My 1997 F150 4.6 started making a creaking noise in the front steering several thousand mile ago. It now has 50k miles on it. What's really odd is that when the outside air temp gets really hot and the truck get really hot (city driving or parked while running) this noise gets unbearable! It's so noisey and loud you can hear it 40 yards away. When the truck is cool or cold the noise is hardly noticeable!
Any ideas?????????????

 

Sounds like you have the "pitman arm squeak". You can either grease the pitman arm or replace it. Had mine on my 97 Lariat replaced under warranty.

 

i greased my pitman arm at about 30,000 and now have 50,00 and no squeaks

 

I'm having the same squeak, I'm gonna have my buddy with a grease gun grease the joints up. Hopefully that stops the noise.

 

Will greasing the pitman arm also reduce (or eliminate, even briefly), the squeak on 4x4 model F150s from 1997?

 

I think it would. Assuming of course that's where the squeak is coming from.

 

Well, my front end just got all greased up, and so far it's silent. I hope it lasts.

Sweet sweet silence.

 

250 miles later... still quiet.

 

Check your Ball Joints. If the Ball Joints do not have Grease fittings they are Factory parts.

It's a good bet that they need to be replaced if they haven't been already.

I own a '97 too and I replaced both lowers a few months ago. I had the Joint Shear apart, crashing my front end to the ground.

Luckily I was backing out of a parking spot when it happened. So I had not additional damage.

I'll be replacing the Ball Joints in my brother-in-laws '97 this week. He had a Tie Rod End seperate and when I looked under neath to check things out. This is what I saw.



I'll be replacing Upper & Lower Balljoints on Both sides as well as all the Tie Rod Ends on his truck this week.

Doug

 

It's a good idea to replace the stock parts with MOOG greaseable parts.

But, if you don't have time/money, you can grease the factory parts with a grease gun and a needle attatchment. I had a squeak. I greased all of 'em up and the squeak dissappeared.

Best of luck.