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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
Almost every Ford SUV I've seen of these years do this. I know a Ford Explorer just by squeaks alone. There are about five in my neighborhood, all can be heard a mile away. What's the issue and what's the solution? Thanks.
Front sway bar end-links don't squeak. They clunk and knock. The sway bar frame bushing tend to squeak, especially the aftermarket neoprene replacements w/out grease fittings.
The rear sway bar end-links will squeak. Ball joints will squeak if dry.
For any 1995-97 Explorer, inspect the torsion bar keys. On those models, the keys set/ride against the frame, and over time the Kevlar wears out, and it becomes metal to metal. 1998 up use a replaceable insulator pad.
Front sway bar end-links don't squeak. They clunk and knock. The sway bar frame bushing tend to squeak, especially the aftermarket neoprene replacements w/out grease fittings.
The rear sway bar end-links will squeak. Ball joints will squeak if dry.
Check the sway bar frame bushings FIRST. Saturate with water or silicone spray where they contact the sway bar and go for a test drive. Good chance after 20 years they've never been greased or replaced. Inspect the rear frame bushings and end links too, they're likely the same age and mileage as the front.
I eliminated my suspension squeaks by externally greasing my control arms and ball joints using silicone dielectric compound. I figured that would eliminate the sound for a few days at most, but to my surprise, the suspension squeaks have been quiet for 4 months and counting.
I don't know if this is the right place - but figured I'd start asking here along with some video. Recently, my drivers side front end has a squeak that is heard while driving slowly...and pressing down on the brake (as the momentum of the vehicle is coming to a stop). I've tried to recreate the squeaking sound by pushing down on the drivers side from outside the vehicle.
The shocks are about 5 years old and don't bounce at all after pushing down on the car and letting go...so I don't think the noise is from there.
I replaced the sway bar bushings about 5 years ago too, along with the stabilizer bar links with parts from Moog - They were the blue bushings - I did not use any grease during the install.
As to upper control arms and lower ball joints - they're both original, shot and need to be replaced - I just have not tackled that job yet...but the squeaking just started so I don't know if anything would have changed with those items.
Hopefully these video's help ID something. I tried to record video while driving but the sound does not come through over the engine noise.
I applied spray silicone generously in upper and lower control arms bushings.
I putted the wd40 straw tube into the silicone nozzle, so I assured to put the liquid directly into the 8 bushings.
And in the rear, I applied wd40 between the ends of the leaf springs
I do this procedure periodically, especially after my mountain off road rides and after every rain
I guess that I can have a long term solution disassembling and putting grease on the bushings, and some rubber between the leafs... maybe some day...
Thanks for your input.
I'll try generously spraying them with spray silicone as jmvb mentioned and see if that causes it to go away...and try and narrow the issue down to one or the other.
