Passanger side CV joints

[wnick]

Hi I have a 98 5.0 AWD XLT, it only has 64k on it. I just did new pads and rotors all around. Swapped out the Michellin 235/70r15s for 30x9.5x15 on the stock wheels. When I go over bumps I feel the knocking in the front passanger side wheel. I checked all the caliper mounting bolts and ball joints and tie rod ends and sway bar links, all looked good. The only thing I found is I can rotate the shaft an 1/8" in either direction for a 1/4" of play. Is this accecptable? Is this my problem? Thanks for any help.

 

[Willard]

I don't think a CV shaft would cause a knocking. Even if it did, there would be other problems to go with it.

It's kind of unlikely with only 64k on it, but a shock bushing could be gone. It would allow the shock to move up and down on the mount.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Its normal, the differential has some "slack" in the spider gears.

Not doubting your ability, but were your ball joints verified to be good by an alignment tech? Ball joints can look OK, but still have slack. If you have your original lower ball joints, I'll bet they are bad. Insist on Moog replacements.

 

[wnick]

Thanks for the quick replies, I tried twisting the shock and moving it around but I did not find any play. I did it with the truck up on jacks and the wheel off. As for the ball joints, I moved the hub back and forth with a jack under it and not. I will check those out again this weekend. When I read the post about the caliper bolts and saw the damage I was worried, but now I am stumped.

 

[Willard]

There's also the sway bar bushing you could look at.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Sometimes bad ball joints are difficult to detect without a trained eye and or alignment rack. I have had a bad joint that I couldn't tell, but the alignment tech found.