Front/Driver-side Squeak

[N83]

Hey guys, need a little help:

I've developed a very noisy squeak coming from the front, driver-side area. It squeaks over bumps, of even with quick suspension loading/unloading (I can make it squeak when I hit the gas from a stop). Up until today I thought it was my lower ball joint, but I attacked it with some WD40 today just to confirm. Well, it didn't remedy. I sprayed a lot of the components in hope to narrow down the location of the squeak (didn't have a buddy nearby to stick his face down there while I rocked the truck).

I crawled underneath and was pushing up and down on the suspension and am pretty sure that the squeak is coming from the part of the axle that goes into the front diff. Sorry, I'm not sure exactly what the part is. I tried spraying where the part attaches to the diff housing but it didn't stop the squeak.

Can anybody help me out? For one, which part is this? Has anyone had a squeak coming from this? I imagine it's a joint of some sort that needs replacing. Is there any chance I'm wrong and should keep tracking down the noise?

Thanks, guys!

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Squeaking sounds more often than not end up coming from the sway bar bushings but there is plenty that could be at play. CV axels, the ball joints, and the control/A-arm bushings cover pretty much everything with up/down movement in that area. You really should not use WD40 on any of these parts as it dries out and eats the seals - use white lithium spray. Try having someone bouce the truck up/down a bit while you listen closely should help find the culprit. Also try jacking up on frame then turning tire by hand to check the CV for binding. Hold tire at 12/6 to check for any play in the ball joints. 9/3 lateral movement is bad hubs and/or tirerod ends.

 

[rego]

Does it squeak when you turn the wheel back and forth with the truck in park?

 

[N83]

Does it squeak when you turn the wheel back and forth with the truck in park?

Just went out to check it:

Yes, it squeaks when I turn the wheel to the left. I'd crank it to the right, and as soon as I turned it back to the left there would be a squeak.

 

[rego]

That is what mine did and my first attempt at some lube to the lower ball joint failed also. I ended up getting a needle adapter for a grease gun. It is about 3" long and has a zerk fitting on one end and looks like a hypodermic needle on the other. The boot took way more grease than I thought it would before it started to slightly bulge.

 

[N83]

That is what mine did and my first attempt at some lube to the lower ball joint failed also. I ended up getting a needle adapter for a grease gun. It is about 3" long and has a zerk fitting on one end and looks like a hypodermic needle on the other. The boot took way more grease than I thought it would before it started to slightly bulge.

Just tried this, but the sound persists (I think I know why...). I hit 3 bushings on each side, the upper and lower ball joints, and (what I believe to be) the tie rod ends. I took it for a short spin after and the squeaking was still there and just as bad. I crawled back under once I got back and it looks like the bushing might be bad on the driver's side because I think there was more grease on the exterior of the bushing than was there before the trip. Upon further inspection, I think there's a tear in the bushing, and that could have been what let the grease out.

So, what do you guys think now? Should the grease have helped with the sound even though the bushing was bad? Could it still be something else?

 

[rego]

If I recall correctly, it took a few miles for the grease to find the squeak on mine. Good luck.

 

[Christine Marinko]

I have this rhythmic squeak in my left front wheel in my 2001 Ford Explorer Sport. We thought it was from the brakes because the brakes were shot and we just put new brake pads on and to my surprise the rhythmic squeak that goes faster and faster depending on the speed of the vehicle is still there and when I apply the brakes the squeak goes away, but the pads are brand new. It sounds like a barking seal, yes. It's annoying I'm just concerned I don't want to have something loose that might be touching the rotor. It just concerns me that it goes away when I turn or brake. I don't know what to think. The truck is old.