SUSPENSION

It might have been a mainstream Ford rather than a competition-bred RS, but the ST24 had the handling of an upmarket sports saloon, with great grip and remarkable poise on road or track.

Thanks to nothing more than 15mm lowered springs and uprated dampers, it made fine use of the regular Mk2 Mondeo’s well-regarded chassis. And, unlike the later, more-specialised ST200, that means the ST24 is cheap and easy to fix because parts are readily available off-the-shelf.

Not that it’s likely to go spectacularly wrong but, like any Mk2 Mondeo, the ST24 knocks out front wishbone bushes on a regular basis. Listen for clonking from the front when driving over bumps, and feel for wandering at speed or under braking. It’s easiest to change a full wishbone rather than the bushes (expect to replace at least one every other year for the MoT), but for a permanent fix fit polyurethane bushes instead.

Knocking noises from the front end could also be caused by snapped coil springs (very common), broken anti-roll bar drop links (pretty common), tired strut top mounts or even knackered dampers. Meanwhile, banging at the back of an ST24 is likely to result from a snapped spring (again, very common), a broken anti-roll bar link or – on a saloon or hatchback – a sloppy rear subframe bush; again a typical Mk2 Mondeo problem, polyurethane replacements are a fitand-forget solution.

ST24 suspension should feel taut (with a rather hard ride), but years and miles take their toll. If there’s wallowing or wandering, suspect worn bushes or dodgy dampers (look for leaks, especially at the back). Even poor wheel alignment will have noticeable effects on a Mondeo – sometimes due to wear or damage, but often thanks to failing to reset the geometry after replacing suspension components. Check the tyres, too, to see if they’re wearing prematurely.

Mondeos are also prone to wheel bearing failure after high mileages, especially from the back. Listen for rumbling on the test drive, and inspect a suspected bearing by jacking up the car, wiggling the wheel and checking for play. Fortunately, they’re cheap to replace.