Front End Vibration
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Junior User
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Front End Vibration
Just picked up an 01 4x4 v10 a few weeks ago. I have a severe vibration that occurs when I hit a bump at highway speeds. The vibration can not be felt in the steering, and I must come to a complete stop to cure it. There is a rattle, consitaant with rotation coming from the passenger front tire. It seems to get louder the longer the I drive it, Going away and starting over after the truck has sat for a few minutes. I have had the truck on a lift and there is no play in ball joints or tie rods. I have recently replaced the sway bar end links. When this started I had the front tires balanced to make sure that's not the issue. Any ideas?
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Just picked up an 01 4x4 v10 a few weeks ago. I have a severe vibration that occurs when I hit a bump at highway speeds. The vibration can not be felt in the steering, and I must come to a complete stop to cure it. There is a rattle, consitaant with rotation coming from the passenger front tire. Any ideas?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,737
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From: Westfield, Indiana
Just picked up an 01 4x4 v10 a few weeks ago. I have a severe vibration that occurs when I hit a bump at highway speeds. The vibration can not be felt in the steering, and I must come to a complete stop to cure it. There is a rattle, consitaant with rotation coming from the passenger front tire. It seems to get louder the longer the I drive it, Going away and starting over after the truck has sat for a few minutes. I have had the truck on a lift and there is no play in ball joints or tie rods. I have recently replaced the sway bar end links. When this started I had the front tires balanced to make sure that's not the issue. Any ideas?
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I guess I can feel the vibration in the wheel, but there is no side to side motion. I have experience death wobble before and this feels different. I had the wheel off last night and I think I've found the issue. There is a link below to a video. I'm thinking axle seals and bearings?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wdrvc82wk...2021.50.37.mp4
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wdrvc82wk...2021.50.37.mp4
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,737
Likes: 23
From: Westfield, Indiana
I guess I can feel the vibration in the wheel, but there is no side to side motion. I have experience death wobble before and this feels different. I had the wheel off last night and I think I've found the issue. There is a link below to a video. I'm thinking axle seals and bearings?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wdrvc82wk...2021.50.37.mp4
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wdrvc82wk...2021.50.37.mp4
Just been in mine this past week, that is almost for sure bad main seals - and if so you probably need new spindle bearings as well. Do yourself a favor and get the Ford Seal installer. Or knock off aftermarket version of it. Those main seals are a bear to get in if you don't have the installer. Some people make their own but I didn't have the skills or the tools to do it so I got an installer. I'm 100lbs soaking wet and installed the new seals on my own with just that tool and a sledge hammer. Was harder lining up the passenger side inner splines than it was pounding in the seal.
Is that video of the passenger or driver's side?
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Joined: Nov 2010
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From: N. IL
The axle seal in on the inbound side, near the pumpkin. That outerseal on the axle tube is just for dust. With that much movement (they all move some), is your sealed outer wheel (or needle) bearing shot?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,737
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From: Westfield, Indiana
That's the one I meant - the big outer seal at the knuckle, not the small dust seal that's inside the U joint. Maybe not called main seals - it's what I call them though.
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FTE Chapter Leader
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From: N. IL
In the future, be sure to use SpringerPop's bearing zerk to get some extra lube in that sealed bearing.
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Ok, so I'm lost. The hub is making a loud clicking type noise that changes with tire rotation speed. The vibration now occurs at anything above 35 if you hit a bump. The previous owner claims that the hubs were changed in dec 2011. Is there something inside the hub that could fail outside of the needle bearing? Autozone has timken hubs for 172. should I just bite the bullet and do the whole unit? Also wondering if there could be a separate issue with the axle. There is diff fluid coming out of the passenger side axle. Not a lot, but enough to notice the moisture. From what I understand the inner seal needs to be replaced, as the outer is basically a dust shield. Is there a bearing on the axle that could have failed too?
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 30,595
Likes: 1,236
From: N. IL
Check the axle stub u-joint, it might be seizing? But you're not running in 4WD. It's not that hard to take apart and investigate, before spending good money on guess solutions. There are plenty of step by step pictorials here.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Westfield, Indiana
Need to pull the tire, caliper and rotor and the hub and take a took. With that much movement I think just taking it apart and looking; the problem is going to be very obvious. Your axle shaft should not move that much, you have something wrong and I would not be driving it until you get it apart and find the culprit.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Mt. Shasta California
It looks like the needle bearings and stub shaft are shot. Jack it up and check for 6&12 o'clock movement with the wheel on to see if the large roller bearings are still good..............should be no movement.
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Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I pulled the hub last night and there was nothing left of the needle bearing. the rollers literally fell out of the bearing housing. The previous owner says that he did the whole hub assembly on both sides a little over a year ago, but he used cheap hubs. He also left the Hex washer out when putting it back together. I replaced the the whole hub with a Timken. I was able to pick one up from autozone for 172. I had slotted rotors and ceramic pads laying around so it gave me an excuse to put those on too. For now the vibration is gone.
The previous bearing was so bad that the abs sensor wire was cut, causing the abs light to come on. The new hub came with the a new sensor and line, but the light is still on. I did force some grease down both of the abs holes. If the sensor has grease on it would it cause the abs light to go off?
The previous bearing was so bad that the abs sensor wire was cut, causing the abs light to come on. The new hub came with the a new sensor and line, but the light is still on. I did force some grease down both of the abs holes. If the sensor has grease on it would it cause the abs light to go off?
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 11,798
Likes: 14
From: Mt. Shasta California
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I pulled the hub last night and there was nothing left of the needle bearing. the rollers literally fell out of the bearing housing. The previous owner says that he did the whole hub assembly on both sides a little over a year ago, but he used cheap hubs. He also left the Hex washer out when putting it back together. I replaced the the whole hub with a Timken. I was able to pick one up from autozone for 172. I had slotted rotors and ceramic pads laying around so it gave me an excuse to put those on too. For now the vibration is gone.
The previous bearing was so bad that the abs sensor wire was cut, causing the abs light to come on. The new hub came with the a new sensor and line, but the light is still on. I did force some grease down both of the abs holes. If the sensor has grease on it would it cause the abs light to go off?
The previous bearing was so bad that the abs sensor wire was cut, causing the abs light to come on. The new hub came with the a new sensor and line, but the light is still on. I did force some grease down both of the abs holes. If the sensor has grease on it would it cause the abs light to go off?