-
Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features
Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!
Rattling
- Thread starter Suprawill1
- Start date
As I mentioned, did all the steps I listed above.
Dealer cant hear it so guess Im superman.
There are quite a few folks that hear this. Tech had a ladies’ 24 ST twice. Then they finally replaced the right strut. There is a ford ssm for the 23s. Same issue.
Watch that video I posted above. Different year but the guy found the prob in the right strut. Same thing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dealer cant hear it so guess Im superman.
There are quite a few folks that hear this. Tech had a ladies’ 24 ST twice. Then they finally replaced the right strut. There is a ford ssm for the 23s. Same issue.
Watch that video I posted above. Different year but the guy found the prob in the right strut. Same thing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I saw what you listed but you said you stopped short of taking the filter cover off since you said you could test it from behind "Was going to remove filter cover, but didn't think there was a point being I was able to test it from behind battery." which is a little confusing because are you talking about the recirculation flap or the cover that holds the filter in on the glove box side? To me it sounded like you did not actually take the filter out and if you did not there could also be something stuck under the filter like a screw or something? (just thought of this) or the filter itself is not sitting in there properly, however if ya did take the filter out and check it all then I got no other thoughts.
I know its not a screw loose. Although I rattle my head sometimes and hear them. 
But seriously, If I really thought it was, I’d remove it. Raining, I was lucky to get that far. Weather has been a pain.
I move at a very slow speed on flat ground wouldn’t rattle anything like that. Something is twisting, turning or moving up and down.
That video I posted on that older model showed some clues. Other things I’ve been hearing is that the pressure tube inside shock rattles. Again, I don’t buy that. Nor do I care. I just want it fixed. Bad enough I do all my own computer crap. I’m not going crazy on mechanics any further than I have.
I got to get an in-depth conversation with my service writer. By now, his tech should have been able to examine the ‘24 strut they replaced by now. They need to explain to me WHY they cannot hear it with or without their sniffer. The owner of that 24 heard it and brought it back after the dealer said they fixed it. They poked and hoped it was the sway bar and other stuff.
They ended up replacing stuff they didn’t have to and really pist their customer off.
Bottom line, new strut fixed it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
But seriously, If I really thought it was, I’d remove it. Raining, I was lucky to get that far. Weather has been a pain.
I move at a very slow speed on flat ground wouldn’t rattle anything like that. Something is twisting, turning or moving up and down.
That video I posted on that older model showed some clues. Other things I’ve been hearing is that the pressure tube inside shock rattles. Again, I don’t buy that. Nor do I care. I just want it fixed. Bad enough I do all my own computer crap. I’m not going crazy on mechanics any further than I have.
I got to get an in-depth conversation with my service writer. By now, his tech should have been able to examine the ‘24 strut they replaced by now. They need to explain to me WHY they cannot hear it with or without their sniffer. The owner of that 24 heard it and brought it back after the dealer said they fixed it. They poked and hoped it was the sway bar and other stuff.
They ended up replacing stuff they didn’t have to and really pist their customer off.
Bottom line, new strut fixed it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
2
- Show All
I wiggled anything can/could move and locked it down with felt, foam, zip ties. Noise is isolated now and random at low speed even with recirculator on. I also completely "metal hvac duct" taped the exterior air going into the cabin which is a plus for me since I never want the recirculator off anyways due to all the smog in the city, so at least I solved something.
No time to take it to service until I am back from vacation in Jan, but it's clear now that service won't pin it on anything else.
I did also monkey around the suspension in the front passenger wheel. I found the lower sway bar connector a 1/4 turn lose with a 1/2 inch wrench. You shouldn't not be able to torque anything down in that area by hand, so I monkeyed it down even more after the find. I am pointing to it in the photo.
The stuff that moves:
1. The battery cover can make contact with the positive terminal tray in the back and front, added felt here.
2. There's a electrical connector that can wiggle in the center cowl, zip tied that.
3. The positive terminal tray can also shift, stuffed some foam underneath.
4. Positive terminal tray cover, any and all contact points were lined with felt.
5. Cowl cover that contacts the metal were lined with felt on the passenger side.
6. Hood release that is lose, contact points were lined with felt.
7. There's some vacuum line connected to the battery left hand side that is fairly lose and can wiggle wrong and wrap around behind the battery. I pulled it up and zipped tied that as well.
No time to take it to service until I am back from vacation in Jan, but it's clear now that service won't pin it on anything else.
I did also monkey around the suspension in the front passenger wheel. I found the lower sway bar connector a 1/4 turn lose with a 1/2 inch wrench. You shouldn't not be able to torque anything down in that area by hand, so I monkeyed it down even more after the find. I am pointing to it in the photo.
The stuff that moves:
1. The battery cover can make contact with the positive terminal tray in the back and front, added felt here.
2. There's a electrical connector that can wiggle in the center cowl, zip tied that.
3. The positive terminal tray can also shift, stuffed some foam underneath.
4. Positive terminal tray cover, any and all contact points were lined with felt.
5. Cowl cover that contacts the metal were lined with felt on the passenger side.
6. Hood release that is lose, contact points were lined with felt.
7. There's some vacuum line connected to the battery left hand side that is fairly lose and can wiggle wrong and wrap around behind the battery. I pulled it up and zipped tied that as well.
Attachments
Last edited:
-
2
- Show All
Thanks for all your effort. Did the tighten down of the sway bar eliminate anything noticeable?
Only thing I was able to get to was eliminate every one of those plastic liner nuts. I found 1 missing, 2 were loose about an 8th of an inch, 2 of the metal nuts were loose.
I was able to get close to where the felt liner is near the flex pipe. It could make a noise but not similar to the rattle/clunking.
The speed where it starts is around 1-2 mph up to over 40mph. The frequency and the sounds do not increase or decrease. They remain constant.
I really believe it’s something in the strut. The wheel acts independent and just the simple up/down movement and twisting, the clunk remains the same.
Only time it disappears is when the road is perfectly straight and flat which is not too often.
Prob is getting dealer to act on it.
Think I’m going to have to get Ford to extend/update the date from the ‘23 ssm…
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Only thing I was able to get to was eliminate every one of those plastic liner nuts. I found 1 missing, 2 were loose about an 8th of an inch, 2 of the metal nuts were loose.
I was able to get close to where the felt liner is near the flex pipe. It could make a noise but not similar to the rattle/clunking.
The speed where it starts is around 1-2 mph up to over 40mph. The frequency and the sounds do not increase or decrease. They remain constant.
I really believe it’s something in the strut. The wheel acts independent and just the simple up/down movement and twisting, the clunk remains the same.
Only time it disappears is when the road is perfectly straight and flat which is not too often.
Prob is getting dealer to act on it.
Think I’m going to have to get Ford to extend/update the date from the ‘23 ssm…
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
