OT: Front end noise and mechanic can't find the cause

[OldWiseCock]

Any mechanics out there?

I have a 2006 Ford F-150 with a Leer top. (79,000 miles) Whenever I make a left turn there is a sound in the front end that I can only describe as a popping noise. It does not make the noise when turning right.

Its been checked twice and they found nothing. My thinking was a control arm or tie rod bushing. Visual inspection shows nothing with excessive wear.

It has gotten worse so I'm taking it back Friday morning. I'd like to tell them to check something specific. Any ideas?

 

[titaniumspur]

Step one, make sure the opposite side hub is unlocked.

 

[jeff2001]

Dude. I swear on a 1000 bible. My wife's car is doing the same thing. But it's worse when you turn left. It's a Honda accord.

 

[TheReelEss]

Any mechanics out there?

I have a 2006 Ford F-150 with a Leer top. (79,000 miles) Whenever I make a left turn there is a sound in the front end that I can only describe as a popping noise. It does not make the noise when turning right.

Its been checked twice and they found nothing. My thinking was a control arm or tie rod bushing. Visual inspection shows nothing with excessive wear.

It has gotten worse so I'm taking it back Friday morning. I'd like to tell them to check something specific. Any ideas?

Is it a 4WD? If so, take it to an offroad specialist. They'll know all 4WD issues.

 

[JohnnySolo]

Alignment, over sized tires rubbing, tie rod

 

[lr1007]

I saw a mechanic on youtube post his short cut to finding such noise.

Have the car turned off and parked on level ground and open the front door, use the front door as a lever and pull the vehicle up and down, while someone else listens near the front end, the noise should be reproduced from the car's movement, allowing the listener to isolate where it's coming from...or so the youtube mechanic says...

 

[DeepfriedCock]

Could be your ball joint.

 

[robertfootball]

Sounds like your tie rod ends, but could even be lower ball joints. If you can get it on a lift, grab the front tire (do both) and shake it (push then pull, then go side to side) and see how much “play” there is in it.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Are you sure you greased your muffler bearings?

Is it a four wheel drive? Sounds like a CV axle going bad (same for the Accord).

 

[Bubbaglide]

Are you sure you greased your muffler bearings?

Is it a four wheel drive? Sounds like a CV axle going bad (same for the Accord).

Good call. Front wheel drive cars will exhibit that noise when turned.

 

[OldWiseCock]

Rear wheel drive truck and not 4WD.

It definitely sounds like fatigued metal somewhere. I will ask them to check the ball joints and if there is play in the wheel. It is easy to test it as it makes the noise 90% of the time when turning left. I was thinking motor support or possibly the steering too.

 

[jedi_mike]

Alignment, over sized tires rubbing, tie rod

I had this issue on my f150 when I changed out my 31s to 33s.tires rubbed when I tried to turn to far.

 

[TheReelEss]

Have them check tie rod. They had a tendency to come apart on F150s around that time. Mine did. Luckily I was driving about 15 MPH.

 

[JudgeLarryDawg]

There was a Far Side cartoon where a car was completely taken apart looking for a noise. Caption reads: “Turns out there was a marble in the ashtray.“

 

[lowcountry_cock13]

Blinker fluid is probably low.

 

[yesiam#]

Dude. I swear on a 1000 bible. My wife's car is doing the same thing. But it's worse when you turn left. It's a Honda accord.

That's a CV boot issue.

 

[bayrooster]

Blinker fluid is probably low.

It's the solenoid. 😆

 

[wycombecock]

Tie Rods, Ball joints or even Power Steering. I had similar noise, and it was the Power Steering. So check your fluid level to see if its low. If so, that's the easy one.

My truck never made the noise turning right, only turning left.

 

[BobtheBuilder6289]

Any mechanics out there?

I have a 2006 Ford F-150 with a Leer top. (79,000 miles) Whenever I make a left turn there is a sound in the front end that I can only describe as a popping noise. It does not make the noise when turning right.

Its been checked twice and they found nothing. My thinking was a control arm or tie rod bushing. Visual inspection shows nothing with excessive wear.

It has gotten worse so I'm taking it back Friday morning. I'd like to tell them to check something specific. Any ideas?

Bushings or rotor hub bearings?

 

[gamecox4982]

2006 = Buy another one

 

[Gamecock122]

,my truck made same noise on right side turns......it was the wheel bearing going bad..


or its the flux capacitor

 

[craneoperatr1_a_aol.com]

 

[OldWiseCock]

There was a Far Side cartoon where a car was completely taken apart looking for a noise. Caption reads: “Turns out there was a marble in the ashtray.“

I wondered if the Leer top might be loose on that side. It's a long truck (no crew cab) and the Leer top is bolted on. Maybe the stress from body lean in a left turn is causing a loose bolt to slip a little on the threads?

It honestly sounds like a linkage between two metal parts has gone bad and slips just a little when stressed. It's not a creeeeeaaaaak noise. Its more of a dull bangish popping noise. And it only happens once in the turn. When I straighten out I don't hear it as if whatever moved has returned to its normal position.

 

[vipercock]

Was you car in the Founders Park tailgate area when Wes Clarke was at bat?

 

[92Pony]

I wondered if the Leer top might be loose on that side. It's a long truck (no crew cab) and the Leer top is bolted on. Maybe the stress from body lean in a left turn is causing a loose bolt to slip a little on the threads?

It honestly sounds like a linkage between two metal parts has gone bad and slips just a little when stressed. It's not a creeeeeaaaaak noise. Its more of a dull bangish popping noise. And it only happens once in the turn. When I straighten out I don't hear it as if whatever moved has returned to its normal position.

Just please post back and let us know if/when you find out the source of the noise. I for one am curious to know!

 

[importcock]

Once you've checked all the stuff everyone mentioned, check lower control arm bushings and sway bar links. Honestly, you might want to try another shop. Maybe a good alignment shop. Or as someone else said a 4X4 shop, (even though you have 2wd). Those guys are very familiar with steering and suspension.
Or... Buy a Tundra.

 

[Mcbulldog1]

Could be rack and pinion problem

 

[CockSure]

I had a front end noise issue with my 2018 Ford F-150. I took it to the dealer a couple times without success. They heard the noise and made a few attempts to fix it, but no luck. So I went on-line and found an on-line mechanic site that will diagnose your problem and figure out what the issue is. So I sent in a diagnosis request with a description of the problem along with $35.00. A certified Ford mechanic called me and asked me to get in the truck and drive it while he was on the phone with me. After 10 minutes he told me what he thought the problem was. I took it back to Ford and sure enough, the on-line mechanic was correct. It was a problem with the Integrated Wheel Ends. The noise was the result of metal on metal grinding. Thank goodness it was caught early enough so that no major repair was needed. Here is a link to the site:

https://www.justanswer.com/sip/ask-...GQUcUHLtZfAYwjRNl_-NSFJYCo40pI_0aAh0kEALw_wcB

 

[lowcountry_cock13]

Just go to good year and get your oil changed. They will be sure to find everything wrong with your car.

 

[Neanderthal]

What kind of sound is it? Popping, many short popping sounds, or one or two loud pops? Does it grind or whine just before the pop? Is it getting worse over time, louder or longer?

 

[OldWiseCock]

Now that it has warmed up some the noise has disappeared. I probably won't be able to duplicate it tomorrow. I didn't hear it at all today and I made a hard left turn into my driveway this afternoon but it sounded fine.

Will have them check everything tomorrow though:

ball joints
lower control arm
wheel bearings
shocks/struts
alignment

 

[OldWiseCock]

What kind of sound is it? Popping, many short popping sounds, or one or two loud pops? Does it grind or whine just before the pop? Is it getting worse over time, louder or longer?

Until today it has been a single popping noise as though a normally tight joint or linkage has worn or is loose. Only happens on a left turn on an incline. (I park in a 3 story garage downtown) No grinding or whine before or after. It was getting worse but as I said it stopped making the noise today. My guess is because it has gotten warmer.

 

[92Pony]

It’s supposed to be cooler tomorrow than the past few days so maybe it’ll rear it’s ugly head again for them.

 

[THMoore100]

Have them check tie rod. They had a tendency to come apart on F150s around that time. Mine did. Luckily I was driving about 15 MPH.

I wasn’t, I was going down 20 in Columbia, the tire rod broke. And it made my right front tire lock up, and it’s locked up with the tire cut all the way to the right. I was in the far left lane and when it broke, it shot me clear to other side of the he interstate. Luckily there wasnt anyone in the 2 lanes beside me. That was the 3 time it had happened to me. The 1st was my fault, but the 2nd I was driving through maudlin and had just gone over a bridge and again it shot me off the road to the left and I smashed a lane merge sign. I got rid of the car after the 3rd time.

 

[OldWiseCock]

I wasn’t, I was going down 20 in Columbia, the tire rod broke. And it made my right front tire lock up, and it’s locked up with the tire cut all the way to the right. I was in the far left lane and when it broke, it shot me clear to other side of the he interstate. Luckily there wasnt anyone in the 2 lanes beside me. That was the 3 time it had happened to me. The 1st was my fault, but the 2nd I was driving through maudlin and had just gone over a bridge and again it shot me off the road to the left and I smashed a lane merge sign. I got rid of the car after the 3rd time.

Ouch.

They told me today it was worn bushings on the ends of the stabilizer bar. It wasn't an expensive repair and it was noticeably better driving home. Front end feels much more stable.

 

[OldWiseCock]

Just please post back and let us know if/when you find out the source of the noise. I for one am curious to know!

Anti-sway bar (same as stabilizer?) links were worn out. They replaced the bushings and it drives noticeably better and no noise.

 

[titaniumspur]

Anti-sway bar (same as stabilizer?) links were worn out. They replaced the bushings and it drives noticeably better and no noise.

That’s good news. One of the less expensive things compared to what it could have been. But it was still more interesting than our basketball team.

 

[DrMickey]

The Car Talk guys from NPR always said that if your mechanic can’t find a noise, then you need to ask a younger mechanic - hearing is one of the first things to go!

 

[92Pony]

Anti-sway bar (same as stabilizer?) links were worn out. They replaced the bushings and it drives noticeably better and no noise.

Good news indeed! Like Titanium said, that had to be one of the cheaper fixes of all of the possibilities. Thanks for the update!

 

[TheReelEss]

I wasn’t, I was going down 20 in Columbia, the tire rod broke. And it made my right front tire lock up, and it’s locked up with the tire cut all the way to the right. I was in the far left lane and when it broke, it shot me clear to other side of the he interstate. Luckily there wasnt anyone in the 2 lanes beside me. That was the 3 time it had happened to me. The 1st was my fault, but the 2nd I was driving through maudlin and had just gone over a bridge and again it shot me off the road to the left and I smashed a lane merge sign. I got rid of the car after the 3rd time.

When it happened in my Ford it wasn't a high mileage vehicle yet. I Googled the issue and found out it was fairly common in the F150, but Ford refused to do a recall. Around the same time they were doing a recall for the cruise control solenoid catching fire. Guess what? That happened on the same truck. SOB's weighing repairs vs lives.