my 06 f-250 4x4 is making a noise. sounds like it is coming from front driver side wheel. sounded like a rock traped behind the lug nut cover. took it off no rock. it is a realy tinging sound. could it be the u joints 53,000 miles if that makes a diff. or not

 

At 53k, I would look at your hubs. Can you spin the axle behind the wheel with your hands?

 

i did not try to spin axel. upon further inspection i think it is the dust cover behind the disk. but now i see on both sides driver and pass. their is a seal that is hanging out. looks to be rubber just at the axel tube. behind the u joint at hub towards the center of truck not wheel side. the rear end has oil in it looks to be fine and no leaks on ethier side. what does this seal or rubber o ring protect and what is it called?

 

thats just a dust seal, its suppose to help kep dirt out of the axle tube. Other then that its not important, plenty on here just cut it off and are done with it. A small few like me cant stand it and i just replaced mine with the new updated dust seals that Ford has

 

S.D.S. thanks thats good new I don't mind learning to work on these trucks but realy couldn't get in the mood to pull the front end apart. Thanks again to all

 

The scraping tingy sound isn't coming from the loose dust seal, it's likely a chunk of the dust shield or rotor rusted off and got lodged between the rotor and dust shield. I've had that happen a couple of times with mine here in the ol' rust belt...