Sherpa

I am hoping someone has had experience with this. I have something shifting in the right front wheel well and am not sure what it is. It sounds like something has gotten loose and moves slightly whenever I change from forward motion to backwards motion and vice versa.

I am not getting any grinding out of my brake pads, so I don't think it is the pads getting loose, although I guess if a retaining tab broke, that might do it. I had new tires installed and an alignment done last fall. Is it possible something from that alignment has just now gotten loose? Maybe it has just taken this long to be loud enough to hear.... I know they had a terrible time getting some of the parts on that side unsiezed.

Well, I'm just thinking out loud right now. I'm hoping someone here might have a better answer. When I crawl underneath tomorrow I'd like to have a short list of things to check.

Thanks,

-Sherpa

PS. I did do a search and the words I used produced zero results. -S

Roadtripr

Check the bushing where the front strut connects to the lower control arm. Mine was dead at 80K, allowing some squeaking when going over bumps. Check also some of the other bushings on the suspension and swaybar. Is there any play in the front wheel, does the noise repeat if you push the truck up and down?

jimbo74

also try the big rod that runs through the UCA, it has bushings on it and they go bad over time.... its called the cross-shaft.....

HaveBlue

Also check your endlinks. Mine swaybar made a similar noise under the same circumstances when my endlink popped.

Sherpa

Well, thanks for the suggestions. I crawled under there yesterday and pulled, tugged, and pushed on everything I could get my hands on. Nothing shifted or moved, but that is not surprising given a 200 lbs man is trying to move parts on a 2 ton vehicle. A lot of the parts looked pretty worn, like the bushings on the swaybar links, but I couldn't find anything specificly wrong. I'll get it on a lift sometime soon with the weight off the suspension and try again.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll keep them in mind. One of them is probably the cause of my problem, I just haven't been able to prove it yet.

-Sherpa

Sherpa

The problem is getting worse. I have an appointment to take it to a shop in the morning so they can put it on their lift. I'm sure they will figure it out.

Now the sound, kind of a popping or shifting sound, is occuring much more frequently, including when I turn either direction, hit small imperfections in the road and other times. It doesn't happen every time I turn or hit something small, just sometimes. It is like it has a short range of movement and it moves back and forth as the stress on the wheel changes. The popping sound comes from it being stuck in one spot, and then the pressure overcomes the friction and it pops into the other position.

I'll post the results when I get them.

-S

Sherpa

Hey HaveBlue,

What do you mean your endlink popped? Did it break, or did the bushing fail? The bushings on my endlink (the part that people replace with quick discos for better articluation, right?) is pretty worn out. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that was the problem.

If you would, please give me a better description and how you solved it. If that is what I have going on, this would save me a lot of money by not having to put it on the lift.

Thanks!

-Sherpa

Sherpa

Back to square one.

Having it up on the lift didn't produce result in finding the source of the noise. They did inform me my inner tie rods were worn out, especially the passenger side, but also said that this is not likely to be the source of the noise.

It is continuing to get worse.

Does anyone have any more suggestions?

jimbo74

if the tie rods are shot, they will make loud noises and will exhibit a shifting feeling....

98_YOTA

ball joints maybe??

Sherpa

Well, they are shot. They still had Sherpa up on the lift when I got there, so I was able to manipulate the wheel while it was off the ground. There is a lot of play on the right side. I didn't try the left, since it is supposedly not as bad. According to the Service Manager, I will probably fail VA inspection the way it is.

Sherpa

You description does seem to fit. What is making the noise? Is it binding?

Sherpa

I don't know exactly how to test a ball joint, but according to them, and my own checks, everything else is tight. The bushings on the endlinks are squished and old, but not split or missing. The only problem they could find is the worn out inner tie rods.