please help me stop the screeching!

[slugmike]

hey all,

i recently picked up a 2001 Sport. everything is pretty much great, except for this screeching sound i've noticed.

it seems to be coming from the left front wheel/suspension area... at first i thought it was the suspension, but then i noticed that it was happening on both flat and bumpy roads. the noise is a cyclical sound that speeds up as i accelerate. once i pass about 35mph, i can't hear it anymore.

any idea what might be causing this? it really makes it hard to enjoy driving with the windows down

any input greatly appreciated

thanks

 

[typhoon43]

Could be something as simpe as the "squeal tabs" on your front left brake caliper. When were the brakes done?

 

[slugmike]

i bought it used.... don't know the service history.

what are "squeal tabs" and how can i check and see if something is wrong with em?

 

[engera]

I had the same problem on my '00 X. It is the dust seal making that noise. You can do a search on dust seals and you will find out all you need to know about them. I lived with that problem for months before I figured it out. It is a pretty inexpensive part from Ford ($18.00) and replacing it is a PITA but problem will be solved. When I bought the part, I went and asked a service guy if this part has been a problem and he said they replace them all the time. He said they new seals are reengineered to not have that problem. I did it myself and it wasn't too bad but I had to remove a lot of stuff for one stupid little seal.

 

[slugmike]

hmm... any idea how much it would cost to have this done? i'm pretty $hitty when it comes to mods - to give you an idea of how bad i am, i tried to install my speed grill last week, but couldn't get the front bumper off.

 

[slugmike]

ok, i did some searching and read up on the dust seal issue. prob is, my car is no longer under factory warranty, and I don't think the extended warranty i bought will cover this.

i don't feel like shelling out $100 bucks to fix this squeak.

i read in some posts that ppl said lubricating the dust seal can stop the noise for a while... this sounds more up my alley.

can somebody fill me in on what type of lubricant to use and where to apply it? (get your mind out of the gutter )

thanks for all the help!

 

[engera]

When I searched for "dust seals" I saw some postings of people paying under $120. Ford has a Technical Service Bulletin for this so they just apply the labor rate to the time the TSB says. I would label this job a PITA but I try and do all of my own service work so only took me about an hour per side.

 

[engera]

If you can picture the the whole hub assembly sliding out, it is behind that. It keeps the dust from getting to the bearings from underneath the vehicle. I think grease would work for a little while but I am not sure how easy it would be the lubricate this without taking it apart.