UrS4

I have an 06 GT manual. Within the first 2 yrs, I installed a 1 piece Aluminum DS, Spohn on car adj LCAs with poly/spherical bushings as well as spohn on car adjustable panhard bar, and a Steeda panhard brace. Once installed, there was no change in NVH over stock. Last month I installed Steeda Ultralites springs, koni STR.T shocks, Steeda HD strut mounts, Strano adjustable front and rear bars. I had developed a right front suspension clunk over small road imperfections (manhole covers, etc) that I thought was a bad stock front strut mount. Unfortunately, this was not fixed with the Steeda HD strut install. I've gone over every bolt on the front suspension and nothing is loose so I think it might be a bad ball joint or front R LCA bushing. I'm thinking about upgrading the the GT500 ford racing arms.

Last week the car devloped a rear suspension metallic rattle. Got under the car with the wheels off and went through every suspension bolt from my recent upgrade as well as every other suspension piece. Found one slightly loose left rear body sway bar mount that was tightened. The right rear LCA adjustment nut was loose. After painstakingly tightening everything, drove the car around and the rattle was worse. Then put the rear up on ramps so the suspension was loaded and went over the rear LCA stuff again but it was all tight. Pushing both up and down and front to back on the sway bar and axle reproduced the metallic rattle. I think it is from the spherical joint on the LCAs. Seems slightly worse on the right but it is also on the left. The stock UCA seems ok, although the rubber bushings seem pretty soft. Jiggling the LCAs themselves does not reproduce the noise.

It would seem that over the years the spherical joints had indured enough to have a slight gap within the joint causing the rattle and just coincidently after my suspension upgrade decided to make noise.

What is the average longevity of various types of rear LCAs? Rubber, poly, metallic, combination.

I still have my stock rear LCAs and may just reinstall them to rid myself of this loud rattle.

Thoughts

Sam Strano

I assume your LCA's have rod-ends? That's most certainly the noise, only takes a few thousandths of an inch of play to cause a pretty good clunk

UrS4

Yes Sam they are a poly body mount bushing and a spherical axle mount.

How long do they last before they need replacing? Should I go back to stock? Fixed length poly or adj poly?

Sam Strano

Hang on... let's be specific here. Are they rod-ends, or Spohn's in house joint (I think they call them del-a-sphere?).

I'm not recommending anything until I know what is there now, for sure, for comparison.

UrS4

Sam, it's the poly/spherical on car adjustable LCA, not the Del-sphere pivot joint.

http://www.spohn.net/shop/2005-2008-...oly-Combo.html

Sam Strano

I'd suggest buying two new *high quality* rod-ends... maybe Aurora's. Don't go cheap. Alternatively, sell those and we can run others that won't be as noisy. There are different options for ends that allow articulation but are more quiet than rod-ends (those are rod-ends).

UrS4

Through Spohn, I have the option of replacing the spherical rod ends (30 bucks for the pair) or upgrading to the Del-Sphere pivot joints (110 bucks for the pair).

Any reason to go with the Del-sphere pivot joints over the rod ends from a NVH or handling standpoint?

808muscle

I had the front end clunk on the right side too. I installed some GT500 front LCA's and its been quiet ever since. Crappy ford ball joints.

Sam Strano

If they accept 3/4-16 threads UMI Roto-joints are $50 each (saving you $10) and use a one piece ball/side bushing setup instead of the 3 pieces Spohn uses... Those are a better solution to rod-ends and one thing I was going to discuss with you.

UPRSharad

I prefer solid, non-adjustable LCAs with poly bushings because they don't require any upkeep. They reduce wheel hop and improve cornering just like the double adjustable, spherical LCAs, but they don't wear out and make all kinds of racket back there.

Here's what I'm using and they work really well.

http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-c...ushing-05.html