What does bad compression rods sound like?

Here is the back story. My 2005 AWD has about 150k. Its been lowered since 60k, wheel bearings replaced at 60k and then around 120k. Replaced upper arms. Both axles replaced. The car has no noise at all. I noticed driver side control arm bushing was bad. Not as bad as I've seen in many pictures but enough to know it was not in the middle. A pry bar could move it back into the middle. So I replace the driver side control arm assembly. Then I started getting noise on the passenger side. Only while moving slow speeds at the uneven ground. Looked around and i noticed the passenger swaybar ball joint (the one that has 2 bolts on the control arm) that was really loose. So i opt to get the other control arm install. Noise still there! Upon installing the arm the end link had a lot of play and I could make a similar noise. I figured I found my problem. Swapped both endlinks. Drive around and the noise is still there! Less often but still there. I check for play with the wheel up and down and side to side. NOTHING. All seem solid. No busted boots nothing I can duplicate. I retighten all bolts.

The noise only happens under 20mph at the uneven road. Dead silent on the highway.
- Replaced both control arms
- sway bar endlinks
- upper control arms are good.

I looked at the compression bushings and i dont see a tear or anything. Even check the strut top nuts. Only front end parts not replaced recently are tie rods, balljoints and compression rod bushings. But the first two should have play.

 

How are your lower ball joints? Does the car track well on hwy/fwy?
As I recall, the X's have a ball joint bolted to the LCA for the sway end links to attach to. Did you check/replace those when you did the end links?
For checking for play in suspension, I've had better luck diagnosing by lifting one wheel at a time by the LCA VS. opposed to lifting the front end and letting the suspension reach full droop. Makes it especially easier to check the tie rods, since the other wheel is still planted on the ground

 

im having a similar problem, at first thought it was cat heat shield. new exhaust nope. so i get new ball joints, lower control arms, and compression rod bushings, nope. Just by visually inspecting and grabbing/shaking components i cant tell what is causing it ( i am not a mechanic by any means)

i now believe it is something in the suspension just by the way the noise interacts with steering at really slow speeds. gl hopefully we can figure it out

 

Ball joints are still original from what I can tell. Boots are good, still have lube in them. When doing the arms, I noticed minor play but definitely seen worst.

The X models do have ball joints bolted to LCA. The new arms came new end link joints. So they were replaced and I greased them up. They were really bad prior but oddly never made noises.

Well, the last couple times I inspected/lifted the car I was doing sway bar end link related stuff so both had to go up in the air. But I might try just one side now. Like i said, everything seemed to be in decent shape. I replace driver side arm and then pass side noise happens.

 

Glad to see your still around Turtle

 

Yea, still trying to keep this car rolling until rust kills its. I just rolled over 150k miles the other day. The engine is solid, the only thing I worry about now is something happening similar to your car.

Glad to see you still roaming around. I could only imagine what type of DIY would you have come up with. I go on here mainly to look for pictures of parts.


Also side note: Had a friend look into this and he is willing to bet its my strut mount on the passenger side. It makes sense but i have not had been in the mood to order/swap parts with the weather being 80-90's.