I have searched and read many threads concerning front end noise(s). I have attempted to recreate the noise with car on jack stands. Anyway, i have an idea (if it's safe). I was wondering if i can disconnect the front anti sway bar links from the LCAs and see if the rattle noise goes away? I would only drive it in the neighborhood. The noise happens going 20-30 mph going straight and hitting bumps and joints from between two concrete slabs in the road. The struts are fairly new with new strut bushings installed at the same time. I changed the struts 14,000 miles ago trying to eliminate the noise but no change. Unforetunately, i reused the same OEM springs (mistake). The car has 209,000 miles on it. I believe the original upper and lower ball joints and LCA bushings are still on the car.

 

The sway bar end links and bushings are easily inspected (guess what I'm doing this weekend on the 95...anyway) for "missing" or almost missing bushings..if you get what I mean. Usually a noise from the sway bar will be heard when you load/unload the car from side to side. like when you corner.

Instead of ramps, raise the car-normal cautions-so the wheel(s) "hang"...and do the old 3 and 9 shake, then the 6 and 12 shake of the wheel.....I'd venture a guess, if I had the penny to bet.......at a roll say about 5~10 mph does the car feel like it is walking/swaying left to right

 

actually you can have sway bar issues noise going over bumps ,, if bushings are dry it will squeak over bumps the cause is dry inner bushings,,

if bushings are broken. missing you will have a rattle going over bumps

Also chk the radius rods bushings and make sure that the 17 mm nuts are tight

chk the upper and lower control arms ball joints, bushings and the upper control arm bolt the goes all the way through i have seen a few of those come loose

 

UPDATES: Firstly, i don't have ramps so when i jack, i'm on stands. I did the 3 0clock/9 oclock shake and also the 6 oclck/12 oclck shaking test. I don't get noise doing 6/12 but a little when doing 3/9.

The sway bar bushings were completley gone on the passenger side and torn and almost gone on the driver. The end link bushings are pretty fried too. I removed the entire sway bar and end links just for a quick neighborhood drive to see the noise difference. Result is the same rattling noise happens. I will do as Desert suggests and check the radius rod bushings next.

I inspected pretty closely yesterday before pulling off the sway bar. the upper ball joint boots are ripped. The lower ball joint boots are good. If i (by hand) grab the knuckle close to the upper ball joint and move it inboard/outboard, i do here a little something but not much. The upper ball joints are dry as i can stick a finger up in there through the torn boot.

 

Well sounds like you've a got a little front end work ahead of you....links, bushings, upper control arms.....

 

I tightened the radius rod bolts but they weren't really loose. I had to use a cheater bar. I had a neighbor ride with me this time and he says the clatter is outboard and in the suspension some where. He (and i) isn't a front end mechanic and more of a shade tree. I think i am just going to go for it and do the upper (whole new upper arm actually) and lower ball joints along with the LCA bushings, radius rod bushings, UCA bushings. Also the afore mentioned sway bar bushings and end links. I am going to use polyurethane bushings where ever i can, Moog ball joints and upper control arms.

I went to O'reilly and purchased a 32 mm axle nut remover socket. I had to use a 5 foot long cheater to get the axle nuts loose. There were dented inward (for locking the nut) spots on the axle nuts and i pried those back out to make the torquing easier. I used a jack to support the break over bar to get everything lined up with respect to the axle centerline.... and now it begins. Any words for the wise????

 

Buying everything online from Rockauto and Energy suspension. No orders placed yet so yell at me now if you think i should stop and pin point the noise. Only the axle nuts have been loosened but not removed. All else is still assembled.

 

My "yell" if you will....do the sway bar end and frame, upper arms/bushings (the arms will have the ball joint, bushings are sep). I, and my boys, have replaced the upper arms/ball joint and bushings on every 3rd gen I've had....they only seem to last
~200K miles