recently my truck has been making a loud metal on metal groaning noise when i maneuver at very slow speeds (5mph or less), usually after i come to a complete stop. it almost sounds like i am driving with the parking brake on or something but it doesn't do it all the time, it's very intermittent but VERY loud. i can't tell if it is the suspension, steering or brakes... i don't think it's the brakes b/c it only happens when my foot is on the accelerator. sometimes it acts up when i am turning, but usually when i am going straight. my truck is 10 years old so maybe some components are going bad, anyone have any theories?

 

My first thought would be an out-of -adjustment brake shoe, or sticking caliper.BUT... i thought this was my problem on my wife's neon after adjusting my drum brakes (which i had just replaced, therefore making them the foremost suspect). finally figured out it wasn't the brakes. it was very loud, and very intermittent as you have described. it drove me crazy trying to pinpoint it. Turned out it was the damn rear strut assemblies! i found out by bouncing the back end with my hands. the sound was exactly as i was hearing from inside while driving. it seemed to happen more when i drove the car "spiritedly", instead of when my wife drove it, but kept doing it off and on for awhile-air in the leaking struts (?). funny thing is, it stopped shortly after i figured it out. anyone else out there ?

 

hmmm....well i noticed tonight when i drove really slow over some speed bumps my front end makes all kinds of squeaky noises as if the shocks are blown out but of course it did not make that obnoxiously loud groaning noise. i guess i can't rule out the brakes b/c recently the reservoir leaked and shorted out a wire harness. now my parking brake dash light comes on periodically even when the brake is released. i have to refill the reservoir every week or so...irritating...

 

yikes i took a flashlight and looked down into my engine bay today and the brake fluid is everywhere...even on the upper control arm. maybe this is causing the odd noises (??) does anyone know if Ford will repair the damage from the short circuit? i discovered that the leaky reservoir problem is a recall item...

 

Sounds like your ball joints need to be replaced.

 

that's a good theory. i'm guessing the stock ones don't have zerk fittings. how difficult are those to replace, is there a trick to popping those in and out?

 

You might as well replace the upper and lowers at the same time. With the uppers you have to replace the entire control arm and the lowers you just replace the ball joint. When you replace the uppers you also need to install the camber kit or pay for the alignment shop to do it. You just have to use a BFH on the lower to remove them. You can buy after-market ball joints that have grease fittings. It is about a 6 hour job but worth it if you do it yourself.

 

Isnt that the year that catches on fire form the falty wiring by the brake resivour?

 

i am going to say yes b/c i received a recall letter in the mail from Ford regarding that issue but i never had time to take my truck in for service. apparently this was a real problem b/c my truck almost went up in flames as i was driving it!

 

update!

apparently the noise is not coming from the balljoints. i replaced the upper control arms and pressed in brand new Moog ball joints into the lower control arms and the mystery noise is still present.

it is very bizarre b/c it only occurs when i accelerate from 0 - 10mph....5 - 7 mph seems to be the sweet spot when it gets really loud. it never makes the noise when i put it in reverse or if i am coming to a stop. only when i am moving forward after i have released the brake pedal.

i have 20" rockstar wheels that rub when i turn sharp, this wheel/tire combination is very heavy. i have run these for about 3 years now. all the front end components are original (except for the balljoints) could the aftermarket wheels be contributing to my front noise problem?

 

Not saying this is right or wrong, but it sounds like a lower control arm bushings.

 

when you changed the ball joints did you check wheel bearing the rotor could be rubbing just a thought

 

naw, we didn't check the bushings or the bearings although i am hearing a high pitched squeak from the front end which i think is unrelated to the other noise. i am doing a 6" lift soon though so i will check those items when we install the lift kit.

well i crawled under the truck again tonight and i think i may have found the problem...

i noticed the catback exhaust seemed loose and sure enough when i jiggled it i discovered it was sliding in and out on the inlet side of the muffler. doing so made a loud metal on metal grating noise very similar to what i hear from the cab as i am driving. i tried to tighten the u-bolt and ended up shearing it right off (fail!). now the catback is REALLY loose. gonna take the truck over to my buddy's exhaust shop tomorrow and try to weld it on. i have a theory the inertia from moving forward from a dead stop made the exhaust swing back and forth on the hangers and created that god awful noise...and maybe the noise went away after a while b/c the metal expanded as i was driving which prevented it from slipping around as much

hopefully that is all it was, could be an easy fix!

 

if its not the exhaust check your wheel bearing

 

well my buddy welded in a piece of 3" pipe b/w the Y pipe and the muffler today, the exhaust system is solid as hell now. drove the truck 30 miles or so, no noise whatsoever. let the truck sit for a few hours and then i took it out again. as soon as i creeped out of the garage i hit 2mph and the noise returned. it is hard to tell exactly where the noise is originating from but now it kind of sounds like it is coming from the passenger side rear end. i will have the bearing inspected but i can't imagine worn bearings would make THAT much noise. i really thought the loose muffler was the culprit. arrrgh...