my 98 explorer sport 4x4 makes some wicked squeaks and creaks from the front end. replaced the shocks last week and still the same noise. sounds like it is coming from the lower a-arm area. what could this be. there are no lubrication points that i can see. am i missing them?

 

if it happens when brakeing it could be the brakes pins needing lube.Mine did this and i just dabbed a bit of grease on the pins and it went away after a few hours.

 

Before you tear into anything, spray the pivot points with WD-40 and see if the squeak goes away or lessens. Spray one thing at a time (such as bushings), so that if the noise goes away, you'll know what it is.

Good luck!

 

is wd-40 going to make it stop?

 

Not permanently, no. But it'll help you figure out where the noise is coming from.

 

I wouldn't use wd-40 though,i find after about 3 days wd-40 collects dust and dirt and makes the problem worse,use a silcone base grease would be better i think.

 

You can also get that white lithium grease that sprays out of a can. it works great for joints and hinges. It's messy though. wd-40 will work fine to pinpoint the noise. If you determine that some ball joints and/or tie rod ends need to be replaced, use greasable replacements that have the fittings such as moog or spicer.

 

just turn up the stereo.