Awesome, thanks for the update!

 

So the sway bar end link ball joints were loose?

 

Yeah the right side upper where it mounted to the strut. I'm surprised it didn't separate.

 

Having chased this type of problem/noise on my own car, often times it's a combination of things. All you are left with is the sway bar bushings themselves.

I changed those (last item on my list) and viola, noise completely gone.

Same thing happened on our 06 escape, clunking on the front end, did control arms and struts, tie rods, sway bar end links. almost completely quiet except for the say bar bushings. Replaced those on the Escape, all noise gone, just like the stang.

 

Were the sway bar bushings noticeably bad? I was going to do mind but they seem fine.

 

It's also possible for the bushings to be good but for the nuts/bolts securing the clamps to have loosened. I don't think that this is a very common source of noise but it absolutely can happen, perhaps more likely once you've removed and re-installed these fasteners because you swapped out the OE front stabilizer bar for an aftermarket one. Been there (and the dealership either couldn't find it or didn't put enough time into finding it when I had the car in for other service).


Norm

 

I had that happen after I replaced the factory bushings( and sway bars). I used locktite the second time.

 

Just an update - new outside tie rod ends, alignment and wheels rebalanced seems to have greatly helped

 

I changed EVERYTHING - twice - on both sides and still had the noise. I found the bolt holding the bottom ball joint shaft was damaged - and the passenger side ball joint was damaged. I had changed the ball joint twice so I assumed it had to be good but it wasn't.....

 

In trying to get rid of the noise I also tried to just suppress it by filling the frame under the door sills with expanding foam, putting insulation in in any space behind the plastic panels and wrapping the stabilizer bars and control arms in pipe insulation - they all worked so now its a very quite ride.