Dave jackson 2
Member
:huh:The L/Frt of my 2001 4wd Sport Trac makes a horrible noise when I go over uneven pavement or bumbs. Even does it isitting still in the driveway if I rock the front end. Any ideas or experiences?? Thanks
Front Suspension noise - creak
- Thread starter Dave jackson 2
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Eduardo Bailey
Member
The sway bar mounts get a crusty rusty sound. White grease will temporarily help. If you hit something sizeable then it may be something else.
Ed
Ed
EddieS'04
In Memoriam 1950-2022
Swaybar bushings or control arm bushings, most likly....get some silicone spray lube and spray each seperatly, until you find the culprit....
Edit; dont use wd-40 on any ruber bushings it is a petroleum distiliate, and will deteriate rubber....
Edit; dont use wd-40 on any ruber bushings it is a petroleum distiliate, and will deteriate rubber....
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Deleted deleted
Well-Known Member
Fast Eddie's fix will only be temporary.... Only long-term fix is to replace the control arm bushings.
Dave jackson 2
Member
I had the control arm bushings replaced about 40,000 miles ago. Are these something that go bad on a regular basis ???
Andy G
Active Member
You need to lube the suspension bushings about every 10K miles or once per year. They do dry up and they will eventually fail if they go too long dry. Even brand new bushings will be creaky in a few months if they don't get sprayed and you live in a dry climate.
But here is another thing. I keep my ST lubed up very well, and still developed a creak. It wasn't a suspension bushing. It was a ball joint. The lower on the right side. Since they are sealed, there is no way to lube them by design..
What I did was I cut a small 1/8th inch slit in the boot of the balljoint, got some white grease in a pressurized can, got the nozzle up in the cut, and filled the boot completely with grease. My creaking has gone away. But that was a very good indicator that I need to replace balljoints within the next few months.
They make a grease fitting that looks like a needle. It would be better to use that instead of cutting the boot, as a cut may grow. Although mine have not deteriorated since I performed this service.
Lube your bushings with a spray silicone lube, and if it doesn't stop, start thinking balljoints. You can lube them as I did and it will stop.
But here is another thing. I keep my ST lubed up very well, and still developed a creak. It wasn't a suspension bushing. It was a ball joint. The lower on the right side. Since they are sealed, there is no way to lube them by design..
What I did was I cut a small 1/8th inch slit in the boot of the balljoint, got some white grease in a pressurized can, got the nozzle up in the cut, and filled the boot completely with grease. My creaking has gone away. But that was a very good indicator that I need to replace balljoints within the next few months.
They make a grease fitting that looks like a needle. It would be better to use that instead of cutting the boot, as a cut may grow. Although mine have not deteriorated since I performed this service.
Lube your bushings with a spray silicone lube, and if it doesn't stop, start thinking balljoints. You can lube them as I did and it will stop.
Dave jackson 2
Member
I have lubed everything that I could find. Noise is still there. will check the balljoits next.
Thanks
Thanks
Johnny O
Well-Known Member
When my Ranger made that noise, it was the ball joints.
