I've been slowly getting everything taken care of on the Silver Bullet, and this is my last issue I'm facing. When I'm turning, either left or right, I can hear and feel a pop in the front end. It only occasionally happens, but always when in a tight turn and rolling over some kind of bump or imperfection in the road. The entire front end was "supposed" to be rebuilt, but after seeing missing grease fittings, aftermarket parts, and an exhaust hanger rubbing the driveshaft, I don't trust anything of what the shop did. The truck still has some slop in the steering before it gets tight as well. At first I suspected front axle u-joints, but if I'm right that would be a continuous pop with the turn of the tires. Now I suspect sway bar bushings, the bill from the shop shows that they didn't even touch the sway bar. New upper and lower ball joints, new steering stabilizer shock, new track bar, tie rod ends, and gearbox. Every bushing did take a ridiculous amount of grease as well.

 

I've got an older unit than yours: 2000 F250, 120k miles. I too had the entire front end rebuilt. Less Schwab store locally in the PNW. Good folks, fair and competent. Napa parts: Upper/lower ball joints, tie rods and links, bearing/lockout repack, alignment and front/rear brakes. That was a hit. The year previous all the shocks, steering shock and front sway links. It is as tight as the wife's newer F250 and rides better. I was advised I need a new seal on the drivers side front axle but its just a minor seep and not flowing lube. BTW, everything had grease zirks after the rebuild except for the upper ball joints 'cause there is no room for them. (BTW, if I pull in and ask they'll grease the whole front end without question.)

But tight left or right turns still gets me popping but like you mentioned, mine is rhythmic with the rotation of the tires = front u-joints; so not like your noise. They checked the joints and cleared them as OK. No steering box needed for my rig.

So my questions: 1) does this only happen on hard surface or can you detect it off road? 2) Does your rig have the stock lift suspension and reasonably close to stock tire sizes?

This should not be a hard thing to diagnose but my first thought is you need a different shop. Is this a city shop or a rural, farmer, rancher, etc shop?

 

It happens both on and off road, hard and soft surfaces. The truck has I believe a 2 inch level in the front, 1 in the back. Not entirely sure as the previous owner put it on. It currently has 33 inch tires on 18s. It's a city shop, supposed to specialize in Ford trucks. So it really makes me question the standards of the shop when I find all of these things they've done wrong.

 

Is there a decent Ford dealer around that you trust? Maybe for the next oil change/rotation ask them to check the joints and bushings during the multi point check.

 

Sounds like the bushings in your springs. You may have gotten "permanently" lubed bushings using chineese metal and they wore already. Sadly, if cheap metal is in the bushings, then cheap metal might be in your springs too. If you can find urethane / brilllium bushings and just replace them, you'll be set. Most times you have to replace the springs though.