hello everyone,

i am a 3 year automotive tech at a ford dealership so i read everything about the clunk caused by striking the EPAS tie rod end knuckles causing arcing in the internal module,blah blah. been through this many times with my old truck.due to installing leveling kit in the front which requires disasembling the front end.

now,present date i just got another 2011 f150 supercrew 4x4 with the 5.0L and EPAS.

decided i would install the front 2.5" leveling kit for more agressive looks and be able to put bigger tires on.
so i practiced the proceadure many times in my head as per the Ford motor company workshop manual which states before doing any front end disasembly unhook the neg battary cable,do not use air tools on the tie rod end nuts and use a tie rod end press to remove the tie rods from the steering knuckles,which i exactly did everything

i didnt even use air tools on anything except the tires!! i hand tooled everything to install my leveling kit and torqued everything to spec.

after all said and done i thought everything would be fine.went for a weekend trip to the city and noticed the fu*king clunk is back!!!


so for all of you with past experiences with this and hopefully some other ford automotive techs out there let me know if this could be something else loose? like i said i was super careful and did everything per the FORD WORKSHOP MANUAL which really fu*king pisses me off.

i mean since i did it as per the manual states,what if another truck comes in and needs a ball joint replaced which requires removing the front end parts,tie rods,etc. are you going to fu*k up the EPAS and cause a clunk?


sorry for my fowl language and demeaning descriptions ut i truely am pissed at FORD company for the first time in my life.

thanks everyone cant wait to hear your imputs!!!

 

Its.pretty frustrating to say the least. I once heard the fowl language is a vain attempt for a feable mind to express itself......which is why I use it. Im on Ford truck number 36. Ive been around the block with Ford twice and I m not impressed. Ford is "like a german woman. You can love her all you want, but she aint gonna love you back."-Billy Bob Thornton.

 

So are the steering knuckles actually hitting something that was added to the front end or is the noise coming from the steering rack internally?

I would think that someone needs to be in the cab turning the wheel while another person is under the front end to inspect the steering components as it the system reaches the stops from side to side.

 

I dont know,but I think.its internal in the rack and pinion EPAS thing. Thats why its so damn expensive to fix. Engineers had to have known this. Why not make it a bolt in deal that isnt so
delicate? Theres a word u dont want associated with your Ford...

 

Hi fordtorque, since I am the original owner that experienced this clunk noise first here is what to look for. Find a smooth road that has the reflectors glue to it. Go forward at a speed from 10 to 20 mph (vary your speed) using only the right front going over them. Then do the left side. You should here the clunck and feel it somewhat in the steering wheel. Much like the GM trucks did back in the early 2000. Mine only did it on the left side. It turned out to be the EPAS. Since I was the first to find this Rough Country reimbursed me for the part and labor to fix it. Then they immediately changed the instructions on the web and the printed version stating that the EPAS must be depowered.

 

so whats the fix? other than "take it to the dealer"

 

The fix is replace the EPAS unit. Cost about $1200 plus labor and alignment. If you can prove it is not the level kit installation that caused it it is warranted. Or in my case I did follow all directions that were available at the time and it was Rough Country instructions that did not include depowering the EPAS. So that is why they stepped up and covered the cost of my repair. That in my book is quality company that would stand behind their product.

 

hi sir i have a 2013 f150 ecoboost appearance pack i jus recently had a 2' tough country leveling kit installed by big o tire and they did not take the - bat cable off and 4 about 3 days after was great then got a clunking in the witch seemed to be like it was in the stering column and the front end i read you post and had ford replace my rack and pinion because of what you said and after it was installed it was good for about a day then i started getting the clunking inthe front end again so i went back to big o yesterday and they took off the lower sway bars and we went for a drive again and could hardly hear it , put the sway bars back on and still very minimal, i live on a ranch have a 3 mile drive off the highway and last night coming home after visit with big o nothing, then today i went back to town and its back not as bad a b4 they replaced the rack but its still there im like u i dont no what the f**k is going on i only have 2000 miles on my truck and before i had the kit installed i had no nose also i had 34 " tires put on i think there 275/65/ 20 on factory black 20 rims if you have figured this problem out plz let me no or if you still are still having this prob please let me no thanks alot

 

As a matter of fact I am still having this issue. Its been 2 years since they put the EPAS on and it has come back. I sold the truck to my son and it was clunking. He is working with the extended warranty people to fix it. Now my new 2013 with a level kit is doing the same thing with 1500 miles on it. A friend has one and its back also. I'm beginning to think that this is a bad design or it's in the steering column like GM had some years ago.

 

I wonder if I took the leveling kit out if it go away, have you tried that ? Myne isn't as bad as it was with old epas I can feel it in the steering wheel, only on roads, what was wrong with Chevy back in the day u were talkin about? The leveling kit doesn't change the pitch or rake of the column jus raises the front end man this is so agrivating pis$ing me off, thanks

 

I got about 6" of air yesterday over some railroad tracks and my front end clunked too...Sounds like something is loose, and it may have been the battery for all I know. Sounded like the right (passenger) side though. Nice, smooth landing too due to the angle...I'm not beating my truck up.

What is fowl language? Chickens and ducks talking?

 

The GM clunk was the splines where the two steering shafts meet. GM had a grease kit that would allow it to slip as well as fill the gaps.

 

That's weird since my truck only has 2000 miles on it and it happened right after the level kit

 

Could it be something simple ? After I got mine back from my front level install, it too clunked, took it to my dealer, they tightened up my torsion bars, and clunk gone.

 

Some of the guys with Raptors have been having the same front end problems. It seems to be the lower shock bolt. That bolt needs to be tightened from the nut side and requires 409ft pounds of torque. Some have even gone up to 420ft pounds. If it is not tight enough it causes lateral movement at the bottom of the shock causing the clunking noise. Some have had it go away doing this, it would be worth giving it a shot.