jacekk

Hi all, New member. I recently bought a beautiful mineral grey, black leather 2005 V6 owned by a little old lady who used it to go to church on Sundays. Seriously! She was 92, deceased estate: it has only done 9,000 miles, and is like new - the buy of the decade for me, but here is the thing, the front suspension creaks when I brake.

I can't replicate the noise when out of the car with the hood open or closed and pressing down on the front or side fenders.

Inside it creaks quite readily when braking and the front dips even a little, especially when stopping at a traffic light or I pump the brake. Could it be the master cylinder?

Hard to define where it is coming from seems from the front on both sides but if anything a little louder on the drivers side. The car was used so little over the last 9 years (but serviced regularly) that maybe something has dried out? Sway bar bushing? Any suggestions?

TBuckTex

Sometimes they creak at the wheel caliper. Mine is doing it again, just needs a service. The dip is a natural break dive I would guess. Is the car a pony? If not, first thing I would do would be to add a rear stabilizer bar. Base V6's don't have them and need them. About an hour of work and $130. I waited 9 years to put one on, should have done it day one!

jacekk

Thanks @TBuckTex, I'll check the calipers. Makes sense as that is the only active component when braking.

I didn't realize the rear stabilizer added that much. Which brand did you install?

Thank you.

TBuckTex

Honestly, I believe it is a take off part, even though its sold as brand new. But the bar is solid, powder coated, fit perfectly. Be sure to get the proper one, vert or coupe because they are different. Bought it on ebay from "AM autoparts" (not american muscle) because it comes with the center and end links. All you need to get is the hardened bolts to attach it with. Most of the bars you get from other places either have no end links or no center links and NONE have the bolts ($50 from ford). I went to a fastener place in town and picked up the bolts for $20! Anyway... here is the link to the vert one I bought. Its easy to put on and well worth it!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rear-Stabili...-/370695016758

jacekk

Thank you TBuckTex! That is awesome! I will order one immediately. You don't by any chance remember the size of the bolts do you? I see them in the workshop manual but they don't specify a size.

TBuckTex

Sure! (with thanks to another mustang enthusiast at another blog site!) Use hardened bolts. In metric they will be 10.9 hardness. Kind of a pain to get the metric, but those fit the bushings correctly.

4- 10mm x 30mm bolts, nuts and washers
2- 12mm x 65mm bolts, nuts and washers

Torque specs:
link to chassis bolts-85 ft lbs
bracket nuts-52 ft lbs

Good luck and be sure to get the correct (conv or coupe) bar!

jacekk

Thank you so much! Greatly appreciated.

Nuke

Be sure all of the strut tower bolts are tight. There's a TSB regarding front end groan/creak but it's more related to going over bumps; not quite what you described.