Clicking in FR tire and now tire is bouncing?

[kisk]

2004 v6 Explorer (Standard model)

I noticed a clicking noise in my front right tire that would sound when I'd make a slow left turn. Just dealt with it thinking it was just a bearing going bad, but now more issues...

Just recently in the past 2-3 days now there is a noticeable bumping at low speeds. Not a sound, but a bumping like really bad tire balance issue. The bumping subsides at around 20-30mph.

Also, when making turns it almost feels like the front end has some sort of "sliding" feeling. Kind of hard to describe. All I know is I feel like the tire could fly off at any moment. Plan to take it in first thing in the morning.

I've read on the forums that sometimes the parking break hardware can come loose, but those are on the back wheels right? Any ideas? CV? Bearings? Something else? Thanks!

 

[streetessencems]

Deffinatly sounds like a bad wheel bearing. I would not recommend driving this until its checked out. Jack vehicle up, grasp wheel and check for movement.....

 

[Exproblems]

2004 v6 Explorer (Standard model)

Just recently in the past 2-3 days now there is a noticeable bumping at low speeds. Not a sound, but a bumping like really bad tire balance issue. The bumping subsides at around 20-30mph.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Also, when making turns it almost feels like the front end has some sort of "sliding" feeling. Kind of hard to describe. All I know is I feel like the tire could fly off at any moment. Plan to take it in first thing in the morning.>>>>>>

Like "Street" said, to check the wheel bearings, jack up the truck under the front frame, the side you suspect being bad, and let the wheel hang freely above the ground. With your hands grab the tire on the left and right side of it and try to "wobble" the wheel side to side. If you get no wobble feeling or loose play at all, the bearing is still good. If it does wobble, that wheel bearing is bad or going bad. A bad tie rod end or even a loose tie rod locking nut can cause a thumping or bumping noise when you turn the wheel sharply, especially on low speed turns. I had a "locking nut" do this till it was tightened up. The tie rod locking nut holds the tie rod adjustment nut in place so the tie rod end adjustment holds true. You may have a bad lower ball joint as well. They can cause a thumping or bumping noise when you hit a bump in the road. It can also sound like a "thud". If a lower ball joint breaks apart, your wheel will feel like it came off, because the lower arm assembly will be ****ed on an angle(disconnected) and you won't be able to drive it in that condition. To check a lower ball joint, same jacking procedure as checking wheel bearing, but you take a long pry bar or even a 3-4 foot, 2x4 piece of wood and place it between the bottom edge of the tire and the ground, and lift or pry upward on the tire while you look at the lower ball joint socket while laying under the front end so you can see the ball joint socket area. If you see the ball joint socket slide up and down while you pry up and down ,the ball joint is bad. The ball joint should be solid, no play or loose movement if in good condition. Best thing to do is take it to a place that can do 4 wheel, wheel alignments. They can tell you what is going on. Some of these alignment places also repair suspension or steering components.

>>>>>>>>>>I've read on the forums that sometimes the parking break hardware can come loose, but those are on the back wheels right?>>>>>>>>>>>

Right, parking brake hardware are located on the rear wheels, on the inside portion of the rear rotors. They wouldn't cause a front end noise, especially a bumping noise. They usually cause a light, metallic scraping noise inside the rear rotor when a spring or clip rots or rusts apart and lays in the rotor area.