I have been living with the dreaded front end "CLUNK", and desided that I would have the front end checked by a local shop we use here at work. The ver**** was that because of the "clunk" (slop in the lower control arm bolts) the lower ball joints have worn out. 10,000 miles. Now I have play in the lower joints and a front end that can not be aligned until they are replaced. The dealer said they will take care of it. Don't let it go like I did, get the clunk fixed asap, and save your self a lot of trouble in the long run. "Just A Thought"

 

Andre-
At what dealership/shop did you get your clunk fixed? My L is from Tommie Vaughn, but I heard "Thats nice, but what is a Lightning?" from too many employees when I picked up my truck to even think about getting anything fixed there. If you are pleased with the service you received, please let me know who did the work and how long it took. Thanks.

DUCK

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Build the Hell outta Bonfire 2000!

 

After reading about the front-end clunk "fix" (welding wsshers, etc.), and looking at the graphic pictures that where posted about a week or so ago of washer movement witness marks, I looked at my 99 L lower conrol arm bolts.
It appears to me that the bolt/washers by the oil filter had "old" witness marks which where put there apparently by the bolt movement. I say "old" witness marks because I had the lower control arms replaced about 2000 or more miles ago, and I guess the marks are now partially covered with road grime. No new witness marks.

If you are interested in getting what is probably the real "cure" for the dreaded front-end clunk, then check or have Ford check your lower control arm part numbers. The specific Lightning control part numbers are XL3Z-3078-BA and XL3Z-3079-BA. I am assuming this has not been done yet.
Replacement requires a four wheel alignment.
Took three weeks to get parts.

If you have the right part numbers, then I would guess a bunch of us Lightning owners are in for a future disappointment.

 

Although I too have the "clunk" and demonstrated washer movement, my truck is not out of alignment. Since it is not mis-aligned, my dealer says he can not install the cam bolts or install star washers.

The explanation he got from Ford via "Oasis" and other sources was that "The truck front assemblies are manufactured by a subcontractor. When they arrive at the plant, Ford installs them, puts them on a jig and forces the assembly into alignment. Thus some trucks will show the washer movement. They then tighten everything down and the truck will never go out of alignment." Right!

Now I assume that Ford also sells Bridges in New York to unsuspecting old ladies.

With the information we get on this board, we probably know more than anyone about this truck. Unfortunately, that includes most dealers.

The upshot of it all is; no mis-alignment, no fix!

adp
#1530
Black '99

 

Dealer replaced both upper and lower control arms on the left side. Was done about 2k ago. Have not had a problem since.

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99.5 Black Lighting
CD Changer,Tow Pack,Ford Bed Liner,2In Drop Shackles ,Tinted Windows,4 Rear Stoplights
2000 Mustang GT
Convertible,Performance Red,Black Top,5 Speed,
Cobra R Wheels,BFG Tires, Bassani X Pipe, Flowmaster Mufflers / Stock tips , K+N Filter With Air Silencer Removed , FMS 4.10 gears

 

When exactly do you hear this clunk? The reason I ask is I was having a "popping and creaking" sound that came from the front end during sharp turning. Brought it to the dealer and they fixed that.

BUT, I still have a "CLUNK" sound whenever I pull into a driveway a little fast or out of a driveway.

Jeff

[This message has been edited by 99BLCKL (edited 05-11-2000).]

 

The clunk on my truck was fixed by the lube job (bend over)but I can see they didn't weld or use a star washer. It is going in on Monday and the wandering bolt is on the list. I will mention the ball joint. Thanks for the info!
Tom

 

ADP, to me this is not an alignment issue. If bolt movement leads to the lower ball joints going bad, then I would think this is a major safety issue. Perhaps a Ford recall for inspection and replacement is required. I would hate to see a public recall because it would probably lower the value of the vehicles. It might be necessary to report this to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and to the State equivalent. I think our owner manuals discuss this process.

Also, I would think your state Lemon law may apply if they refuse to fix the problem. In my state of Maryland, the Lemon law is very strict about steering or brake defects and any repairs. Bascially the Dealer has only one shot to fix the problem and it has to be done within a specific period of time. Otherwise the Lemon law prevails.

By the way, I think your dealer is an idiot and you should not take this frivolous treatment from them. The dealer could be setting themselves up for a serious lawsuit if something nasty happens to you and your "K".

 

redlite,

Thanks for your response. I agree completely. I'm working on a multiple response - small claims court, lemon law, Safety Administration - the works!

An issue here is that the dealer is not being nasty about it. His representative has said that they will investigate the issue and "get back to me". So far, they have been polite; just not effective.

All of the remedies we are discussing require a well documented paper trail. I'm in the process of establishing that.

I'll keep you all posted.

adp
#1530
Black '99

 

ADP, good show! I know you must really be hacked off by now. By the way, do you know if you have the correct lower control arm part numbers I listed yesterday? If they are not the correct part numbers installed now, then that should be the end of your argument with the fat-head dealer. All the dealer has to do is call the SVT tech dept. and verify. How hard can that be?

 

ADP, I forgot to mention that when my 99 Lightning had the WRONG lower control arms, I had the wheel alignment checked. I had run over a curb, and I needed to verify the alignment was hosed or not. Got my $70 four wheel alignment checked and no problem found.
At that time, I had no idea I had a lower conrol arm problem. I just did not like the steering all that much.
Speaking of alignment, I think someone had mentioned on this Board that the alignment procedure has nothing to do with the lower control arms. Do not know if this is true or not. The Dealer ought to know though.

I also know that after the control arms were replaced, the steering was better. Less of the hunting, darting and pulling sensation which my Service writer had originally dismissed as typical SVT Cobra and Lightning handling characteristics. And, the clunk and occasional banging noise was gone. And, those noises only seem to have occurred with a turn and corresponding abrupt vehicle weight transfer. Oh well, I ramble on.

 

redlite,

I don't know if my lower control arms have the correct part number or not. I can't find any part number on them at all!

Do the correct SVT arms have a readily observbable part number?

I also don't seem to have any of the previously listed problems, wander, pulling, etc. My truck steers straight and rides very well.

adp

[This message has been edited by adp (edited 05-12-2000).]

 

ADP, I cannot confirm if the lower control arms have a observable part number stamped on them. The arms I have on my truck now have stickers with what appear to be some kind of bar code on them? I would have to get under the truck to tell what they were, if anything useful.

I remember the Service writer telling me that the replacement control arms appeared much more heavy duty than the ones that where removed.

Another thing that I did was that I needed to reproduce the "clunk" noise repeatedly for problem determination. Eventually I found a parking lot near the Dealer which had a significant rise or hump falling off two sides. By driving at some speed, and making a series of figure eight turns across the hump, I could get the clunk noise to occur rather often. It was when doing this with the Ford tech, that we both noticed that the clunk noise could be "felt" in our feet and not in the steering wheel. At first the Ford tech thought it was a spring out of position (which I have read on this Board is still another problem). After the tech put the ChassisEars microphones on the suspension, he was able to pinpoint the problem to the lower control arms and then call SVT.

Anyway, the figure eight turns over an uneven surface apparently got the right combination of steering movement and abrupt weight transfer to create the clunk noise and sensation. I have gotten the clunk noise even when parallel parking. I saw the Ford tech get the clunk in the shop just parking the truck after taking it off the front-end machine ramp.

You might try comparing the lower control arms on a standard F150 with yours to see if there is any obvious difference.

Good luck!!

 

redlite,

I read your previous posts. I tried everything I could think of to demonstrate it to the tech, including figure 8's. I just can't make it clunk on demand. When it happens, there is no question what it is. Along with the sound, it feels like the driver's floor board is coming up into my lap. Actually, it only happened once. It is really frustrating. You know that prevention is the way to go. Fix it now and it won't come back. It is like never getting a physical, they won't do anything until you are on your death bed. Is this an HMO clunk story?

There are no stickers or markings on my lower control arms that I can see. I guess when the front end falls off they will fix it!

Anyway, thanks for the input. I think the only thing to do is keep on 'truckin'.

adp

 

Andre
Thers no joints down there!


I couldnt help my self