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Help: '18 GT has clicking noise when I turn steering wheel

Striker22

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I had the same issue with my car starting at 22,000 miles. Could only hear it when I was driving around 5 mph in parking lots making sharp left hand turns. Took it to the dealership and they replaced both of the struts. Noise seems to be gone.
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mAkI

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I had the same issue with my car starting at 22,000 miles. Could only hear it when I was driving around 5 mph in parking lots making sharp left hand turns. Took it to the dealership and they replaced both of the struts. Noise seems to be gone.
I'm having this same issue on my Bullitt. Have replaced both struts, spring plates, upper shock mounts and bearings... Anything left that can potentially still be causing this issue. I'm inclining towards the subframe bolts
 

Striker22

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I'm having this same issue on my Bullitt. Have replaced both struts, spring plates, upper shock mounts and bearings... Anything left that can potentially still be causing this issue. I'm inclining towards the subframe bolts
Yeah, the only other thing I could think of in your case could be a bolt that isn't tightened up all the way if you have replaced all of those other things. The dealership initially replaced the strut tower bearings but said the noise was still there so they went ahead and replaced both of the struts.
 

mAkI

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Yeah, the only other thing I could think of in your case could be a bolt that isn't tightened up all the way if you have replaced all of those other things. The dealership initially replaced the strut tower bearings but said the noise was still there so they went ahead and replaced both of the struts.
Thanks, I have requested them to check torque specs on all bolts especially the subframe. Crazy thing is if I pop the hood and put my finger on the strut while someone turns the wheel, I can feel the "click"
 

jpboats

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I have a 2019 bullitt, it started around 5000 miles. Someone on the bullitt forum had every steering, and suspension part replaced and it cured it for about 500 miles and it came back? This sounds to me like a defect of some kind. To many cars with this problem.
 

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G_Money_FL

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As you can see from this thread's history, I have been battling this issue for two years. A year or so ago I replaced the spring plates and upper shock mounts, and torqued everything related that could be found to spec. This seemed to fix the problem for about 3 or 4 months. It has steadily gotten worse since then.

An interesting note: Every time I put the car on a lift and unload the suspension, the problem will go away for a few hours until it re settles.
 

EmCel

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I'm not sure if I talked about my experience on the forum but once the left wheel bearing was replaced I didn't have a problem with it anymore. I went through a lot of bullshit until someone figured out the cause of the noise.

I did go through 3 wheel alignments before the wheel bearing replacement because no one could figure out why the noise was happening. It was pretty loud.

But good luck to y'all.... it's very annoying when no one seems to pin point the problem. Especially Ford techs since it's a known issue with these cars.
 

Elp_jc

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Really surprised nobody has found the problem. I'm glad it only appears to affect non-MR cars. And if that's the case, then the answer might be in a part that is different on MR cars. I'd drive me nuts if my car was doing that noise, and nobody knew what it was. Good luck, guys.
 

pyrophilus

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Wow that's crazy.

My 15 and 17 EB's had ZERO problems with struts and steering (except the steering rack dying on the '15 immediately after I had a tire shop do an alignment)...

And then my 19 GT, the right strut bearing went, making the clicking sound when i turn steering. But i knew it because I've done countless numbers of strut bearing replacements on my nissans in the past 20 years...

The dealer service manager insisted that they cover it under warranty (I thought it was wear and tear as the bearing takes a lot of abuse and it's just two pieces of plastic). No problems until few months later, I get the same sound, but only when I am making a slow right turn.

I put it on jackstands and immediately noticed that the front wheel was loose when I rock it.

The bearing failed, but here is the weird thing. When I went to remove the axel nut, it was completely loose. I tried to tighten it to see how loose it was, and I was able to tighten it about 3+ turns before the threads bottomed out.

I think for my case, the axel nut loosened and then the stress causes the outer bearing races to fail, popping off (the sealed bearing now is just open).

While in all my other cars the axel nut used either a castle nut with a cotter pin or an axel nut that you indent with a screw driver to lock it in, the mustang axel nut has no such locking mechanisms and it only specifies to torque to 251 lb.ft. of torque.

I wonder if the wrench they used on the assembly line for the axel nut is/was out of spec?

The nut comes with blue thread locks pre applied, but I was dubious about that working as well as a cotter pin.

Reading your post makes me think that perhaps mine was not a one-off problem.

I'm not sure if I talked about my experience on the forum but once the left wheel bearing was replaced I didn't have a problem with it anymore. I went through a lot of bullshit until someone figured out the cause of the noise.

I did go through 3 wheel alignments before the wheel bearing replacement because no one could figure out why the noise was happening. It was pretty loud.

But good luck to y'all.... it's very annoying when no one seems to pin point the problem. Especially Ford techs since it's a known issue with these cars.
 

EmCel

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Wow that's crazy.

My 15 and 17 EB's had ZERO problems with struts and steering (except the steering rack dying on the '15 immediately after I had a tire shop do an alignment)...

And then my 19 GT, the right strut bearing went, making the clicking sound when i turn steering. But i knew it because I've done countless numbers of strut bearing replacements on my nissans in the past 20 years...

The dealer service manager insisted that they cover it under warranty (I thought it was wear and tear as the bearing takes a lot of abuse and it's just two pieces of plastic). No problems until few months later, I get the same sound, but only when I am making a slow right turn.

I put it on jackstands and immediately noticed that the front wheel was loose when I rock it.

The bearing failed, but here is the weird thing. When I went to remove the axel nut, it was completely loose. I tried to tighten it to see how loose it was, and I was able to tighten it about 3+ turns before the threads bottomed out.

I think for my case, the axel nut loosened and then the stress causes the outer bearing races to fail, popping off (the sealed bearing now is just open).

While in all my other cars the axel nut used either a castle nut with a cotter pin or an axel nut that you indent with a screw driver to lock it in, the mustang axel nut has no such locking mechanisms and it only specifies to torque to 251 lb.ft. of torque.

I wonder if the wrench they used on the assembly line for the axel nut is/was out of spec?

The nut comes with blue thread locks pre applied, but I was dubious about that working as well as a cotter pin.

Reading your post makes me think that perhaps mine was not a one-off problem.
Well now I know what that problem sounds like just in case my car starts doing the same shit. And no I will not be doing 3 different alignments like my clueless mechanic suggested that I do back then 😂 I didn't know any better.
 

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pyrophilus

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I don't know if we have a central file/location for symptoms, but...

When the strut bearings go, you get clicks but:

the click happens when you turn the steering wheel from lock to lock, and it click whether you are driving (rolling) or stationary.
if you get someone to turn the steering wheel while you put your hand or ears to the top of the strut tower, you can feel/hear the click very loudly.
jacking the car up and the shaking the front wheels does NOT create any sounds nor are the wheels loose.

When you have a bad wheel bearing:

the clicking sound happens not when you are stationary. It happens when one turns the car slowly rolling forward TO the direction that the bad bearing is on. You get a single click (from the driver's seat, this click and the strut bearing click sounds very similar.
While you are not rolling, turning the steering lock to lock will NOT replicate the click.
The car may or may not make bearing noise when rolling (mine did not).
when you jack up the car, grabbing the wheel by 9 and 3 O'clock and rocking it back and forth may cause the wheel to feel loose, and can make clicking sounds.

If you grasp the wheel by 12 and 6 O clock positions and try rocking, and if the clicking and feeling loose happens, then it is wheel bearing.

If the wheel does NOT click or feel loose when rocking by hands at 12 and 6 O'clock positions, then the problem may be not the wheel bearing, but a busted tierod or control arm ball joints.
 

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Same issue here. On April rack and pinion were repaced. Things remained the same. Still at the workshop, I've been told that noise comes from the steering column shaft, expecting yet to receive the parts. And pissed off from waiting for two months to address this (will see if this time Service guys are right).
 

garbancillo

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Really surprised nobody has found the problem. I'm glad it only appears to affect non-MR cars. And if that's the case, then the answer might be in a part that is different on MR cars. I'd drive me nuts if my car was doing that noise, and nobody knew what it was. Good luck, guys.
MR cars suffer this too. Mine is MR.
 

njweatherman

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Hey guys!

2020 mustang gt, automatic, non pp, active exhaust with ford performance x pipe, 4,600 miles. The first thing I noticed on mine was while stationary or in park and turning the steering wheel to the right, it would make a slight moan/groan. No noise turning left. No noise from the steering wheel while moving.

About a week later, the slight moan/groan in park was followed by the ticking noise. However, the ticking noise was heard turning the steering wheel to the right and left. You can easily miss it if the ac is on and/or the radio is on. I'm waiting to take it in when I am due for my 2nd oil change.

From reading this forum, it can be either one and/or all of the following:
1. steering wheel rack and pinion.
2. loose sub-frame bolt.
3. front strut bearing
4. shock tower

For all of you guys that had it fixed, were you able to wait at the dealership or did you have to leave it?
 

will1881

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Just coming in to help out.
Had this exact same noise, they went through strut bearing and mount.
Turned out be a body issue. They said it was the fender causing the clicking noise.
Noise has gone since then, 1 month so far and nothing.
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