I have a 1991 F150 xlt lariat, 4x4 5.0 auto. I haven't had any trouble with it until a month ago. i decided to take a ride and i just started to leave the drive way and i started hearing a light grinding noise that progressively got faster as the truck went faster. I drove it for a while and the noise didn't stop, so i turned around and headed back. As i came to the driveway, i used the brakes to come to a complete stop, one clunk... then another, and it stopped. The noises seem to happen after driving for a while, but at times may start as soon as the truck moves. The brakes have plenty of stoping power, though i don't recall brake work ever being done on the truck since i've owned it, other than a new master cylinder. I've owned it for around 3 years, and have never had this problem.ster. I drove it for a while and the noise didn't stop, so i turned around and headed back. As i came to the driveway, i used the brakes to come to a complete stop, one clunk... then another, and it stopped. The noises seem to happen after driving for a while, but at times may start as soon as the truck moves. The brakes have plenty of stoping power, though i don't recall brake work ever being done on the truck since i've owned it, other than a new master cylinder. I've owned it for around 3 years, and have never had this problem. I haven't got around to looking at the brakes yet, but i checked all the fluid levels for everything, and they were all where they needed to be... Any clues???????

The noises seem to be coming from the front passenger side.

 

You need to look at the brakes, they may be metal to metal.

Robbie

 

Your brake pads may have overheated and are breaking apart into pieces. Had it happen to me once.

Also I had rocks stuck inbetween the rotor and rim and they would make a nice crunch every now and then. COuld be as simple as that.

 

I took off the passenger side front tire, and looked at the brakes. The pads are still there and look fine, and the rotors look good, smooth without any gouges. I haven't checked the other side yet, but the sound was coming from the passenger side. I took it for a short ride, about a mile, and got the engine up to temp, and got to a normal road speed, and used the brakes, and there was no sounds. But the last time i took it for a ride, i went about 10 miles, stopped and came back, and right as i started heading back, a grinding noise started again. So it doesn't hapen very often, and if it does, it usually happens after driving a while. Any other ideas??? We might be taking it in to a local shop with in a week or two, and i'd like to se if i can get a good idea of what it could be before i take it in.

 

You may have to pull the hubs apart and take a look around. Also, check the front driveshaft joints and both half-shaft joints. If nothing pans out in the front, check the trans fluid for metal shavings, and you may want to pull the diff. covers off for an inspection.

SL

 

I took the truck out ice fishing this weekend, and it made no noises or anything, i had to shift it into 4wd to get through my yard though because of snow, and it was a little too loud because of bumps to notice any noises, but i don't think there were any. I am waiting for a nice warm day to check the front differential and hubs. When i removed the front tire, i found that the socket wouldn't fit on two of the lug nuts, it turns out that they must have been over torqued by the last place that put on the new tires, because they were expanded and cracked. I managed to get them off with a much bigger socket, but that was a real nice set back. The hubs in front are auto-locking if that matters any.

 

My 1993 f-150 4X4 sounded the same way. When I pulled off the rear drums a pile of parts fell to the garage floor. I had to replace everything including the drums then all was well again. As for your lug nuts the problem is Ford decided to put chrome caps on bare steel nuts which rust and swell eventually splitting open the covers and making it nessesary to use a larger socket to fit.

 

yeah, the funny thing about those lug nuts, is that no sockets would fit it somewhat snug. One was just enough to fit about 4mm's on to the lugs, but a size bigger and it was very loose almost stripping the lugs edges off, so it was a no win situation, but i used the big socket, and managed to get them off to check the front brakes, and still get them back on with enough torque. I don't think the noise on my truck could be the rear drums, but it could be anything.

 

My brother took the truck around town for several hours and said he didn't hear anything, or feel anything. So i don't know if it was just stuff that got in the brakes or what, but it seems to have stopped.

 

it appears the clunking noise and grinding has completely stopped. The truck has been driven almost 80 miles since the last time i heard the noise. This summer i am going to totally rebuild the truck, and solve most of it's problems hopefully. I love this truck.

 

I took the truck for a ride yesterday, and went around 60 miles. The clunking only happened once but stopped as soon as i let off the brakes. The noise happened about 30 miles into the ride as i was pulling into a parking lot. I will get to looking at the rear brakes sometime next week.