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Suspension fix - no more front end clunk

34K views 58 replies 27 participants last post by  wavsine 
#1 ·
So to keep it short and sweet, there was no way in hell I was getting anywhere with Ford, so I took matters into my own hands and fixed the damned clunk once and for all.

The broken parts include 2 front struts that were puddling oil around the front seals



as well as a very broken strut bearing on the right side.


After working on a few C1 chassis cars, I started to research suspension fixes and ended up with the following parts...



in addition, 2 new motorcraft strut bearings - part number AD-1094 and 2 strut pinch bolts for the front. You will not need 2 new strut nuts, as the Koni struts come with them.

front struts from a mazdaspeed 3 2010+



front springs are eibach pro kit for a 2012 focus



and in case anyone was wondering what the original application was for these parts, and what they look like put together...




The front struts required modification to the pinch bolt bracket (cutting) as pictured below-





The brake line bracket does not bolt up, but does require securing, using zipties and safety wire




and all put together...





I went with Bilstein B8 shocks in the rear for a 2008 volvo v50 wagon, which has a firmer bounddamping than the HD or Koni yellow, as well as offering the benefit of a high pressure gas charge (more stable when loaded down).

These bolted right in, no modification necessary.


Overall the ride is great, feels good to be a pioneer, the clunking is gone, and the ride is much better than before.

As it sits... "lowered"


[popcorn][werd]
 
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#7 ·
Nicely done sir. I wondered if anyone was going to get fed up with Ford and just replace everything haha!

I'm eager to hear how the ride is, though I would think it's pretty good.]



Besides coilovers I haven't seen any aftermarket companies come out with shocks/struts for our cars yet. Only a matter of time though.
 
#11 ·
What I mean to say is, the way Koni does QC you might have a difference of 30-50 pounds or so even at lower shaft speeds in the same damper part number. Even within a brand, the shocks are not matched to each other, until you start paying $400+ per shock.

I didn't use the fronts because I got the rears for $200 separate from the kit and they are wagon specific. Nothing wrong with Bilstein quality and they are easy to rebuild.

Let's get back to the 2012 frankenstein kit in this thread
 
#14 ·
well... I had to buy an extra right front because Koni had a defective shaft on the first one I got. Excluding that:

2 Koni Yellow front struts PN 8741-1490LSPORT and 8741-1490RSPORT -$195 Each

2 Bilstein B8 for a Volvo V50 PN24-113830 - $108 Each

2 Motorcraft PN AD-1094 - $12 Each

2 Front Strut Pinch Bolt - $0.80 Each

All + shipping




In other news, I would like a little more drop, but TBH the ride more than makes up for it.
 
#13 ·
My right side strut bearing was broken too...

My right side is where the clunk is coming from...

[idea]

I posted that in the clunk thread as a good place to inspect. Good job[thumb]
 
#17 ·
Any particular reason you didn't go with Koni rears for a Mazdaspeed 3? They will fit.

I've been considering this option for some time now, good to see everything bolts up with minimal modification. Did you cut a hole in the cowl for adjusting the front struts, or do you plan to just set them and forget them?
 
#20 ·
Thats awesome that you were able to resolve this issue on your own. Big time kudos for taking this issue head on!. You've done a big service to this community as far as im concerned.

I know you wanted to go aftermarket on the struts, etc. Just curious if you felt the clunk was mainly due to the strut bearings and that someone could fix thiers by changing just that part or was there failure on all the parts you replaced as well?

Thanks!
 
#21 ·
I firmly believe that the clunk in my suspension is related to the top-cap/bearing assembly. Everything else in my front suspension was pristine, short of the gouging that occurred when the techs replaced my left strut.

I'm not horribly worried about it as I listen to my music rather loud (wrong answer, I know), but when I order the parts and make the swap I will be sure to drop intel here and in the clunk thread.
 
#26 ·
They are fixed damping. I went with them because the native compression damping is valved "higher" and more digressively than a Koni Sport is capable of.

Yeah... I was kind of surprised to see that you went with the Motorcraft strut bearings, since they don't seem to be holding up very well. 'Course replacing them again would be a piece a cake compared to what you just did.
If there were an aftermarket part that fit, or if the mazdaspeed 3 part fit, I would have bought those instead.
 
#50 ·
The dealership ended up replacing the rear seal on mine. In the paperwork, it said they performed a die test to confirm it was indeed an oil leak. It took them a week to get the part in, but at least they fixed it. I have not yet had time to get underneath the car and verify the repair, but am hoping to sometime in the near future.
 
#54 ·
The reason why the struts blow out so early is because when they ship the cars they are on the truck with the suspension bottomed out because of how they are hooked. When they release the car it releases fast which then makes the car spring up quickly. I work at ford and its not just the focus its the escapes, fusions, and Taurus that have the problem.
 
#55 ·
FYI, its not the rebound that blows the shock, but the compressive force when the suspension is already fully loaded down (hooked). Every bump that train/semi takes compresses the suspension with the full load on the shock already.

This is why many manufacturers ship with spring blocks that are to be removed at dealer prep.
 
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