front end squeak on a 1997 ford explorer

[wdscars727]

i have replaced the upper and lower ball joints and the front shocks on my 1997 explorer about 2 mounths ago now i have a very loud front end squeak, it happens when you go over bumps or just turn the steering wheel. you can rock the truck when its in park and it will squeak, i have tried lubricating every thing i could think of and it still wont go away. anybody have a idea of what it can be? i just had it inspected and everything passed so i dont believe that its tie rods but i am leaning towards the bushings on the lower control arms. thanks for any help as this is really bugging me

 

[daffy]

Sqeuak

i have replaced the upper and lower ball joints and the front shocks on my 1997 explorer about 2 months ago now i have a very loud front end squeak, it happens when you go over bumps or just turn the steering wheel. you can rock the truck when its in park and it will squeak, i have tried lubricating every thing i could think of and it still wont go away. anybody have a idea of what it can be? i just had it inspected and everything passed so i don't believe that its tie rods but i am leaning towards the bushings on the lower control arms. thanks for any help as this is really bugging me

I had a lower ball joint go after 3 months, the grease the shop put in "froze" and I couldn't pump more in, can you push more through yours?

Other than that, I isolated my problem by holding on to various things around the area (those squeaks can be a bear to pinpoint). Found when I held the lower ball joint, I felt it very well.

 

[Homerexplorer]

If you haven't replaced your end links and bushings, I would start there. They're cheap and easy to replace

 

[UtahX]

Sway bar bushings and end links, you can clean them out and put some teflon in there, that's what I did and no more squeaky, so far.

 

[jimeeh1]

I've had the same problem with the passenger side of my 97. I was never able to pin point what it was. I jacked up the front end and soaked all the rubber bushings in the control arms and sway bars with silicone spray and the squeak went away. I've just done this for the second time about a week ago (about a year ago the first time) so I would think if it was anything else but rubber squeking I think it would have surfaced by now. Let me know if you pinpoint anything.

Jim

 

[rizzjc]

i have replaced the upper and lower ball joints and the front shocks on my 1997 explorer about 2 mounths ago now i have a very loud front end squeak, it happens when you go over bumps or just turn the steering wheel. you can rock the truck when its in park and it will squeak, i have tried lubricating every thing i could think of and it still wont go away. anybody have a idea of what it can be? i just had it inspected and everything passed so i dont believe that its tie rods but i am leaning towards the bushings on the lower control arms. thanks for any help as this is really bugging me

Mine has done that since I bought it in '96. The only time it stopped for a while was after they did the front end recall .... replaced some bolts or something, can't remember. I guess it is just the bushing. Annoying, but I got use to it after 10 years.

 

[skoal_mint]

i replaced my lower ball joint on mt passenger side a cuple of moths ago, and i started getting a squeek last week, i greased the lower ball joint and it was good

 

[jimeeh1]

My Bad.

Replaced my upper & lower ball joints over the weekend...lotsa fun.