I have a 98 f150 4x4 and have a really bad non mechanical noise most prominant when i turn the wheel. Im pretty sure its not mechanical cause I can be parked and when i turn the wheel its this loud squeaking/creaking noise. I can also hear it if I stand on the drivers side running board and bounce up and down. But mostly it happens when I turn the wheel. Any ideas? Im stumped.

 

Have you checked under the front end for anything that looks loose or worn? Suspension related?

 

Check your pitman arm and ball joints.

 

Not being mechanically inclined, how serious is this problem? i have a 10 hour drive coming up fast, can she survive or is the truck going to fall apart?

 

In my opinion any potential problem with a front end should be checked a.s.a.p. You don't want something breaking and causing you to have a wreck.

 

I had the same problem.

Get under your front end, and look at all the rubber bushings, if they look or feel dry that's probably where your squek is coming from.

If they are dry, find one of your friends who has a grease gun and ask him to grease them up. Worked for me, on my '97 anyway.

Then buy him some beer.

 

i was thinking just that cause it rained for 2 days and it helped alot. but how do i know if its just the bushings or i need to replace ball joints and control arms?

 

My truck made the same noise. It was getting really loud the more I drove it. The suspension was just dried out and rusting so I just pumped some greese into all the rubber bushings I could see and the squeeking stoped.