Front End Squeaking

[ppavlik74]

I am new to the site... and it is UNREAL. You guys have all the tips.
anyway... I have a 97 xlt w/69k...I have noticed that while driving it squeaks softly when I go over bumps, as I drive for a couple more hours it gets really loud and sounds like an old mattress being driven down the strret. It also makes the same noise when I turn the wheel. It go's away after I have let it sit over night and then it starts all over. My mech says he can't find anything and cant here the noise but maybe its bushings, my buddy says shocks.
PLEASE HELP ANY INFO APPRECIATED...thanx

 

[dondiesel444]

I had the SAME thing happen to me, the squeek was driving me nuts and I couldn't find out where it was coming from, any way it turned out the lower ball joint on the passenger side was doing the squeeking. For some un-known reason, you can't grease ANYTHING on the frontend of these explorers. So I bought one of those needles that peirces the rubber boot and I pumped it pull of grease and the squeeking stopped instantly. This is only a temperary fix, since the ball joints are dry, they are gonna wear out and need replacing eventually. I also greased my tie rod ends. No squeeks since, but I did have to replace both upper ball joints, they were wiped out, I'm sure the lowers arent far behind.

 

[X~FACTOR]

EliteConcept had a similar problem for so long and just recently he found what the problem was. It was the end links. Get the a factory ones or something beefier.

 

[ppavlik74]

FRONT DRIVER SIDE BALL JOINT AND $365 later its silent. Now I just have to figure out what the elusive rattle under the car is... thanx guys

 

[TPLYNCH]

Rattle - Check the catalytic converter heat shields. They come loose and rattle, or rocks get inside them and rattle around.....

 

[EliteConcept]

$365 for one side of ball joints? is that just upper or lower or both?

holy crap a shop in my town will do upper and lowers for $180