CV Joint on a 88 stang?

All 'Stangs are rear wheel drive, and IIRC, the only rears availible in '88 were solid axles. The boots you are seeing are part of your steering rack. The clunking noises you hear may be your ball joints, wheel bearings, or a bushing or two in the front end.

Block the rear wheels, jack up the front end, support it with stands on the 'frame' rails, and wiggle each tire back and forth (left to right), and up and down (top to bottom). You should have little to no play.

Many tire shops offer a free front end check, that is probably your best bet.

HTH

Carl

No such thing as a CV joint on a Mustang. Never was. CV joints are used on FWD vehicles, not RWD.

Well I sure feel silly! The CV Joint that I've had go back before was in a front wheel drive car.

I'll try the things you sugguest and probably go with the free front end check. The only thing I hate about those free checks is they tend to blow everything out of porportion. I never know which of the fifty things they say are wrong, are really wrong.

Thanks!

The pictures are the rubber boots on the steering rack.

Al

Any idea why the one side has hardened grease all over it? It's not fresh grease, I could barely scrape it off with my fingernail.

RWD vehicles with IRS on the other hand....

Took the car to a tires plus and paid $15 for a front end check. They said the wiggle loose noise and the popping/clunking im hearing is from a broken link pin. They said they would replace it for $75. I had them throw in a alignment that I needed badly for $50 extra.

I go to pick it back up after work so I'll post back if everything is rock solid or if they took my money and kicked me in the beans.

The also said that my rack and pinion and my waterpump were leaking a tiny bit. I'll have to keep an eye on those. I checked all fluids just last weekend and they were full and there are no spots on my garage floor from power steering fluid. Obviously can replace the water pump myself down the road if needed.

Thanks!

Cool, be sure to let us know if your problem has been fixed! (It really helps when someone else asks a similiar question).

Carl

Good news, the car is rock solid now! It drives like it should, not a sound or a rattle coming from the front.

Since I got the car I didnt understand why it seemed to have about 30% less pickup and power than my old stock 93 mustang, but now that the link pin is fixed it seems to have regained all that pickup and power. That makes me wonder if my wheel was wobling so bad that it was slowing me down?

Anyways all is fixed and its great! However I saw a few drops of antifreeze on my garage floor that I have never seen before. I wonder if they worked my water pump over with an ice pick to stick it to me.

Can someone give me the definition and use of a "link pin".

Thanks!