1998 F150 two wheel drive.

Parts replaced...
All four control arms. Lowers twice, with Moog (all 4 both times) Lower balljoints replaced with better quality greasable joints.
All four tierods...
Pitman arm
Idler arm
Steering box
Shocks twice (Rancho and KYB)
Wheel bearings MANY MANY times. Probably six times in the last 8-9 years
Has a steering stabilizer, yes on a two wheel drive. Replaced shock twice, then replaced the ENTIRE stabilizer with a new unit.
New tires a year ago.
Now has NEW rear leaf springs, shackles, and U bolts... Yeah they helped a LOT, but the front end is still doing what it does with no solution in sight.

STILL have a hammering clunk that is worse on the passenger's side. It happens most when the suspension/tire drops into a depression in the road, but will continue the noise until the suspension settles into smooth pavement. It also follows uneven longways pavement separation joints like train tracks. This problem seemed to be nonexistent until 8-9 years ago, but since then with ANY parts replaced seems to work for a few days, and it drives perfectly. Then, it goes right back into the same issues all over again. I have looked for frame cracks, believe me! I don't see any...?

 

Last night after work I replaced the right side wheel bearings and races again. I followed the general torque to 12ft. lbs. spin the rotor and torque to 30ft. lbs, loosen a 1/4 turn, then hand tight with a socket. put the wheel back on, and the bearings were loose enough to wobble, so I tightened it a tiny bit more and stopped the wobble. It still spun smoothly with no noise or resistance. I took it for a test ride afterwards, and it all seemed great until I hit a bump about 3/4 of a mile to a mile into it. clunkclunkclunkclunk.... Most of the shops around Houston want to rebuild your entire suspension for ANY problem, and want 2 grand or more for it. They will not work to find the actual problem and correct it for you. The last place ( a local neighborhood shop) said my springs weren't sitting correctly in the control arms. I let them do what they thought would solve it. $250 down the drain. It did it again on the first bump I hit.

 

Left side bearings and races job is being done this morning, as soon as I feel like getting up and doing it, lol. The weird thing with this truck, is that it seems all of the grease turns black, and the bearing rollers are clean and dry when I do a teardown. I use a bearing packer so it IS getting grease in the bearings. About the only thing I haven't replaced is the spindles themselves. They look clean and no wear on them that I can see. The hubs also do not feel loose when the truck is jacked up and you try to wiggle the wheel around.

UPDATE: Left side hub was a bit loose. Enough for it to move anyway. I already have the wheel off and the caliper's coming off in a minute or two.

 

And yet again, it seems to be miraculously cured. Hopefully by the middle of next week it won't be back again.

 

After all you did is it not pretty obvious it's not the front end parts but the shock created to some other location OFF the suspension.
Motor mounts, transmission mount.
Why keep doing the same thing over again with no results?
There is an old saying "if you do what you always did, you will get what you always got".
Change the procedure and look at other areas.
Anti roll bar links, bushings, steering box mounting, radiator yoke, anything that is loose and can bang.
Seems everybody likes to guess rather than track it down.
Shock mountings both top and bottom.
I'm not trying to insult you but you have to go about it from a different perspective, that's why you came here.
Good luck.

 

Is the truck lifted?

 

sounds like 2 independent issues.
tracking
and something loose.

tracking would be more of an alignment issue unless it is only after a pothole/bang clunk

 

This is about the 4th or 5th time the front end has been rebuilt, and all of these issues started about the time before last, that's when I replaced idler pitman and steering box trying to knock it out. I figured at 220k-260k plus it was due anyway. I have still not fully fixed the issues. I am about ready to take it to a shop. Although wheel bearing replacement helped a lot. There is still the clunking. Shocks are new, and are tight top and bottom. I am about ready to take it to a real shop, and tell them to find it, even though it may cost me 2 grand to do that. It had an alignment under 1000 miles ago, when they reseated the springs. It did nothing for the clunking, though it drove a bit better.

Rear is lowered 2 inches with shackles, but everything else, including the front end, is bone stock, or stock replacement parts. No other lowering.

Tracking improved a lot with wheel bearings, though it feels like it it is starting to loosen up again... I am honestly thinking of getting rid of the truck, if we have a good year at work next year. This year is pretty much in the crapper though we're still working thankfully. I have heard stories of 6k bonuses 3-4 times per year, and that much as a Christmas bonus. If we can get a year like that, I will probably buy something made in this century at least.

 

How difficult was it to replace the steering box? Looking to tackle this, bearing, and brakes next week. You’re lucky you don’t have a death wobble. That is an absolute nightmare. Every shop I took it too told me something different.

 

Paid someone to do it, unfortunately..

And an update... It's almost completely back to where it was before. Why did I even bother...

 

sway bar end links?
sway bar bushings?
lower control arm bushings?
steering shaft?
clunk washers on the LCA?

lots of front end parts we haven't discussed yet.

 

Sway main bushings and end links are fine and tight.
Lower control bushings were new with the lower control arms, which were replaced twice already. Bolts are torqued to the crazy 130 ft lbs.
Steering shaft has no play, steering feels tight... NO slack in the steering wheel while going down the road

Now the clunk washers are another thing. Every ad I see states they're for 99-04 Lightning and 02-03 Harley Editions, and seems to make no mention of any other models. I know the slots are there, since I have had the lower control arms off numerous times since about 2005 or so. Everyone that talked about them online seemed to say it was a problem while turning only? I have suspected this could be at least partial part of the problems I am experiencing, but never certain of it. People seemed to be talking about these back in 2002, when I was on this site constantly though I never heard of these washers or needed them until now?? If I even do need them. I have looked at the bolts and never noticed any wear from side to side movement.

 

my 2003 XLT came with them from the factory. It later became a supercede/standard part. Being yours is a 1998 I wouldn't imagine yours ever got them. The LCA doesnt have slots on these for adjustment, it should just be a round hole.

I asked about the LCA bushings because typically people do the press in LBJ and reuse the LCA.....


as far as the rest of the items, need to actually test them. Get under the truck with a prybar and start pushing and pulling on stuff. Swaybar bushings can appear good, but once you pry against the bar, it shifts/pops. Not trying to be a douche about this, but you're obviously frustrated by the situation, and I want to make sure you aren't overlooking something without actually testing it.....

 

Yeah I know, but everything that could have been replaced has been at this point. I have noticed that when I turn over a uneven pavement joint many times there is a lateral movement of the whole truck it feels like, As soon as the wheels hit anything the cab lurches sideways just enough to feel unnerving. With the slots being oval, that does make a pretty strong argument for the washers.

 

Washers installed. Wow was that a PITA~!! Especially on jackstands in the driveway. It didn't help that they just didn't fit the bolts or the slots in the frame. One of those pry every whichaway for two hours ending up in the dark with only a regular hanging work light, and then bamm, everything just pops together perfectly. I could definitely see where the bushing was moving around, I have my fingers crossed that the fix solves most of the issues. The truck doesn't feel nearly as sloppy and scary as it did. I even did a slalom type maneuver on a back road with no cars around. Way more stable. The whole cab was kind shimmying side to side in it's lane before. It felt like the frame was broken or the body mounts were loose. Anyway, like I said fingers crossed that it stays this good. It is still clunking or clucking on the right, but one thing dealt with is good for a while. The LCA holes on that side are normal round.