX-566)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
6 Speed Auto Transmission DCPS ; RH
$266.38
Vehicle Build Date before: 12/14/2011



3B436
(TX-639)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
5-Speed Manual Trans - MTX75 ; RH
$223.38
Vehicle Build Date after: 12/15/2011


3B436
(TX-640)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
6 Speed Auto Transmission DCPS ; RH
$222.06
Vehicle Build Date after: 12/15/2011



3B437
(TX-568)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
5-Speed Manual Trans - MTX75 ; LH (Left)
$179.06
Vehicle Build Date before: 12/15/2011


3B437
(TX-569)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
6 Speed Auto Transmission DCPS ; LH (Left)
$182.46
Vehicle Build Date before: 12/14/2011


3B437
(TX-641)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
5-Speed Manual Trans - MTX75 ; LH (Left)
$144.36
Vehicle Build Date after: 12/16/2011


3B437
(TX-642)
CV Joint Axle Shaft Assembly
6 Speed Auto Transmission DCPS ; LH (Left)
$147.16
Vehicle Build Date after: 12/15/2011