Front suspension "clunk" '94 Concorde

My 94 Concorde with 137K miles is getting a bit tired but I need to keep in
running safely for a few more months so any suggestions will be appreciated.
It's the 3.3L V-6 if that matters.

I have a "clunk" that I hear and feel in the front suspension. It's hard to
reproduce but can be heard and felt while turning and hitting a large bump
like a speed bump in a parking lot. It feels like something is moving then
popping back into place. I had a "front end specialist" look it over and
all he could see was a worn tie rod end which he replaced. I can't see
anything loose or anything that shows signs of moving when it shouldn't.
The motor & transmission mounts look good. This clunk is noticible at low
speeds although the car handles fine otherwise - no shakes, no pulling,
straight, even braking, etc.

I had a similar problem a year ago and the mechanic found that a large nut
on one of the suspension arms had backed off about 6 turns which allowed the
arm to move. He assurres me that the nuts are tight now but I still have
the problem.

I'm concerned that I have an unsafe car on my hands despite what the
mechanic said. I'd appreciate your thoughts and ideas.

Best regards,

Dave

 

I know you said that transmission mounts were ok but it sure sounds like the
rear AT mount especially if you feel the clunk under the gear shift console
when parking at a verticle angle.

 

Steering rack mount bushings. Very common to the car. Very inexpensive to
fix.

 

Worn sway bar bushings and sway bar end links are a common source of
such noise on these (relatively inexpensive and easy to replace). It
also may be the struts. Unfortunately, with these symptoms, it's hard
to pin it down to a particular component unless you see obvious wear or
damage in one. It's probably a safe bet that the struts need replacing
at this mileage, and they could very well be the noise you're hearing
(side play between the strut rod and cylinder making a sort of banging
noise on bumps) - I'm needing to replace them in my Concorde at 130k
miles for that very reason.

Unles you have a gut feeling about what the problem is, I'd replace sway
bar bushings first. The sway bar end links will have obvious play if
they are the problem - they cost around $40 each for the part. Then, if
by process of elimination, you still have the problem, then plan on struts.

Items others have mentioned are a possibility too: Steering rack and
tranny mounts.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

That sound is USUALLY sway bar end-links on that car. Very easy to
replace, fairly inexpensive. It could also be either the steering
rack-to-chassis bushings, or the tie-rod-to-steering-rack bushings.
Neither of those is an immediate safety hazard, but should be fixed.
Also fairly easy to do, but not as easy as the sway bar end-links.

 

Replace the sway bar to frame bushings first, they are under $10.

 

call a dealer with your vin and see if the control arm mounts are under recall
if not check the sway bar links and inner toierod bushings

 

But they rarely wear out, whereas the end-links are known to wear out
fairly often. And the end-links are a lot easier to replace (you have to
remove them before you can replace the bar-to-frame bushings anyway).

 

I've tried to get help on this site and in the archives to cure a
crunch sound when my '97 MV goes over a bump or in a driveway dip.
Other people withthe same problem say it's very elusive to repair and
several have replaced rubber grommets and engine mounts...some
without success.
I had similar problem on 97 dodge Mv with 75000 mi.

I jacked up the MV and turned the wheels to the side so I could see
the condition of the rubber grommets on the sway bar etc. They
looked fine but I happened to have a spray can of "belt dressing" so
I sprayed all that I could see...between the metal and the rubber.

Wonders never cease....no more crunching noise!
Probably any lubricant would work.

Rudy