This is my first time using this forum. However I do read it just about everyday. I have a '99 5.4 4wd and every pair of shocks I put in knock after about 50 miles. The upper and lower mounts are both tight, but for some reason the upper mount won't center and jumps side to side and hits the frame mount. I have removed, replaced, bought new and cussed a lot. I would appreciate if anyone could give me any other insight. Thanks

-Adam

p.s. It is only the left front

 

No thoughts? Could any of the steering components ( tie rods, pitman or idler arm) cause this problem? Could the stabilizer links make the control arm jumpy so it fools me into thinking that it is a shock mount problem? I know that someone has at least an opinion.....please let me know.

Adam

 

You say that all the shocks you used still knock so...
If your shocks are brand new and you get under your truck and try to move the shocks around in the mounts with brute force, and the shocks are still solid tite in their rubber mounts then it is not your shocks that are causing the knocking sounds

get under your truck and try to pull on your stabilizer and other suspension parts and see if you have a loose piece, or if you hear the knocking sound at all.

Also tighten all nuts under your truck that has to do with suspension

also double check and see if the rubber bushings on the shock mounts are in good condition and fit the shocks you installed.

also smoke a big fat joint

 

I would check your stabilizer bar retainers . these are notorious for going bad on something that old

 

I have had a shock knocking issue with my rancho's and what it is is the LOWER bolts. when it gets cold out they shrick just enought to knock a little.

the lower mounts up front are very thick and don't bend easily. It took a 1/2 drive impact wrench to get the bottoms tight enough not to knock.

good luck-

 

Thanks a lot, I just got home from christmas vacation. I will check everything out in the morning. I really appreciate the advice. Hopefully this will cure this annoying clunk.

Thanks again,

Adam

 

Hey thanks a lot guys, the damn knocking is gone. Well, I have only been on road since, but I will have a chance tomorrow to beat the crap out of it and really put it to the test. Thanks a ton.

Bitchin'

Adam

 

What seemed to be the problem, what was loose?

 

For some reason the 1/2" drive impact I was using wasn't putting out enough foot pounds to tighten the lower mount enough?!?!? The lower mounts were not tight, so the control arm didnt sqeeze tight against the eye mount. Tightened with stronger impact, and problem solved, thanks again for the replies.

Adam

P.S. Sleeve in rubber bushing would move up and down, side to side inside the control arm......

 

I just changed shocks on my truck last month using a couple open end wrenches and 3/8" drive ratchet and deep sockets. No problem to easily seat the nuts on the threaded studs. I wouldn't consider using an impact wrench for seating those nuts, too easy to twist off a stud if you aren't careful or if you aren't familiar with the torque capabilities of your impact and the air pressure settings of your compressor. Sounds like you had the threads crossed.

 

I made sure that the threads were not crossed. When I bought the truck I noticed that the lower shock mounts had grade 5 bolts in them, so I believe that someone had a problem when they had them off for whatever reason, so I replaced with grade 8s. I dont know if someone had used a pry-bar to set the shocks or remove them. I believe that the lower mount on the control arm was spread a little too far and the shock would not seat properly. The impact took care of that. Also, do you possibly know about why the idler and pitman arms go bad on these trucks? I went on some fairly rough trails last week and came back with some steering slack that wasnt there before. I hate having to replace all this crap, but the fun is well worth it.

Bitchin'

Adam

 

Hi guys,

I installed new Rancho RSX's on front/rear of my '99 Expedition 4wd, and you can twist the bottom rear shock causing a clunking noise. I can twist it a little bit back-and-forth, and i'm wondering if that is whats making it rattle when I go over small bumps.

The bolts are tight and everything else is normal. Are there additional bushings you can install?

I'm going to check it out this weekend and see if its the lower bolt spacer, or something else.

TIA for any input.

'99 Expedition, 5.4, 4wd, 86k mi.

 

When I bought my Ranchos they came with two different sized bolt bushings.

Out of all four that I installed 1 knocks when it is cold out. I guess the polyurethane gets hard in the cold and one of the bushings is a little big. The bushings are not made to a very tight spec and frankly are a weak spot on otherwise very good shocks.

When it warms up the knock will go away.