If its not the shocks - what is it

[dgly]

All-

Need your opinions/experience

 

Whenever my ('96 3.3L) PF is driven over rough road at low speed - best example is a speed hump - I hear a rubbing noise from front of vehicle. This sounds as if the shocks were shot; however, I replaced all of em approx 1 month ago.

 

To desribe the sound - its as if the coil spring (on the strut assy) was rubbing against a stationary part when going over a speed hump. No - the spring is not actually contacting anything (except the strut assy which is torqued to spec :contract: ). Note, this is rather loud ie you can hear it no problem from inside car even with windows up (and radio at lower volume).

 

Heard this before and after the new strut assy put in (did not change the coil spring, only changed out the assy which comes as one piece with shock included)

 

I do have dust boots over the shock shafts so its not a matter of dirt getting in there and the noise from shaft scrapping dirt/etc in housing.

 

I know I need to replace/repack front bearings but think this would be a sound associated with rotation, not an up/down translation.

[Diesel Boy]

Pull the wheel off and have a look around for under there for anything that looks polished from rubbing.