Let's play a game called 'Tell me what the hell this noise is'

[Paraphoe]

OK, truck has been making a creaking/squeaking/buzzing noise from the right front tire. It will only appear after a long day at work when I get in to drive home. It disappears after driving on the highway and reaching my apartment.
At first it would disappear when turned left, now it's still sorta there, just not as loud.

I've attached two videos of the sound. The first video is with the truck in neutral and me slowly pushing it forward. You can hear it creaking/popping.










This second video is me driving and you can hear the sound much louder.







Any ideas guys?

 

[IZwack]

Sounds rotational so first thing I'd check is the rotor.

 

[corkey]

the brake rotor is rubbing on the backing plate , or there is a rock in there somewhere,,

or it could be that crack in the rim spoke,,

 

[Paraphoe]

I know it looks like a crack, but that's just mud dripping, the rim isn't damaged at all. I will try to take a look at the rotor and backing plate in the next few days and report back, thank guys.

 

[Donner]

Sounds like rubber/tread about to tear apart...

 

[dogfriend]

Check the wheel really well, because it does sound like a crack opening and closing in something to me.

 

[parad1mg]

sounds like my old bike with a bent wheel..

 

[Donner]

Is that a two-piece wheel?? It looks like the inner part and the wheel maybe squeezing the "rim"

 

[Burns]

Sounds rotational so first thing I'd check is the rotor.

I would look this way also. I have had a rotor to crack before.

 

[IZwack]

I change my mind, its neither the tire nor the rotor -- its user error. :

 

[Paraphoe]

OK, went out there and broke it all down. Rim is completely fine, rotor looks neither warped nor cracked, seems to be in great condition and backing plate doesn't appear to be touching anything either. I spun it by hand and I can hear a slight noise that sounds similar coming from my CV axle, but it's very faint and I doubt it's the same thing. I put it all back together and drove around and the noise was nowhere to be found. I guess I'll wait and see if it returns Monday afternoon heading home from work again...:scratch:

 

[Paraphoe]

I change my mind, its neither the tire nor the rotor -- its user error. :

P.S. Screw you.

 

[Paraphoe]

No sign of the noise today....

 

[willy16722]

in the cv joint there is a metal clip that with wear can cause a noise like that and also check the caliper shims sometimes they get bent and will rub on something

 

[pj8847]

That EXACT noise is one I chased for several days one time... it was coming from BOTH of my front wheels, and many "guesstimated" that it was something with the hub/cv's... I didn't think so, but was ready to pull everything apart to check...

One day after getting really annoyed, I ripped off those "hub caps", re-checked the torque on my wheels to be sure, then got sidetracked with something else and never put the "caps' back on, just threw them in the back of the truck...

Later on I took the truck out and didn't realize the noise was gone until I parked for the night. I was like..."hmmm the noise is gone now". I looked to see I had forgotten to put the "caps" back on, so, I put them back on thinking all was good. Next morning I go out and drive, the noise was BACK! Both sides squeaking like mad again, thats when it hit me, the only thing i changed from the night before were the "caps", so i stopped and pried them back off, noise was gone.

Moral of this long winded story. I only have 31's on my truck, but that doesn't matter since no matter how well you torque your bolts, there WILL always be some flex/stretch of the rim and lugs on wheel rotation, on larger tires, even more so. Those stock ford "caps" love to squeak even under the minute flex that can't even be measured. I lightly grease the "clips" that hold them onto the lugs now, as well as squeeze them a little tighter before putting them back on. Noise has not come back.

 

[Paraphoe]

Hmmm...I think my issue was close to what you're saying, but I am fairly certain the noise was from my lugs loosening up a bit. Did you tighten yours up? When I popped the caps off one lug nut was not tight at all and a second could've used a bit of twist as well. That's the only thing that changed by taking the tire off and inspecting and putting it back together - the tightness of the lugs. This is day 3 with nary a noise...

 

[pj8847]

Hmmm...I think my issue was close to what you're saying, but I am fairly certain the noise was from my lugs loosening up a bit. Did you tighten yours up? When I popped the caps off one lug nut was not tight at all and a second could've used a bit of twist as well. That's the only thing that changed by taking the tire off and inspecting and putting it back together - the tightness of the lugs. This is day 3 with nary a noise...

There was the cause of your noise, the loose lugs allowing the rim to flex, causing the squeaking. The cap acts as an amplifier since it is hollow, and if you have a loose lug or any flex/stretch in the rim or studs, the clips tend to squeak, and that and any other squeak gets amplified, really annoying!

I did tighten my lugs a little when I re-torqued them, I'm running on the factory teardrop rims, and since they are alloy, the torque spec is lower than for steelies, and they tend to loosen up from time to time, especially if I'm hitting a lot of bumps/potholes, which I am unfortunately surrounded by living in NYC... I usually give the lugs a quick check any time I check the air in the tires, which is about every 3 visits to the gas station. People always look at me strange when I whip out the torque wrench, many ask me what it's for and/or why I bother wasting my time. It amazes me, no, actually, it scares me that there are so many people where I live that drive on a daily basis and NEVER check anything on their cars... not even basic things, like air pressure and lugs...

 

[Paraphoe]

It amazes me, no, actually, it scares me that there are so many people where I live that drive on a daily basis and NEVER check anything on their cars... not even basic things, like air pressure and lugs...

It really is scary. I'll admit to being one who sometimes neglects to check the tightness of the lugs, but I'll be sure to stay vigilant on that one in the future. But basic maintenance like tire pressure, checking the oil, etc. is ignored by too many people. I feel like some people think their car is a self sufficient and self sustaining sentient being.

 

[dogfriend]

A few years ago, I remember pointing out to one of my coworkers that the steel cords in the edge of his tire were poking out the side. He had no idea.

 

[pj8847]

forgetting about certain things like lugs is fine once in a while, I've done it, and sometimes your in a hurry, or the weather doesn't permit the 10 mins outside of the truck checking, it happens, and if there really was a problem, you would know about it, especially with lugs coming loose. I have to agree, to many people think the car they drive will some how miraculously fix itself when they are sleeping... then again. some of these same people appear to be sleeping while behind the wheel! So that explains it...

An even scarier thought for me is personally knowing several certified master mechanics that never... NEVER... maintain their own vehicle, simply because they are too lazy...
I've pointed out time and time again many safety issues and concerns they should have dealt with on their own cars/trucks, especially when the vehicle is used to transport their OWN children (let alone anyone else's), but they still neglect it, or ignore it...
I just don't understand how they could be THAT lazy... It's one thing if you lack the knowledge to know better, or the required skills to fix it, it's another when you do have the knowledge and skills, but let it go anyway...