front suspension

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Everwood

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
101
Reaction score
41
Location
kansas
My Car
1971 mustang convertible
I have a question about my 71 vert's front end.

When sitting still and I bounce the front, it only bounces once like it should with good shocks.

It drives nice and straight but when i hit even a small pot hole it makes a loud bang in the front.

Do i start with the shocks or what?

Wayne

 
I'd start with checking all the moveable parts for wear. Likely places are the strut rods at both ends and the upper and lower control arms. Look for interference with the chassis or body. Is it hitting the bump stops? Is the rubber still on the bump stops?

Is the car lowered?

Just a start.

 
It drives nice and straight but when i hit even a small pot hole it makes a loud bang in the front.

Wayne
Hey Wayne 

cracked spring ?  does happen - especially during cold winter weather.

Coil spring upper rubber insulators perished.

Front stabilizer arms loose going to those big disks in the front cross-member

Check bushings on lower control arms .. they caused me a panic 

My symptom was similar when turning slow but with full steering either hard left or hard right

Shocks may be causing springs to go full travel on a pot hole -- easy enuff to take one out and check its resistance - see how old they are...mine were toast when I first got the car.

check shock mounts at top of shock towers  - rubber perished to nothing?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for all the input.

I'll check all these thing out.

Wayne

 
Well I took it to my mechanic and put it on the rack and finally found a broken coil spring on right front.

At very bottom where it was hard to see.

Oh well, it's only money.

Wayne

 
One mistake that lots of people make with their mustang is lifting it either with jack or 2 post lift and not blocking the upper control arms from drooping down. This crushes the upper shock mount rubber bushings and also can spit the big bushings on the strut rods in the front cross member. It is shown in all Ford manuals and also Motors manuals. All years of mustang should be blocked. I just use a short piece of a 2X4 wood block on top of the frame rail so that the control arm hits that and stops the travel. I would almost bet the garage mechanic did not block it.

Do a search on site there are several pics and a print of how to make them. The Motors manual will also have the print to make them.

 
It drives nice and straight but when i hit even a small pot hole it makes a loud bang in the front.

Wayne
Hey Wayne 

cracked spring ?  does happen - especially during cold winter weather.

Coil spring upper rubber insulators perished.

Front stabilizer arms loose going to those big disks in the front cross-member

Check bushings on lower control arms .. they caused me a panic 

My symptom was similar when turning slow but with full steering either hard left or hard right

Shocks may be causing springs to go full travel on a pot hole -- easy enuff to take one out and check its resistance - see how old they are...mine were toast when I first got the car.

check shock mounts at top of shock towers  - rubber perished to nothing?
Great call ::thumb::

Also good job making sure you spelled "those big disks " correctly rofl rofl rofl

 
One mistake that lots of people make with their mustang is lifting it either with jack or 2 post lift and not blocking the upper control arms from drooping down. This crushes the upper shock mount rubber bushings and also can spit the big bushings on the strut rods in the front cross member. It is shown in all Ford manuals and also Motors manuals. All years of mustang should be blocked. I just use a short piece of a 2X4 wood block on top of the frame rail so that the control arm hits that and stops the travel. I would almost bet the garage mechanic did not block it.

Do a search on site there are several pics and a print of how to make them. The Motors manual will also have the print to make them.
After doing a search on this I must say this is all new to me.

I have to admit my mechanical abilities are limited so there is much to learn. will discuss this with my mechanic.

One question: How can broken coil spring cause this bang that i hear when hitting pot holes?

Thanks for the input.

Wayne

 
It drives nice and straight but when i hit even a small pot hole it makes a loud bang in the front.

Wayne
Hey Wayne 

cracked spring ?  does happen - especially during cold winter weather.

Coil spring upper rubber insulators perished.

Front stabilizer arms loose going to those big disks in the front cross-member

Check bushings on lower control arms .. they caused me a panic 

My symptom was similar when turning slow but with full steering either hard left or hard right

Shocks may be causing springs to go full travel on a pot hole -- easy enuff to take one out and check its resistance - see how old they are...mine were toast when I first got the car.

check shock mounts at top of shock towers  - rubber perished to nothing?
Great call ::thumb::

Also good job making sure you spelled "those big disks " correctly rofl rofl rofl
Thank you  ::thumb::

 
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