hi, first of all i drive a 96 bronco, i cant find a message board for broncos, but i figure the f150 and bronco were very similar that year. OK, now the problem, everytime i hit a bump, or go over and intersection with a dip, i get a very lound clunk which can also be felt very much so, it also happens when i come to a complete stop and when i first accelerate, it definalty comes from the front, there is a clunk from the rear also when i go over large bumps. I am not sure if its my ball joints or soemthing wasnt torqued down properly at the factory. My truck also shakes alot under heavy acceleration, which i dont know what the cause of that is also. If anybody has any suggestions of what it could be let me know cause it is annoying the heck outta me, thanks.

 

Could be a lot of things. How are your shock absorbers? A broken shock or totally worn out shocks could explain it. The springs could be shot, too. Does the vehicle handle pretty good, or is it all over the road?

 

my truck does seems to wander somewhat, how would i go about testing to see if my shocks are bad or broken, i tried pushing down on the front of the truck to check the rebound, it seems alright to me, but is there anthing else i can try before goin out and buy some new shocks, which i was planin on anyway soon, the truck has about 60,000 miles on it so it might be time.

 

60k is a lot for the stock shocks on most Fords. In my experience, by about 30k they have usually lost a lot. Good aftermarket shocks will usually last a lot longer. Shocks may not be your only problem, but its a good place to start, casue they are not too expensive. Installation is usually pretty easy, and while you are under there you can take a look at other things. You said you were hearing loud noises - try to see if there is any evidence of two parts coming together as the suspension compresses. Since this could be a real safety issue, you may want to spend the money to have a pro look at it.

 

Let's see, wandering front suspension, loud clunk over bumps, 60K miles. If I had to bet, I would say that you have a ball joint that is bad. THis, however, would not explain your rear clunk. Shocks are a possibility, but one thing that could contribute to a rear clunk and vibration under acceleration are worn universal or CV joints in the driveshaft. Is the vibration only at slower speeds (<45 mph)? if so, this would be consistent with CV/U-joints. In any case, unless you are an experienced DIY'er, I would punt this one to a front-end shop as ball joints and U-joints are reasonably involved. Especially the balljoints.

(Former Brake and Front-end mechanic)

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BLK 2000 F150 XLT 4X4 SuperCab SB, Shift-on-the-fly, 5.4L, 4R70W, 3.55 LS, 4-Wheel disc/ABS, ORP, Keyless, PWR Seat, Slider, Soft tonneau, Cab steps.
MODS: Rhino, Molded flaps,

 

the vibration is at alot of different speeds, mostly below 45, i only notice vibration at 60 on the highway. also the vibration happens under heavy acceleration