ok guys, i have been dealing with this for a couple of months now. i thought it might be the tranny making the noise so i decided to wait until after i finished that project. it's almost like a grinding/vibrating feel and it only happens when i turn to the right. it is affected by engine speed so for example if i power through a right turn it is much more noticeable than if i come to a complete stop and then easily take off. in fact if i am easy enough i dont feel/hear it at all. and i hear it but i also feel it through the floorboard as well.

here is how my truck is setup:
1996 Crewcab, longbed, 4x4, zf 5speed (recently rebuilt), RSK on stock springs, rear springs are SD, new ujoints in rear driveshaft, 315/75R16 all terrains, manual hubs, moog ball joints installed recently

now, what i have tried/thought of trying thus far:
~replaced (although didnt need) front wheel bearings/races and packed them with new grease
~cleaned and regreased manual hubs
~reinstalled track bar with new bushings
~chained motor down on the passenger side to see if motor mounts are allowing the motor roll enough to contact the firewall; i dont think so but i am not certain.
~i want to check my front body mounts but from the outside they look fine

does anyone have any ideas? tricks i can try?

-cutts-

 

If it's kind of a pop, clunk or sometimes just a grinding sound (feel) then try tightening up the fender bolts, two on each side (real tight).

 

Now that is funny!!

As for the Problem.... Maybe your front tires are out of alignment???? (one maybe toe in too much or vice versa)

 

If you look down the side of the truck while it is sitting on a level surface, how do the body lines line up?

I found my cab bushings looked fine, but the bushings had let the cab settle enough that the cab / bed lines were out of alignment by about 1/2".

That let the down pipe contact the cab while sitting in park running.
Much worse when in reverse.
Gone when in drive and under some load.

Also found my radiator support bushings needed replaced, that put a lot of extra pressure on the front cab mounts.
So front cab mounts got a 1/4" shim when the radiator support bushing were replaced, now my body lines are back in alignment and no rattle.

Mine only had 92,000 miles on it when I did this right after a 3" down pipe install.

 

I was thinking downpipe rubbing noise too.

 

Might be funny but it fixed my truck when it was "popping" on hard right turns...........for the 2 minutes it takes, its worth a shot.

 

You have to check all your cab mounts, look for anything loose that could be shaking mimmicing a grinding noise, check for any engine to body contacts and body to frame contacts, check for loose or rotten cab mounts.

 

believe it or not i tried tightening down those hood hinge bolts, forgot to post i did that. still nothing.

i JUST had the alignment done, just a few days after finishing the tranny build.

-cutts-

 

the body lines seem fine, they all line up

hmmm, ok i will have to check those, didnt think about the core support causing issues!

i looked and i dont *THINK* the DP is touching but it could be. we have had some very very cold weather with high winds the past few days so i havent had much motivation to get out and check it.

i want to check the mounts but i dont want to mess them up. whats the best way to check them? just have pull them apart?
thanks so much for all the responses. i didnt think about some of this stuff. glad to hear i am not the only one with issues.

-cutts-

 

Have you checked the IC pipes? I think it could be a good idea.

 

If the issue started after the alignment then its aligned wrong. Mine popped and crackled until I found a shop that could do it correctly. Check your front tires for unusual wear. Don't know if thats your issue but from your description it rang a bell.

 

not yet, on the list of things to try

well i took it in bc my front tires were wearing, it was doing it before the alignment.

thanks again for all suggestions!

 

Get in there with a bar from cab mount to frame mount and pry on the thing. Concern I have is its worn in a fashion that the center pin is not isolated through the centering hole possibly due to worn rubber mounts. That can give metal to metal contact and noise.........unlikly but.......

I know about what your saying with cab mounts, I took my left front off front of the tire. Broke that stupid thing, kinda sucked, If I recall, to fix it I had to tap a bolt at work or buy one from ford. It came apart differently then I would have expected resulted in breaking the bolt, thats all I remember.

 

sorry for dragging this back from the dead but hopefully this will help someone else along the way. turns out my DP was hitting the firewall. i got my hydraulic spreader out and made as much room as i could. took her for a spin around the block and i cant hear/feel the vibration anymore.

thanks guys for all the responses and ideas. this place kicks ****!

-cutts-

 

Glad it was an easy fix!