front end noise

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Oct 19, 2011 | 12:36 PM

00GT

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More Turbo

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From: MICHIGAN

front end noise

01' screw 4x4 I just replaced with moog parts inner and outer tie rods, new upper and lower ball joints, new sway bar links, new cv shafts. Got alignment....now when I go over small bumps it still sounds like I have bad ball joints. Shocks have not been changed. Just spent a lot of money hoping for a quite front end

Oct 20, 2011 | 06:12 AM

Lime1GT

Fleet Mechanic

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From: Winnipeg

If you feel it's the ball joints jack it up and check them. It shouldn't be unless installing them damaged one.

I would remove or disconnect the shocks at one end and stroke them lightly, listening for bad/noisy valveing within the shock. I had a Mazda with shocks would give a dull rattle on slightly rough roads when colder temps arrived. They functioned fine otherwise.

Oct 20, 2011 | 06:43 AM

Dave G.

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In the past 10 years or so, I've had numerous suspension parts, and shocks, that have been packaged with the wrong size rubber bushings. In every case, attaching nuts/washers would run out of threads before being properly torqued.

In your case, this might be the issue. I'd also check the pitman arm. When the truck is up on stands to do all your other repairs, the steering linkage weight is hanging on the pitman's ball joint, so it's easy to miss. Sloppy fit here will give you a knock/rattle sounding just like a bad ball joint. Your steering would also seem loose or "floating".

Dave

Oct 20, 2011 | 06:55 AM

00GT

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From: MICHIGAN

I did not change the pitman ARM. What's a good way to check that? Should've the alignment cought it? The steering also feels fairly tight. The original lower ball joints were really bad! I was getting all kinds of rattles and pops and bangs. I even used moog uppers and lowers and I'm still getting some bumping noise. I'm a little bummed

Oct 20, 2011 | 08:23 AM

Dave G.

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Well, if ground clearance is enough, just slide under the front end, drivers side, and have someone unlock the steering wheel and work it right/left, maybe a 1/4 turn each time. If the arm joint is gone, you'll see and feel the arm move before the linkage does. Just wiggling the wheel, and listen to the arm joint ( maybe with a mechanics stethoscope,) will reveal a worn joint. If it's worn, the steering linkage can literally bounce around the ball joint in the arm. If the truck is up on stands, check the same way, but easier to just use a 2 x 4 under the linkage, close to the pitman arm, and lever up/down. Any movement of the linkage inside the end of the arm is not good.

Another thing to spot check is the shock mounts. Sometimes the lower bolt can break or come loose and actually fall out. Split or worn rubber bushings at the top of the shock can allow metal to metal contact ( or the wrong bushings, as I mentioned earlier, from a previous shock change).

Yeah, the alignment place should have caught a bad arm. But they may not have bothered to look too hard either, after seeing all the other new parts you put in. I'd look real hard at the shocks.

Dave