Binding noise
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Binding noise
03 4x4, 6600 miles (isn't driven much). Yesterday developed a noise I can only describe as binding, kind of a rubbing, clicking squeal Coming from drivers side. From under the truck, sounds like it is coming from the ball joint area. I can feel this coming through the floor board when I drive as well, feels like a vibration of sorts.
Loaded a 200 gallon water tank on it yesterday, guessing about 1400 lbs. Was turning left at low speed and heard a loud pop. Wasn't sure where it came from, thought at first it may have just been a spring flexing, now I am wondering it that didn't have something to do with it.
If anyone could venture a guess and maybe give me some ideas where to look and what to look at as the source of this noise, I would appreciate it. Again, I hear the noise when the wheel is being turned. Even very slightly, as in even as little as an inch or two, in either direction and all the way to full lock. Moving, sitting still, doesn't matter. My son reminded me that my hubs (manual) were locked at the time but I wasn't in 4wd. Thanks for any input and/or ideas.
Loaded a 200 gallon water tank on it yesterday, guessing about 1400 lbs. Was turning left at low speed and heard a loud pop. Wasn't sure where it came from, thought at first it may have just been a spring flexing, now I am wondering it that didn't have something to do with it.
If anyone could venture a guess and maybe give me some ideas where to look and what to look at as the source of this noise, I would appreciate it. Again, I hear the noise when the wheel is being turned. Even very slightly, as in even as little as an inch or two, in either direction and all the way to full lock. Moving, sitting still, doesn't matter. My son reminded me that my hubs (manual) were locked at the time but I wasn't in 4wd. Thanks for any input and/or ideas.
Last edited by hang10; Jun 11, 2007 at 12:32 AM.
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The fact that the hubs were locked would indicate a needle bearing problem. Have you unlocked the hubs (verify they are unlocked, and the axle does not spin) and check for the same noise. This would isolate the problem, and tell you if the noise is on the outside of the spindle, or the inside.
Super Duties suffer from sway bar links that creek, and bind, but your symptoms sound as though they are coming from a rotating assembly. Hard to imagine that something could fail in only 6600 miles, but could be possible.
Super Duties suffer from sway bar links that creek, and bind, but your symptoms sound as though they are coming from a rotating assembly. Hard to imagine that something could fail in only 6600 miles, but could be possible.
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I did unlock the hubs, haven't verified that they are. I did find some soft ground to drive on, put it in 4wd and drove in a few circles, thinking if it was a hub, it may show another symptom or do something else.
I lubed everything under there that has a zerk. One other thing I noticed, when the brake is on, the wheel will not turn more than 3 - 4 inches before it locks up, take foot off brake and it turns free again. I havent ever noticed it do that before, I don't think it has.
Ad much as I have looked at it, my son and a neighbor, we all seem to feel the noise is coming from the spindle. Inside, ouitside, the hubs, we don't know. Would pulling the hub do me any good, that is, would any damage be obvious enough to see?
I lubed everything under there that has a zerk. One other thing I noticed, when the brake is on, the wheel will not turn more than 3 - 4 inches before it locks up, take foot off brake and it turns free again. I havent ever noticed it do that before, I don't think it has.
Ad much as I have looked at it, my son and a neighbor, we all seem to feel the noise is coming from the spindle. Inside, ouitside, the hubs, we don't know. Would pulling the hub do me any good, that is, would any damage be obvious enough to see?
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Not really, you will just see the stub axle, and that would just flop around, but it also couldn't hurt.
I read your response regarding the brakes, and it does not make too much sense to me. The wheel turns with the brake on?
The steering wheel is difficult to turn with the brakes appplied?
Have you rased the front end off of the ground and checked for play at the ball joints, or unit bearing itself?
I am not a fan of the unit bearing design on the front of these trucks, nor a fan of the entire ESOF system. They are plagued with small problems such as this.
Are you sure this is not related to the brakes since this thing sits so much? A sticky caliper could cause a bunch of noise.
I read your response regarding the brakes, and it does not make too much sense to me. The wheel turns with the brake on?
The steering wheel is difficult to turn with the brakes appplied?
Have you rased the front end off of the ground and checked for play at the ball joints, or unit bearing itself?
I am not a fan of the unit bearing design on the front of these trucks, nor a fan of the entire ESOF system. They are plagued with small problems such as this.
Are you sure this is not related to the brakes since this thing sits so much? A sticky caliper could cause a bunch of noise.
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Sorry, after I re-read that, I can see where it didn't make a lot of sence.
When the truck is sitting still and I turn the wheel left and right, if I apply the brakes, the wheels will not turn more than an inch or two. The steering wheel locks up. If I take my foot off the brake, the wheels will again turn fairly easy, however, with the binding noise from the drivers side front.
I thought about a brake but when it is being driven, there is no pull, no noise as long as you don't steer. That is, in a straight line, there is no noise and all seems normal.
No, I haven't had it jacked up yet. I will do that this evening. I am just trying to get ideas on what to look at and what to do once I do get the front end off the ground and the wheel off.
By the way. My truck is totally manual, the hubs are manual and I get it into 4wd with a shifter. I am not ESOF.
I am still thinking that loud pop I spoke about earlier had something to do with it. It was fine that I can recall up until that point. It was a short time later that I started feeling the vibration from the floorboard.
When the truck is sitting still and I turn the wheel left and right, if I apply the brakes, the wheels will not turn more than an inch or two. The steering wheel locks up. If I take my foot off the brake, the wheels will again turn fairly easy, however, with the binding noise from the drivers side front.
I thought about a brake but when it is being driven, there is no pull, no noise as long as you don't steer. That is, in a straight line, there is no noise and all seems normal.
No, I haven't had it jacked up yet. I will do that this evening. I am just trying to get ideas on what to look at and what to do once I do get the front end off the ground and the wheel off.
By the way. My truck is totally manual, the hubs are manual and I get it into 4wd with a shifter. I am not ESOF.
I am still thinking that loud pop I spoke about earlier had something to do with it. It was fine that I can recall up until that point. It was a short time later that I started feeling the vibration from the floorboard.
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A manual shifter, man how nice is that? I like that much better. You may just have some trouble in one of the hubs itself, those plastic bodies are not the best, so maybe taking them off to inspect would be the best thing. Once you get the tire off of the ground, anything loose should be pretty obvious, I amsure you will find it.
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Thanks for the replies. I hope whatever it is, it jumps right out at me and is a cheap fix. I don't think I will find anything loose, the sound is more a metal against metal tight, bound up sound, than anything loose. If it's only a hub, I would be grateful.
So far on this truck with only 6600 miles, I have had to have the seat replaced twice (under 4000 miles) and the ABS modulator replaced at (5100 miles). Shows that even low miles mean nothing. Had a noise a month ago, was told the drag link was trashed. If that is true and there is another suspension part failure with this issue, I would have to question exactly what "built Ford tough" really means.
So far on this truck with only 6600 miles, I have had to have the seat replaced twice (under 4000 miles) and the ABS modulator replaced at (5100 miles). Shows that even low miles mean nothing. Had a noise a month ago, was told the drag link was trashed. If that is true and there is another suspension part failure with this issue, I would have to question exactly what "built Ford tough" really means.
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Post Fiend
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Gotta drive em like you stole em! Sometimes ltiing them sit, makes them mad, and little failures start to appear.
Again, good luck.
Again, good luck.
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Apparently it was lug nuts. 7 came off pretty easy, the 8th almost had to be pounded off. Pulled the hub, nothing to see there except that I thought the splines should have some grease, they are bone dry. I didn't grease them. Put the wheel back on, drove it last night and so far all day today, not a sound. That'll learn me to check my lug nuts once in a while from now on.
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