I am having a clunking sound coming from the front of my truck when I stop my truck. It sounds like it is coming from the driverside, after hittng the brake as it is slowing down it makes one loud clunk that you can feel in the floor. It does not seem to matter how hard I am brakeing. The weird thing is this only happens when it is wet. As soon as it dries out it stops. I Hope someone can give me some direction. It is an 04 4wd F-350 CC Dually. Thanks

 

Really? Nothing? Please help!!

 

2004 F250 Sway Bar Bushing Replacement

Sway bar bushings?

 

check your rear driveshaft slip yoke..

i know it might sound strange, but its quite common...

usualy it gets a clunking noise when it gets to dry. just add some grease to the splines and it clears it right up..

may or may not be what your having isues with.

 

Mine did excatly the sound yours is doing and it was ball joints

 

Thanks for the info. I was going to get it in the shop saturday but I have contracted the wonderful flu. Hopefuly I can get to it in a couple of days.

 

When i got mine it did the SAME THING... Everyone told me it could be sway bar, ball joints, yoke, etc.... I checked the joints and they seemed fine. I replaced the sway bar end link bushings and everything was fine after. Get under there and start jerking parts around. What ever it is, if its bad enough to make that noise, you will be able to feel alot of play on it just jerking it around.

 

How many miles on the truck? Mine was doing that too, clunking up front when stopping and could feel it in the floor. While checking brakes 2 weeks ago I gave the tires a good pull at top and bottom of tires - ball joints (66K mileage). The end links also need to be replaced just haven't got that far yet. With new ball joints though the clunk is gone.

Not sure where you're at, dry climate or snowy, wet, road salt area. If it is ball joints and you tear it down check the front axle shaft u-joints also. After a while they tend to rust up. Lock the hubs, put it in 4x (on dirt) and do a fairly tight turn. If you hear clunking and the truck tends to hop, I'd further check the u-joints while it's down. I replaced everything with greaseable pieces. If you go to a dealer they'll tend to put replacement parts in - with out zerks. I think having zerks will pro-long life, if you use them. My dealer obliged and put in Moog parts with zerks.

 

rb48f6, I am at about 95,000 miles. I just bought the truck in October. I think it came out of southern Missouri. I am in northeast Arkansas and we usually don't see much salt. But I am not sure about the previous location. I have been slowly going through the truck changing filters and fluids so I know where it stands. Brakes are next and it sounds like maybe ball joints. Did you do the ball joints or your dealer? How bad was the job if you did it, or how bad did the dealer hit you if they did it. I have out ball joints on my old F150 but it was not as beefy as this F350. Thanks

 

Jack the truck up and try to move the tire in and out at the top and bottom. Mine did the exact same thing and the bottom joint on both sides were shot. The passenger side was so bad that you could almost pull it apart once it was out.

 

Jrjudd~
I did the ball joints on my '92 F350 and it wasn't fun, so I elected to have the dealer do them on the '00 this time. I believe though that the knuckle arrangement is completely different now, possibly making it easier. On the 92 you needed a Big hammer to get the spindles off. I just remember the time I had and the other factors in going to the dealer was time and temp here. It's been between 8 and 20 degrees here and the garage doesn't have heat. When I lifted the truck and shook the tires top and bottom I was surpried at how they deteriorated in the last 10k miles - 1/4-1/2" movement. I needed it done now. Part of the issue here is road salt and corrosion.

Dealer hit me for about 1K; upper and lower ball joints both sides, and l & r axle shaft u-joints, and 3 front axle seals. Going to an auto parts myself I had a quote approaching $400 for all 4 ball joints (Moog) and the 2 U-joints (49/ea) - all grease able. Original dealer quote was about 825. When they got into it the front axle seals were iffy and it bumped it roughly another 100 or so.

I know in the tech folder there's a good how-yo on replacing ball joints. Give it a read and see what ya' think. Hopefully it's a bit warmer where you're at, but then it's been a strange winter......

First things first though, jack the truck up, grab the top and bottom and try wiggling them back and forth as several of us here have suggested. If they do need replacing I'd do the axle shaft u-joints while it's apart.

Here's the link to ball joints:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/3...ll-joints.html
And a link to greasing the slip joint someone else referenced above:
Slip joint regreasing

 

Thanks for the link. Lots of good infomation. I was afraid I would need a hydraulic press, which is one tool I don't have. Time is also a factor since my bronco is DOA at the moment. The weather is pretty bad here too another 8 inches of snow today, but I do have a heated shop. After I get over this flu I will check the ball joints out. I bought brake pads and fuel filters this past weekend. I hope to get to it this coming weekend.

 

Well I finally got to put the brake pads and fuel filters in this weekend. i don't know if it is the issue but the ball joints are beyond worn out. I am going to get some prices tomorrow and see where it goes.

 

I still have some front end noise, and know the sway bar bushings and end links need replacing yet. So something else to look at too.