I, hopefully, am looking at a bad front wheel bearing. It clunks when turn left or right at a stand still. I have manual Warm hubs, replaced factory hubs, and have pulled them to find no indication of damage. I drove this AM and placed my hand on the end of hub to find it hot. Albeit this does not explain clunking noise. What think you all? MTG

 

Sounds like you have Warm Warn Worn hubs.

Take hubs out entirely and drive around.
Warns have 6 allen bolts that allow you to take out the whole thing without removing the wheels. It won't hurt anything.
Once out you can pop the snap ring in the back of the hub and see what's up inside.

 

The Warn hubs have very little use. I pulled the hub yesterday and found no obvoius wear. The large steel hub that the Warn bolts to was warm after driving it, actually hot. ???

 

This is an '01 F250, 4x4, 7.3L diesel with approx. 240,000 miles on the odometer. I am the first owner. I replaced the right front wheel bearing in 2009 with about 165,000 miles on it then. I have had all new ball joint installed and alignment done each time new tires. The clunking noise has been evident for some months. I checke the u joint on the front half shaft and found no obvoius movement. ???

 

Lift the front end on that side off the ground. Grab tire at top and bottom, push/pull in and out to see if you can move the whole thing. If so then the wheel bearing unit needs to be replaced. While you have it up, just barely off the ground, put a crow bar or similar under the tire and have someone lift and drop. Watch the ball joints at top and bottom and see if they move. Might be worn and could be cause of the noise as well. Let us know what you find.

 

New ball joints with new tires? How many miles are you getting out of your tires? A lot I hope.

 

Not normal. I bet there is no grease left in side. Just unbolt and drive, easiest way to check,

 

I have gotten 33,000 miles out of a set of Less Schwaub Big Country AT tires so far. The back tires are wearing poor as I tow a trailer a lot. It wears the backs a lot. Altho', these have bben good so far.

 

There was an ample amount of greese as I got it all over a new pair of pants and my shirt. Wife is buls--t! The hubs turn in easily with.

 

Also, the clunking has nothing to do with it. It's the springs shifting, many ppl have the same issue. The way you can tell is if you feel it under your left foot.

 

Well, I will have the front left wheel looked at as I am stranded in Tucson and spend my winters in deming, NM. I have no way to do the replacement as no where to do work or jack stands, floor jack and etc. Hopefully it is only a wheel bearing. Interesting thought about spring movement.

 

Reason I asked about the tire wear is that you should be getting a lot more mileage out of your ball joints unless you spend a majority of your time on really bad roads. 90 to 100K on ball joints would be considered normal I think.

Lift the truck and try the 2 tests I listed above and let us know how it goes.

I think the clunk MSG is thinking of is worn sway bar link bushings but you said it was clunking sitting still and turning the wheel. Sway bar bushings usually can be heard when rolling and going over bumps. The clunk sound and hot hub sure sound like a bearing unit.

 

When I first bought it I thought the wheel is going to fall out when turning in a parking lot.

Have (any kind of helper aka little children included) turn the wheels lock to lock when parked. While they're at it touch the spring from the bottom with your finger. When it shifts you will feel it instantly and never worry about it again.
I have read some info about 'friction pads' that used to be in between the springs that might have worn out and whatnot but I do not have any solid insight into that.

Remember you don't need a jack to yank the (Warn/MM)hub.

 

Worn hub shouldnt "clunk"
Typically they start to howl while rolling... right at, or directly following a bump.

I tend to agree with the focus on the leaf spring, end links, sway bar...
Since you first noticed the noise (or maybe i missunderstood) while not rolling... and turning the wheels.... maybe have somebody turn the wheels for you while you listen and watch for what is popping?

Front end work is not my favorite... hope you get it sorted out.

 

The spring tip isolators?