[robs97z28]

Just replaced all 4 ball joints. they had seen better days. I was hoping that this was going to fix the banging and rattling noise in the front end. I thought it might be the sway bar because it makes noise only when one wheel hits a bump.if both wheels hit a bump at the same time there is no noise. I have checked the sway bar bushings and the end links. I did noticed the the axle seemed to move around a bit. where it come out of the axle housing and goes into the hub. is it possible that the small needle bearing is no good? any in put would be helpful. I just bought this truck in June. I'm not sure of its' history. It is a 03 Excursion 4x4. :toytruck

 

[Zaairman]

Sounds like the needle bearing. Next time it makes the noise, kick it into 4x4 and see if the noise goes away...

 

[robs97z28]

I never would thought of that, thank you. I will give it a try on the way to work tomorrow. eelout

 

[Pat M]

Sounds like the needle bearing. Next time it makes the noise, kick it into 4x4 and see if the noise goes away...

O.k. what is the needle bearing? The reason I ask is that my wife's Ex has a noise and we thought it was the dang 4x4 hub which were shot but that didn't take care of it. Replace the ball joints. Sway bar end links. When you take a left turn and only a left turn it makes a grinding noise. Not all the time but about 40-50%. If you go around a rotary and hit bumps it seems like the front end is rattling itself loose. Go right and nothing.

 

[robs97z28]

The needle bearing is inside the wheel hub that the tire is bolted to. It allows the drive axle to spin freely in the hub. you will have a lot of slop at the where the u-joint. when they did the joint that would have been the best time to inspect the bearing.

 

[strokin6L]

I just did all ball joints, hub seals and front axles u-joints cause the u-joints were frozen. Did this a month ago or so. I replaced the sway bar links a few months ago. But after i did the ball joints, hub seals and u-joints i still have what you talked about in your first post. Sounds like sway bar link popping noise from the frontend when i turn into a parking lot or go over uneven ground. The hubs seemed fine when i took them off...so i reinstalled them. This is the only thing that i didn't replace when i had the front end apart. I didn't have a grinding noise to i thought the hubs were fine. I did use an air chisel and a normal chisel and hammer to pry both hubs off. I wonder if it's the hubs making this noise that i'm hearing.

 

[robs97z28]

I just did all ball joints, hub seals and front axles u-joints cause the u-joints were frozen. Did this a month ago or so. I replaced the sway bar links a few months ago. But after i did the ball joints, hub seals and u-joints i still have what you talked about in your first post. Sounds like sway bar link popping noise from the frontend when i turn into a parking lot or go over uneven ground. The hubs seemed fine when i took them off...so i reinstalled them. This is the only thing that i didn't replace when i had the front end apart. I didn't have a grinding noise to i thought the hubs were fine. I did use an air chisel and a normal chisel and hammer to pry both hubs off. I wonder if it's the hubs making this noise that i'm hearing.

After I replaced my ball joints, I found I had the same noise you have. If hit the bump at the same time no noise. If only one side a lot of noise. I unbolt one of the end links and took it for test drive. No more noise. I found the upper bolts were not tight enough. Impact gun took care of that, lol.it has been quiet ever since.

 

[strokin6L]

yeah i thought i didn't get the sway bar links tight enough either...so i went back and retightened them, but they were already tight...so that wasn't it. And that was a few weeks back and it's still been doing it. The sway bar links i put in were from carquest...not from ford. Maybe they're defects haha....IDK. I'm just gonna hafta get back underneath the truck and check everything over and make sure everything is tight.

 

[robs97z28]

Good luck! it took me 4 weeks to figure out what was wrong with mine.:swear

 

[huntem]

Well what did you find