Front end thump

[threewood]

Easiest way to check is once your boy is there lay under the car and have him bounce it and jostle the suspension to try and replicate the noise.

Probably not your issue but I had a god awful thumping noise over small bumps. Cleared out my entire trunk of items thinking something was thumping the floor, still there. Had a buddy bounce the suspension and found out the shocks were too long and bottoming out before the suspension did.

 

[miller]

Got a ?, maybe someone can remind me. Doesn't look right.

Note that my front end has been converted to disc brakes. Still nothing loose.
Question is on the UCA bumper. I'll look it up, but with the front end on jack stands, of course, the suspension drops. Wheels are barely touching the ground. Both UCA bumpers are smashed, to almost half their normal height! Looks odd, don't remember ever seeing that.

 

[miller]

Thanks, threewood! New shocks I got was the right ones for the car.

btw...I will be getting a new pair of those upper bumpers.

 

[oldbee]

Get someone skinny under there, bounce for the noise & have him put fingers on everything; should be able to feel it. ( just watch where the fingers are!)

 

[threewood]

That's how I found out my strut rod to lower control arm bolt was loose. I tried to record it and couldn't see any movement but the pop was very loud. I had my buddy sit in the car and turn the steering wheel left and right while I had hands on and sure enough I could feel it pop when I had hold of the strut rod.

 

[miller]

Edited my other post to UCAs. Upper bumpers smashed.

 

[threewood]

Do you think the suspension is compressing too much? Where is your ride height set?

With the suspension hanging my bumper (round, torpedo looking one) is compressed. In fact you have to remove it to get full sag on the front suspension in order to remove the torsion bars.

 

[miller]

Where is your ride height set?

1 3/4".

Pretty sure I used the original bumpers, both uppers and lowers. That old, at least need to replace the uppers. Won't have anything to do with my thumping. Yeah, normally just see a little compression on those bumpers, when the front is jacked up. The bumpers 'looked' good. Fooled me! Guess that's where the old age gets ya!

Rained out, this afternoon...back at it tomorrow.

 

[Ski 61701]

Appreciate that, Ski. But, have to doubt that. I've always put the bushings in myself, and would never use a loose hole. Still will look 'everything' over. Both upper and lower ball joints test good. It has to be something...just haven't found it, yet.

Oh no I have the feeling you are super picky about stuff such as I. I sometimes wonder about parts the last moog upper control arm bushings I installed were not US made, even if they were US made are they Friday or Monday bushings?? That the outer shell is slipping ever so slightly, or the inner sleeve is torn from the rubber?
Do you have or know someone who has a go pro camera you could mount under the fender looking at suspension movement? I wonder if that might help pinpoint the noise?

 

[WileERobby]

On these suspensions, the lower ball joint is the load joint, the upper the follower. Check the upper ball joint.

 

[threewood]

That's on my 64 Ply SF. I have a whopping 33 miles on it.

What's happening is, for any and every little bump, getting a thumping sound from the passenger side suspension. It seems, the farther I go, worst it gets, sounds like a loose part, or fastener. With the car in my shop, I can push up and down on the front, and get it, too.

Completely rebuilt the front end myself, years ago...only has sitting in the shop time, on it.
I have re-checked every nut on the suspension, and made sure all parts are seated in place. Do not find anything loose...
Both wheels are tight, no movement. When I built the front end, changed to disc brakes up front, via the old school way, using all Mopar parts.

What the heck am I missing? Need ideas, guys.
Refuse to drive it, until I find the answer.

Do you have headers? Exhaust making contact with torsion bars or something else?
Does it thump only over bumps, does steering position make it better or worse? Center link or tie rods making contact with oil pan?

 

[miller]

Oh no I have the feeling you are super picky about stuff such as I.

Lol! I can kinda laugh about it now, since it was several years ago, when I was working on my front end parts. On the LCAs, it takes a puller, with sleeves, to get the bushing all the way out, without any damage. At the time, didn't have everything I needed. My little cogs turning, figured why not take them to the local Mopar mechanic brothers. I knew they would have the proper tools!
Right...a big hammer and drift. Hell, gotta be okay, since their Mopar guys. After a couple hits, and misses, and banging up my arm, told them I was good. Took the LCAs home, laid the un-touched one on the bench, and threw the damaged one against the garage wall. Slightly pissed! Had to find another, made the tools, and...

Check the upper ball joint.

Yep! Going to get both wheels off the ground, and hunt for ANY kind of play.

Does it thump only over bumps, does steering position make it better or worse?

Yes, every kind of bump. No headers, good clearance between steering link, and oil pan.
Doesn't seem to make any difference, where the steering is. Going to check the steering box bolts, too.
Have all cotter pins pulled, have checked almost all the nuts. So far, nothing.

 

[oldbee]

Just a thought, right side bump?,left? Have you narrowed down which side?

 

[miller]

Finally found it, by accident!

Before my son showed up yesterday, I checked the upper/lower ball joints, and a wrench for the third time on each nut, on the suspension. Nothing. Had already pulled all the cotter pins, so, when he did show, he started helping me put new cotter pins in.
He got on the passenger side, so I crawled under the driver side, getting pins in. While he was doing the passenger upper ball joint, said his hand hit the disc brake caliper...and it moved!
Asked me if it was supposed to move. Two bolts in one piston calipers, the upper one had backed out, just enough to allow it to flop around. WOW!

Tightened all four, put the car on the ground, drank a beer, and went test driving. Fixed!

Thanks, everybody, for all the ideas!

 

[oldbee]

Finally found it, by accident!

Before my son showed up yesterday, I checked the upper/lower ball joints, and a wrench for the third time on each nut, on the suspension. Nothing. Had already pulled all the cotter pins, so, when he did show, he started helping me put new cotter pins in.
He got on the passenger side, so I crawled under the driver side, getting pins in. While he was doing the passenger upper ball joint, said his hand hit the disc brake caliper...and it moved!
Asked me if it was supposed to move. Two bolts in one piston calipers, the upper one had backed out, just enough to allow it to flop around. WOW!

Tightened all four, put the car on the ground, drank a beer, and went test driving. Fixed!

Thanks, everybody, for all the ideas!

Uh-huh, should’ve forgone that beer you had when originally doing the brakes,lol.

 

[NJRR]

Uh-huh, should’ve forgone that beer you had when originally doing the brakes,lol.

His name IS Miller !!!!!!!!

 

[miller]

Uh-huh, should’ve forgone that beer you had when originally doing the brakes,lol.

 

[oldbee]

His name IS Miller !!!!!!!!

Sounds like a ‘Lonestar’ man to me!!!!

 

[oldbee]

His name IS Miller !!!!!!!!

Sounds like a ‘Lonestar’ man to me!!!! Location,location.

 

[miller]

Sounds like a ‘Lonestar’ man to me!!!!

Location my ***! Friend of mine, many years ago, sat on a dock, and we drank a case of that crap. Might as well drunk lake water!

Coors Light...silver bullet stuff...natural aluminum finish B-25...too dang long story to tell.

Just glad we found that head banger. Thought I was going bananas.