Help! new tires...XLT making noises when decelarating

[dadufal]

Hi guys,
Im a noob at this forum,but I would greatly appreciate any help or insight to my situation. I own an 04 XLT sport and I recently purchased 2 new tires (same brand and size as OEM). I have them mounted and bal lastnight at pep boys to replace the 2 front. When I left the PB, I noticed that as I'm slowly decelarating 50 mph 40mph 30mph and so on I hear this clunking noise in the front of the vehicle. It sounds like a drive train issue and it got me a bit concerned since I will be relocating to TX next weds and having my family riding in my vehicle. Do you guys think I might have damaged my transfer case? Any input or advise would help.:

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Stupid question, but are your lug nuts tight?

 

[Willard]

Bring it back to Pep Boys, say they broke something

 

[dadufal]

yes my lugs are tight. Yo guys think that a slight wear on the rear tires and the new tires is causing this binding/popping noise? When I turn on the 4x4 high it doesn't do it.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

:scratch: I'm stumped on this one

 

[Donner]

How old, and how used are the rear tires? How much tread remains?

 

[dadufal]

I would say about 20-25% thread left on it. BTW the tires i have on my 04 is BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A 245/65/17 if that helps any. Sorry guys I figured someone here would know

Is it true that on 4x4 if were to replace tires, I would have to get all 4 done?

 

[storlied]

Generally, yeah.

 

[Donner]

(I fell asleep) Hey Storlied, what's up?

All tires changed together, differential fluids, tcase fluid checked at the same time - 4x4.

 

[storlied]

(Not much... you? I just ordered my Mac Intake and Catback!!)

It could also be a CV Joint. Inspect those..

 

[Donner]

(I have to find your registry) Good call on the CV joint. Is that a visual inspection or something a mech/tech should look at?

 

[Disp6]

My 2003 Explorer XLS was doing the same thing, which prompted my question posted on 2/24/08. Since then, I solved my problem, which was a mistake by the tire installer.

As stupid as it sounds, make sure that all the tires on your Explorer are the same size.

I had heard that all 4 tires needed to be replaced at the same time on a 4 wheel drive, but couldn't really afford it, so I had the rear tires replaced with new ones, and moved the rears to the front, because they were in better shape then the fronts. When I picked the vehicle up from Sam's Club I drove a very short distance and then noise started in the front end, seeming to come from the right front, when I decelerated.

Thinking that I was wrong in replacing only 2 tires, I went back the next day (having left my vehicle overnight in the area of the garage & getting a room for the night, as Sam's Club is 40+ mins. from where I live) and had 2 more new tires put on.

Putting the 2 new tires on did not solve the problem, so I had no choice but to limp the vehicle home at 30-40 mph, in 4X4 Hi, because, as yours is doing, it seemed to lessen, or make the noise go away. Luckily I was driving home through a snow storm, not on dry pavement.

After leaving the vehicle sit for a day, I started putzing around it checking air pressure and what not, trying to figure out why it was making the noise, basically grasping at straws at this point. I pulled the fuses to the 4 wheel drive from the power distribution box under the hood, and the noise went away, obviously because the 4X4 Auto was not trying to engage. On my second trip around the vehicle looking at things, I cleaned the road grime off of the tires and noticed then that the left rear tire was the wrong size. They had put on the wrong size tire. A P245/75R16 was installed where a P235/70R16 should have been.

I drove back to Sam's Club, a much easier trip then the one home since the fuses had been pulled, and had the correct size tire put on. Since then, the noise has gone away. Luckily there seems to be no problem with the 4 wheel drive. If a problem does develope within 30 days of the repair, Sam's Club's insurance will pay to correct the problem.

Not many people that I know normally check their tires after they are installed to make sure they are the right size, but as stupid as it does sound, double check and make sure all the tires are the same and correct size for your vehicle.