Last weekend I replaced upper control arms and lower ball joints on my 02 f150 4wd as recommended by the shop. This week I noticed a clunk when turning to the left.

Brought it back to where I got the alignment (not the diagnosis) and they couldn't find anything wrong. I got home and took a look and this is what I found (Watch the tie rod):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u2e2657eq6...-32-42_763.mp4

I do have an idler arm that I will be putting in over Christmas when I get off from work. Do you think I need a pitman too? Tie rods? Has 110k on it, but the shop didn't say anything about needing tie rods.

 

sway bar end links? i just replaced mine today because they were clunking over bumps

 

They are brand new (can see in the video). It's not clunking over bumps. It clunks when turning the wheel sitting still.

The video shows what's happening. The tie rod end almost "pops"...hard to explain that's why I posted a video. If I turn the wheel while creeping it makes an audible "clunk" in the cab.

 

Have someone turn the wheel and watch the idler and pitman arms. I was getting the same shifting around of the tie rods and it was a bad idler that was moving up and down instead of just side to side.

 

Replaced idler and the "pop" that the tie rod/center link were doing in the video don't happen quite as bad. I still get a clunk on only left hand turns. Will try replacing inner/outer tie rods next.

 

Figured out the clunk, was a defective upper control arm that I had replaced a week earlier. (Moog from rockauto).

Bought and installed another one and it fixed the clunk. The circle part where the bushing goes through was not pressed into place and allow it to slip causing the clunk.

Everything in my front end is good to go now. Only thing I didn't replace was the pitman and I don't plan on replacing it either.

 

I know you said it's fixed but tie rod end clunk is nothing to ignore if that's where a confirmed noise is coming from. A friend of mine had a tie rod end separate going down the road (thankfully at low speed) on his 01' F150 2wd. He said it had been making noise so he just greased the heck out of it until he could find time to get another one. Needless to say he found time.

One night I was coming home from work and noticed my truck pulling to the right. Figured it was either the wind or I hit something and was losing air pressure in the right front. I then hit a small pothole and heard a metal-on-metal clunk from the front end and noticed it started pulling harder to the right. Now I'm like 'wtf...' The roads around here aren't that great and with every little bump in the road, the pulling got worse until I was holding the steering wheel almost 65* off center to compensate for the pull. Finally I pull into the Waffle House parking lot and have a look, but don't see anything unusual going on. I have a buddy come by and saw the steering wheel back and forth while I watch. I could hear the metal on metal sound faintly until suddenly there was a loud metal ripping sound, it was the driver side outer tie rod end ripping out of the metal adjustment sleeve. - This was on my 99' F150 2wd with 6" lift and 33x12.50.16 Super Swamper TSL's.

 

I replaced all 4 tie rods/sleeves/nuts 2 weeks before replacing the defective UCA as I thought it was a tie rod issue after replacing the idler arm and the clunk was still there. Thanks for the suggestion though!

Now I shouldn't have to worry about anything in my front suspension for a few years at least. Saved a ton of money doing it all myself. Have $521 into it with all Moog parts and alignment. Shop wanted $1200 just for the ball joints and idler arm. $337 for just the idler...the part cost me $60 and took 30 min to replace. I feel bad for the sucker who pays to have it done.

Good thing I invested in the Firestone lifetime alignment. Used it 3 times in 1 month.

 

Good thing you got it figured out. Yeah shops charge crazy prices when it comes to suspension work. When I did my idler, it took about 30 minutes and was about $50. Didn't even have to lift the truck in the air. Could you imagine all of the money someone could make if they just charged half of what most shops charge? Word of mouth would keep you pretty busy with work.

 

Agreed. I've done a few front suspension jobs on the side for friends. One of the guys I replaced lower ball joints for had paid $400 to have Moog lower ball joints installed not even a year prior. Needless to say he listened when I told him to stick with OEM.

 

There is money to be made but honestly I hate doing suspension work. Too often I end up fighting something for way longer than I should. Rust is very common here in MN and a rusted on $2 nut or cotter pin can hold up the whole show for the better part of an hour. Or you get it put all back together and bust a boot filling it with grease or something squeaks.

I'll stick to my side work doing PC repairs. Much less physically intense!