I have a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria with approx. 90k miles. The front struts are noisy on uneven roads. The struts don't have any leak even though they have 2 or 3 tiny spots of rust. Should I replace them or should I investigate into the mounts or nuts?
Thanks
It squeaks.
Very common with old, worn suspension bushings. You could try spraying silicone lube on them to see if the squeaking goes away (very) temporarily to locate the problem.
After doing more investigation, the squeaking noise came from the hood release hatch. I've sprayed some silicone lube on it and the noise is gone.
Update to front suspension noise diagnostic testing:
- First check the hood release latch for squeaking. 😉
{pear}:wink:
step #1 should be "reproduce the sound" (like I mentioned)
step #2 should be "follow your ears" 💡
Are you talking about shock absorbers? I don't think the Crown Vic has struts, to my knowledge it has upper and lower control arms with tubular shocks. The noise may be coming from suspension bushings.
Yes, it has shocks.
A new Gabriel shock with the bushing only costs $5 more than the bushings alone. If it were the bushing, wouldn't it better to replace the whole thing?
Have you traced the noise to the shock bushings? Gabriel shocks are not a good choice. (They are cheap for a reason.) KYB would be much better.
I did. I sprayed the lower bushing, nothing changed. I sprayed the strut mount and the noise almost disappeared. Someone seems to have replaced the shocks already because there are marks of a pen instead of using a torque wrench. So I guess replacing that mount would already solve the issue?
Sounds like it but I'd go ahead and install some KYB shocks while doing that. (By the way with that kind of suspension shocks != struts, there are no struts.)
They've put Ford shocks.
It's up to you. Chances are the KYBs would be an upgrade.
The question is: How long are these shocks going to last? I wouldn't like to do the same job twice. As it was a police car, I don't have any invoices of its history before I've bought it.
There are too many variables to say how long shock absorbers will last. For what it's worth KYB shocks are warranteed for as long as you own the car.
After doing more investigation, the squeaking noise came from the hood release hatch. I've sprayed some silicone lube on it and the noise is gone.
I've heard that spraying a silicone lube on all of these parts may solve it. Is it worth a try first?
Sure. Try applying the silicone to one part at a time to isolate/identity the source of the noise.
It won't "solve" the problem of deteriorated bushings but it may help you locate the source of the noise.
Sorry @chucktobias I didn’t see your previous advice regarding the application of silicone.
No big deal, it probably helps to have more than one person endorse that method.
A new Gabriel shock with the bushing only costs $5 more than the bushings alone. If it were the bushing, wouldn't it better to replace the whole thing?
The front struts are noisy on uneven roads.
what kind of noise do you hear?
should I investigate into the mounts or nuts?
always investigate before shooting parts.
It squeaks.
that could be a lot of things. See if you can reproduce the squeak by bouncing the car. Then start spraying with some lubricant until it goes away.
A new Gabriel shock with the bushing only costs $5 more than the bushings alone. If it were the bushing, wouldn't it better to replace the whole thing?
You don't have to replace a shock if it still works and isn't leaking. Local part stores often have these bushings in stock. Now, if you do replace a shock on one side, replace the other side too. Your Crown Victoria's shocks are 17 years old. It has an 'old school' type of suspension. Odds are the bushings are kaput as well as the shocks just due to age. Chuck, Justin and others here have cars, drive cars, with that style of suspension. It's a proven design.
Gabriel shocks are as @chucktobias described, they're junk. While you can fix the bushing alone, why not buy a pair of KYB shocks instead and treat you and your car to a better ride.
After doing more investigation, the squeaking noise came from the hood release hatch. I've sprayed some silicone lube on it and the noise is gone.