Hey guys, im new to the whole forum thing but i really needed some assistance with this problem. I recently just got my shocks changed for the very first time on my 2007 Ford Five Hundred. I also got the rotors tuned and the brake pads changed. I got Monroe shocks installed. So, i got everything (rotors, brakes, & shocks) done on 4/16/13 and on the same day, as i drive off, i notice a "thud" noise whenever i apply the brakes. Or even when i might drive over a bump or the little rail on the ground for a garage gate. It's a pretty loud thud and i can even feel it. I was wondering, if my mechanic did a bad job on installing the shocks or could it be something else?
please help me

$$$$ costed a lot for me to get this work done and i just don't want the mechanic to get paid for a bad job.

 

The non descriptive word 'thud' is not a lot to go on..."Hold it closer to the phone so I can look at it." is the smart a** answer but let's continue.

You did not say if the noise is in the front or the back. You did indicate that you could feel the 'thud' so I assume 'front'? Just to cancel out the thud being in the back, put a buddy in the trunk and drive around a bit. He's to listen for and feel for the thud.

A thud. Shocks, by that I assume you are speaking of spring coils over shocks, aka struts that have shocks installed. .

As seen it's an easy job and when done right...it works.
I'd probably jack up the car and try to move everything that I could, just to see if anything moved, or thuds. Look under the hood at those three nuts and studs coming up through the body work [both sides] and double check that the rubber snubber pad is in place. There should not be any metal on metal between the shock and where the shock mounts into the strut. There will be metal where the collar that holds the rubber snubber is bolted in with these three bolts.

And pads, well I would have pumped up the brakes with a few quick foot presses on the peddle just to seat the pads onto the rotors. With clearance between the pads and the rotors [discs] they could make a noise but that's only until used a few times.

Pads always lightly ride on the discs as this keeps them dry in the rain. By driving the car this has been basically done. No worry.

Can't find the obvious? You have to get the car back up in the air take the wheels off and walk around under it and along side of it to see what's moving and thumping while the suspension is moving. Something is moving that was not moving before.

I wish I could be of more help.

skip.