The struts? Any idea as to when they were serviced?
Because they use a bearing "cup" - and in it is a bearing race, that - if old, or knocked around by age and potholes, that cup can distort and you may be hearing the cup being out of round.
The cup bears the weight and thrust of the struts impacts - and needs to be seated in a retainer. After a while the potholes, weight shift and sudden impact bouncing distorts the plastic retainer and might make it and the race that seats in it - more oblong and out of round so the steering may be ok, but the race being out of round - is scraping and since it bears weight - transfers that noise into the vehicle and makes it more like a groan.
There is a thread about this...
https://www.fordfiesta.org/threads/koni-str-t-shock-and-strut-discussion.8058/post-19289
IF you can, navigate and read thru that whole thread, makes for an interesting study in the geometry of the vehicle and the way it's set up - it may help you find the noise and fix a potential problem.
The above in a simple "exploded" view of the parts the Strut uses. The ones that are shown colored arrow are the ones in Metric size either by socket or by wrench - to remove/tighten or use to hold shafts that will otherwise turn.
#11 The Bearing and it's retainer or race - is sandwiched between the strut top mount and the struts own coil spring and top of the shaft of the shock side of the strut holds this piece together while #12 the Strut top mount bolts it to the cars strut tower in the front.
#10 is an upper cushion shown in the thread - keeps the shock from smacking the underside of the retainer. distorting and even breaking that cup. That is on the shock shaft - under and thread thru the shock shaft - below and under #9 bellows and the retainer.
The Struts top nut #6 is 18mm. While the post it mounts to, thru the strut mount #12 and Bearing Retainer #11 - that post has socket that fits an 8mm Allen (Hex) wrench to hold the shaft stationary while you tighten #6 to it, using the go-thru spline or socket of 18mm Size deep well socket - or if possible - use an offset 18 mm Wrench to turn the lock nut, while you keep the 8mm Allen on the top post to keep it from turning with - but you can also turn it to help speed the assembly.
- Now, if you are using the same strut - then better results would be to KEEP THE CENTER POST OF THE STRUT FROM TURNING Which is the reason for the 18mm Go-Thru tool and the 8mm Allen wrench. This is more for the strut shaft (shock) to prevent it from developing a leak if the shaft has an imperceptible curl or debris that the shaft rod itself has collected during use that you can't remove unless you do further disassembly.
- This is due to the nature of the rod shaft used and it's seals, for if too many deeper grooves form in the Rod itself, the seals can lose their integrity and begin to leak. The effects from Turning the Rod can make these grooves form in a fashion that is farther down the rod shaft - so if the grooved sections were to form, the seal that forms or tries to form around them would fail in an AT REST position releasing more fluid when parked and reducing the shock portion of the struts performance far quicker than expected
- Another thing to remember, although the bolts #2 and Nuts #3 may be ok, if you choose to reuse them then that is at your own risk. IF the suspension system is suspected of having some failure in it, reusing the Bolts places you at risk to failure at a latter time - they transfer any shock from the wheel and tire, that goes thru the hub and steering knuckle and into that strut assembly and it's mounts.
