Noisy ride

[Uruiah Barley]

I have a 04 trac with about 106k miles on it. I am getting a rattling sound coming from the front end when I run over bumps in the road @35 mph or greater. I currently have Monroe Reflex shocks on it of it is about time for some new ones. I haven't changed my ball joints at all yet. But I can't see where they need to be replaced yet. Most of my milage is highway. The shocks don't apprear to be loose and I can't duplicate to noise when the front end is in the air. Could anyone give me some insight as to what the problem might be?

 

[Todd Z]

Broken sway bar end link ???



The lower ball joints are "loaded" when the truck is in the air... you have to support the truck on the frame and unload the a-arm slightly and then check for play....



A rattle can be and exhaust shield, or something else...



The ball joints have been know to fail as early as 20K miles on the Sport Trac.



Todd Z

 

[Uruiah Barley]

Thanks Todd. I found the problem. My left from brake caliper was loose just enough to cause the rattle I was hearing and the bumping sound whenever I hit a bump in the road.

 

[Dallas Starr]

now that I read this I noticed mine as well.. i gotta check it out when I get home... damn!