I have 97 f-150 4x4 S-cab... When driving on or off road I hear/feel a rattle or something when hitting very small bumps. Kinda like the wheel is loose or a hub is loose. Maybe, an Idler arm or steering arm??? Has anyone had similar symptoms and please tell me what to fix....




thanks

 

I had a rattle/squeek on my '97 front suspension. The idler arm was bad and Ford replaced it. Took care of the noise.

 

Thanks, sounds like the same thing that was happening to my F-250 Diesel.. I had the damn thing replaced 3 times so far, but I guess not to bad seeing as how the truck has 265000 miles on it.

 

i had a problem similar with my lower a-arm bolt being loose. but that was it.

 

One of the problems listed above should cover my squeek. I have also just let it go thinking it was a slighty dry rubber bushing. I know sometimes that bushings will make a squeek but it's nothing to worry about. Since I am feeling a little side to side shake in the steering wheel with these new tires I bet the idler arm or a ball joint is bad. It amazes me what you can learn on this board.

 

KYFORDFREAK just stated what mine is. A rubber bushing above my driver side front shock is kinda dry and squeaks every once in awhile, I just give a small spray of WD40 about once a week and that takes care of it.

 

Just my humble opinion here, maybe I'm wrong, but wouldn't you do better to use some axle grease or white lithium grease on the poly bushings? I've seen aftermarket kits that call for good old fashiones grease on poly bushings at assembly time.. maybe that would last longer than the wd-40..

best of luck..

RJ

 

My 2000 had a squeek. It was quiet until i hit a series of bumps. It turns out that the nut/washer holding the axle shafts to the hub were loose. Loose enough to sound like a squeek.

Although I had to get the Service Manager to drive the truck before he heard it!

manager "I don't hear anything."

me "go ahead and open the window"

manager "ohhhhh yeaaahhh, I hear it"

Hope this helps, or gets a laugh.

 

I do have the same squeek accomanied by a wierd feeling in the steering wheel whe I turn.It was supposed to get fixed when I had it in for the leaf spring replacement, but they couldn't find it.At 1st it was just the squeek so I thought it was just the torsion bars squeeking.It seems to be getting progressively worse, so I am gonna hold off for a little while longer (so the dealer can reproduce the sound and feeling) before taking it back in.