21 replies to this topic

[07SGT5687]

So i did the Shelby/MM CC plate install last night.  Went quite well and everything seemed good initially, but after driving it more today I've noticed a pronounced "thunking" coming from what seems to be the strut tower areas.  Full disclosure, i also installed the CHE K-member brace, but this seems to be coming directly from the strut areas.  Just kind of like it sounds when struts or mounts go bad.  I know I replaced the struct mounts when I installed these plates, but are they that much louder?!  I'm NOT ok with that much noise coming from that area.  The wife drove the car home tonight and stopped to call me to make sure everything was ok, it was so loud.

Please let me know if there is something I need to do to get this to do away or if this is what is what you all have exerienced.

Thanks, JR

[07SGT5687]

nuthin huh?

[ARMORINE]

lower control arm bushings?

[07SGT5687]

Can't imagine why they would be thunking immediately after the CC plate install though...

[ARMORINE]

cc plates could be putting more stress on them. thats about all i got. unless they forgot to tighten something. have you popped the hood and used your hands to rock the car?

[07SGT5687]

ARMORINE, on 17 September 2012 - 08:36 PM, said:

cc plates could be putting more stress on them. thats about all i got.

  Hmm... I appreciate the thought, but I'm not sure I'm worried about that.

ARMORINE, on 17 September 2012 - 08:36 PM, said:

unless they forgot to tighten something. have you popped the hood and used your hands to rock the car?

  yup.  Retorqued the struts towers and strut bolts too.

[mr2turtle]

A couple of months ago I changed the sway bar link setting.
After which I noticed a clunking noise. I too thought Strut bushing.
Took it to my mechanic and he drove it, then put it on the lift. He retightened the Sway bar links, really torqued them down and no noise afterwards.
Cheap fix and worth a try.
JIm

[TheKurgan]

Maybe give them some time and recheck the torque.  When I installed new strut mounts, they had a clunk for a couple weeks but then went away permamently.

[fatboy]

i've installed maximum motorsports caster/camber plates a year ago. lat couple months i've noticed a knocking noise on the left front when i hit subtle bumps. i thought it was the air filter's ford racing heat shield rattling on the fender well but that wasn't it. i'll have to take it to ford and have them look. hope there's no damage. i havent drove it much though.

[ARMORINE]

guys if your still having problems i got bad knews for you...its probably the bearing used in the CC plates. ive been reading bad things about the bearings failing. you need to lift the car up and measure the about of play in the bearings. i keep reading stories about them failing. they apparently start clunking when they do

[fatboy]

ARMORINE, on 23 November 2012 - 09:53 PM, said:

guys if your still having problems i got bad knews for you...its probably the bearing used in the CC plates. ive been reading bad things about the bearings failing. you need to lift the car up and measure the about of play in the bearings. i keep reading stories about them failing. they apparently start clunking when they do

what brand CC plates?

[07SGT5687]

07SGT5687, on 15 September 2012 - 07:42 PM, said:

So i did the Shelby/MM CC plate install last night.

fatboy, on 11 December 2012 - 07:05 AM, said:

what brand CC plates?

MM = Maximum Motorsports.

Edited by 07SGT5687, 11 December 2012 - 07:43 AM.

[Albino500]

This is more common a problem than one may think - mostly the issue is either the spherical bearing in the C/C plate ( any brand including M/M ) loses it's press fit or pounds out in it's cup OR the sway bar end links work them self loose at either the sway bar attachment or at the strut mounting hole. If you have a noise first disconnect the sway bar end link on one side and then go drive it - if the noise is gone - you know it is in the link (ball socket or wasn't tight on mount) but if the noise is still there - look at the spherical mount of the C/C plate and it's location in the hole -then jack up the front of the car and push down on the top of the tire to bottom out the travel and take a look at the position of the spherical ball in the upper mount to see if it has changed (dropped down) in the mount - if it has then call the maker and get a replacement C/C plate.

[07SGT5687]

For what it's worth, mine was like this from minute 1 of install of brand new plates.  And there is no play in the spherical bearing.  If I hit even a small manhole cover bump, the thunk/bang is so loud I SWEAR I just bent a rim or the FRAME!  Something is not right.  At highway speed, there is not noticeable sound.  But at low speed, it's annoying as hell and has completely ruined the ride quality.  Feels and sounds like I'm riding on fully compressed struts in the front... I've got to figure this out.  I don't even want to drive my car now because of it.  Very seriously considering just taking the plates back out until I can figure out what is going on.  At least if I take them out and it goes away, I'll be able to narrow it down to something relates to them.  Either a flaw in operation or installation.

Very disappointing so far though.

[Albino500]

Agreed - something is NOT right - go for the simple things first and work through it. Good luck

[07SGT5687]

Albino500, on 11 December 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

Agreed - something is NOT right - go for the simple things first and work through it. Good luck

Simple things?  What are those!  LOL  Not sure where to go next.  When I had it aligned, they double checked the torque/tightness of the sway bar links (the bar that goes up and attaches about half way up the back of the Strut, right?)... no idea what to check next.

Edited by 07SGT5687, 11 December 2012 - 09:33 AM.

[ARMORINE]

sorry ive been gone hunting for a while guys. the mm plates seemed to have had the most problems. apparently they had a bad batch of bearings get out.

[EL SHELBY]

Call Maximum Motorsports.  We can all throw out quesses here or you can go straight to the manufacture.

I have always know caster/camber plates to be noisy. The question for me would be 'how noisy is too noisy?'.

[Albino500]

07SGT5687, on 11 December 2012 - 09:32 AM, said:

Simple things?  What are those!  LOL  Not sure where to go next.  When I had it aligned, they double checked the torque/tightness of the sway bar links (the bar that goes up and attaches about half way up the back of the Strut, right?)... no idea what to check next.

1) sway bar end links
2) side play in strut
3) caster/camber plate
4) LBJ/LCA bushing
These are the possibilities - the first two are easy - the other two require a tear down. Like I said - not uncommon to get a bad C/C plate bearing.

[fatboy]

You know what my "THUNK" was? It was the 3/4" nut right on top of the shock.
I tightened it down and the noise stopped. It was loose enough I could twist the nut by hand.  I figured that had to be it because the 3/4" nut on the other shock was tight.
So far it hasn't "THUNKED" since and I've driven it around over 50 miles since then. (city, the interstate and over R/R crossings - gently of course)

but i have the adjustable Ford racing shocks. don't know if its different than the non adjustables as far as the 3/4" nut goes.

Edited by fatboy, 17 December 2012 - 12:36 PM.