aweful cracking sound ,need help

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dartpower

dartpower

dartpower
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Sep 13, 2009
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dartmouth ns canada
looking for someone that has lots of knowledge in 67 dart ,I've had this bad sound just like you'd think the frame is breaking .sound is coming front pass side .if I stop and hit the gas pedal wow what a awful sound ,had ride height adjusted and all front end suspension has been replaced over time past few years .what the ""f"" is making this noise ,it is getting very worrisome. Can anyone point me in the right direction what to look for in this cracking crunching sound , even when I go over the slightest little bump or back out of my driveway .. its a puzzle .need it fixed before something is ready to either break or let go and cause more damage ..please help
 
Step by step

Get the front end on jack stands. Back out the T-bar adjuster, counting the turns as you go. Remove the front wheel. Cycle the suspension up and down with a floor jack. You may have to remove the shock. Inspect all the bushings and the LCA pin bore welding.
 
I bet the torsion bars are out of grease. You adjusted the ride height and now the torsion bars are putting pressure on new locations without grease. Pull back the rubber boots and pack with grease per the service manual.
 
BOY that is hard to say.

Other than above.................

In this digital age, I'd be tempted to tape/ fasten a GoPro or other recording device under there in two three different places and see if you can run it down. You might also get a helper in a parking lot, say, with a bicycle, etc, and do some low speed turns

As old as these girls are, it can be lots of things from simple/ inexpensive, to something broke/ cracked. Bushing worn, dried out, loose, or even damaged/ rusted structure.
 
If you've changed the ride height and didn't reset the LCA pins it put the bushings in a bind and maybe premature failure. 2-3 year old suspension parts don't mean much these days. Some stuff fails in under a year. Like said above check it all out. Also look at the upper control arm mounts where they sit on top of the frame rail. Common area for rust and I've seen where the shock brace has come loose from the apron and makes noise.
 
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Did your upper control arm cams slip/loosen on the passenger side?
 
My money's on the k-frame/LCA pin tube weld being busted loose. Some good suggestions so far. Do a close inspection, looking at everything from bushings to frame structure first.

AJ's right on for checking the suspension, put it up on stands, pull the wheel, back out the torsion bar adjuster and cycle the suspension. You'll probably need to drop the adjuster bolt all the way out so you can pull the adjuster plate to give you full motion. If you can't hear it right away using a jack to cycle the suspension pull the shock so you can cycle the suspension by hand. You can move stuff faster than you'll be able to with the jack, and you might be able to feel the play from whatever is making then noise.

Other than that and a close inspection you'll really have to start taking it apart to find the culprit.
 
after giving it a good once over so you dont die/make it worse... as suggested by others, if its not obviously loose/broke, it could be a crack in sheet metal. I had a '92 ramcharger that made all kinds of bad sounds from a VERY small crack in the cowl metal and it had a frame!

i would give your shock towers and front frame rail a good look over as well.
 
See if you can joumce the car sitting still and make the noise "appear". Then you may be able to pinpoint with a mechanic stethoscope. What would be set is to have it on an alignment rack with someone underneath with said stethoscope, but yes, I would see if I can make the noise with the car sitting still.
 
I had this 73 Swinger show up at my place this one time. It had a broken T-bar and the passenger side had fallen down. Of course the fender was messed up too.
Course I had spare parts so Out with the old and in with;waitaminute, somethings not right here. You guessed it the LCA pin-tube was torn out of the K. So had to fix that first.
Anyway; customer said it had been making an awful screaching/creaking, noise for a few days prior,lol.
I had to pound the fender back into a reasonable facsimile of stock. It was ugly. But it drove for many more years.
 
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