It’s no secret that we are not fans of the BA Falcon. First off, many critics of our content accuse us of unfair bias towards them due to a love of Holden. This is simply not true. Holden is just as poor a product as Ford is. GDL does not operate in some consumer vacuum where we can only be fans of Holden or Ford. Our views and opinions are purely mechanical and we assess vehicles against an even criteria and in most cases Ford and Holden come up short. We have no affiliation with either brand no favour either. If we had to pick a favourite brand we would lean towards Toyota.
This article is not intended to attack any specific brand rather to offer technical support for anyone so unlucky to own one of these blocks of Duplo.
If you want to look at previous articles on the Ford BA Falcon you can find the listed below.
BA Falcon Common Faults
BA Falcon Diff Bushes
BA Falcon Rear Suspension Faults
Issues not covered in those articles are some common faults with the front end suspension of these vehicles. There are a few common things to check if your getting the knocking noises coming from the front end of these vehicles.
Ball Joints: The first and most common cause of this noise is movement in the front ball joints. It can be one or a combination of several of these ball joints. There are two on each side, an upper and a lower ball joint. Its important to note that when checking these for movement, you have to check these in the suspension loaded position. That is to say having the vehicle hanging on axle stands or a hoist will reveal no movement in the ball joints. You need to jack the vehicle up on the lower control arm. Then with the suspension compressed you can check for movement in the ball joints.
Sway bar link pins: The next most common cause for suspension noise in the front of the Falcons is the trusty sway bar link pin. This is easy enough to check, simply remove the links and drive the vehicle around the block. Noise gone? Replace your sway bar link pins and job done. If you still have a noise, keep looking.
Steering rack mounts: The BA Falcon is known for the two nuts holding the steering rack to the crossmember working their way loose. These can be tightened and add a bit of lock tight. Be careful that people have not removed the washers between the rack and the crossmember. With these washers missing and the nuts loose, suspension noise can appear as suspension noise.
Front Shocks: The front shocks in the BA falcon have been known for failure however this is far less common than the previously mentioned issues. Many people go straight to the shock absorber for suspension noise. In the BA Falcon its less likely to be the shocks than these other issues.
Browse more blogs on our website www.gdlauto.com.au
For Subaru performance parts and merchandise please visit www.gdlautosport.com.au
