On cold start hearing rattle and clonking from front suspension area

[jjy168]

Hey guys anyone observed a loose clonking, but not a metal on metal sound. Like a loose metal against rubber sound from the front suspension in cold starts?
I keep hearing it in the mornings and it goes away after about 5 - 10 miles of driving. But it sounds unsettling though. Every bump will make that sound and it's definitely coming from the front suspension.

 

[Yupster Dog]

Every bump will make that sound and it's definitely coming from the front suspension.

Check your end links on your swaybar

 

[Scottorama]

Xlt? If so you have blown a shock...thats how my shock announced its death

 

[Zig10]

2 of my 3 blown struts made the same clunking sound. I'd start there, as noted above...

 

[jjy168]

I have the ccd. I will start there. Thanks.

 

[josedirte4]

@ jjy168 did you ever find the issue? I have a 2020 max with CCD and my driver side will make a strange noise over bumps when it's colder outside on the first drive of the day. It will also go away after a few minutes. It almost sounds as if the suspension is stiff.

 

[bryz_expy]

I have the same sound in my 19 platinum with CCD. Only when cold and goes away after a few minutes of drinking. Any irregularities in the road amplifies the sound.

I read another similar thread and someone mentioned a body seam making contact but I don’t see how that would go away. Resolving it required pulling entire off frame.

 

[rndlmn4]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have the 3.5L EcoBoost, it could be coming the engine. I follow the 'EcoBoost 3.5L Enthusiats' page on FaceBook and that's what 80% of the post are about; cold start rattle and cam phasers. The cam phasers operate off of oil pressure, and when the oil drains down after sitting, the phasers can rattle until they build enough pressure. Most of the people in that group have F150s, but it's the same engine in the Expedition. This issue can occur anywhere from 50K miles to well over 100K miles. It varies based on how the vehicle is used, i.e. towing, off-roading, daily commutes. Hopefully it's not, but don't overlook this possibility too long. I recommend following that Facebook page, if for no other reason than getting an education on the topic.

 

[rndlmn4]

Here's another thread from this forum that you may want to read.

Cold Start Rattle (Again)

My '18 Limited had the cam phasers replaced awhile back. Symptom at the time was the oft-reported "cold start rattle". After repairs, the rattle went away. Sometime between then and now, the "cold start rattle" returned. However, from the various threads on this forum and according to the...

www.expeditionforum.com

 

[apex96]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have the 3.5L EcoBoost, it could be coming the engine. I follow the 'EcoBoost 3.5L Enthusiats' page on FaceBook and that's what 80% of the post are about; cold start rattle and cam phasers. The cam phasers operate off of oil pressure, and when the oil drains down after sitting, the phasers can rattle until they build enough pressure. Most of the people in that group have F150s, but it's the same engine in the Expedition. This issue can occur anywhere from 50K miles to well over 100K miles. It varies based on how the vehicle is used, i.e. towing, off-roading, daily commutes. Hopefully it's not, but don't overlook this possibility too long. I recommend following that Facebook page, if for no other reason than getting an education on the topic.

You appear to be confusing the cam phaser rattle with suspension and/or body contact noises that the others are trying to troubleshoot. The cams are well documented on this forum.

For the clunk issue I’d look at driveshaft slip joints and any rotational area on the front end. My front end clunk, while very soft, was due to worn out front sway bar end links. The end links looked fine but apparently had enough internal play to shift when first moving and then settle in.

 

[josedirte4]

@apex96 my first look was going to be the front sway bar links, but I haven’t had time to get to it. I know if these are real bad there will be a lot of play, but mine has less than 25k miles on it and the sound is intermittent. I assume there won’t be a lot of play, but do you have any tips on how to determine if mine are going bad or not?

 

[apex96]

@apex96 my first look was going to be the front sway bar links, but I haven’t had time to get to it. I know if these are real bad there will be a lot of play, but mine has less than 25k miles on it and the sound is intermittent. I assume there won’t be a lot of play, but do you have any tips on how to determine if mine are going bad or not?

I don’t really have any tips on how to best determine it. I had to really rip my old ones apart to get them off (rust belt state) and only then did I see some of the wear marks on the ball ends. It felt fine with no weight on it and didn’t have much play, if any, when inspecting them.

The end links were cheaper and easier to replace than the ball joints so I took a stab at them first. Turns out the end links were the issue but, it could have also been the ball joints and I would have replaced those next.

 

[josedirte4]

I understand. With the cold season coming up, I may wait and see how it sounds in the upcoming months. Mine randomly will make a noise right now. If it gets worse I’ll definitely get down there and look.