Front End Suspension

sickandtired2

This interesting my 2004 Pacifica front end has been raggedy every since I've purchased the car in 2012, I cannot tell you how much money I've spent in trying to fix this clunking/hard knocking noise in the front end while driving over rough surfaces, I'm telling you it sounds like the front end is about to fall apart its so bad. I've already replaced shocks, motor mounts, stabilizing links, upper control arms, cv joints and the problem just keeps getting worst. What I don't understand is how can something so obvious not able to get diagnosed?
Sick and tired of driving into shops replacing parts paying for their service and leaving with the same problem. What else can it possibly be?

Mr_Shiftright

Has anyone checked the upper strut mounts?

regularjoe1951

Check motor mounts, tie rods inner & Outter.

thecardoc3

You don't need more guesses, you need someone with a lot of experience and the right tools and routines to work with this. The tool that will make a big difference in a shops ability to identify the problem is called Chassis Ear. http://www.amazon.com/STEELMAN-97202-Wireless-ChassisEAR-Diagnostic/dp/B00123J79O

One of the things that people don't consider when it comes to noises over bumps is that the suspension is absorbing forces that are in the thousands of pounds when the tires are hitting bumps and the techs can at best push and pull a hundred or two. That means it can be extremely difficult to isolate a given sounds origin by feel or visual inspection alone. Part of the diagnostic routine requires the tech to not only be able to hear the noise, he/she must try to decide if it is a transmitted sound, a direct sound, or even an echo off of the pavement or nearby objects and that can sometimes be harder to do than it is to say.

Another facet to these types of problems is that all of the previous repairs mentioned are on the list of usual suspects and some of them may easily have been verifiably failed. That made them "A problem" when they aren't considered to be "The problem" this time. Meanwhile let's "assume" that your car's remaining problem is actually the sway bar bushings (not the links). Had those been done first, and one of the other repairs not and yet still been an issue you would find yourself in the same place, with the finish line somewhere else.

johnnyproperty

Any luck resolving? I drive a 2004.