Clicking from Driverside Front tire

[Maintain]

No, it's not a rock. And you can only hear it with the window down and light throttle while going 30+mpg turning right. It's like Click Click Click Click. Sounds like metal to metal contact actually. I know I need to replace the ball joints but I only hear it on this side. Any other options/problems it might be that I could fix when I install new ball joints?

 

[Tbar]

Your 4-5yr old 4X4 may have a wheel bearing going out. Jack up that side and see if you have play when you shake the tire back and forth.


Tbar

 

[Maintain]

I've done that, and there is very little play but my tires sit like this //==0=\\ sometimes. If there was play, it would be balljoints like your describing. If it was wheel bearings you would hear it at all times. It only clicks when you turn to the right going 30+mph so this leads me to believe it may be something in the steering, but I was hoping it was just a ball joint.


Also, my hub is in the Automatic selection. The sound reminds me of when I left my hubs locked in forever on my Mazda and the Cclip fell out and the axle moved back and forth and it ended up seizing up the front end.

 

[Ford_Forgotton]

you should have NO play up and down. If you do, your wheel bearing is letting go.

I just went thru it. Noticed my tires sat just like you described, and the next day, got the ticking noise like a rock in the tire, and less than 5 miles later that tick turned into a growl/grind.

When the wheel bearing lets go, the entire hub is held in place by the brake caliper brackets. What ends up happening is the rotor will grind into the brake caliper bracket and pretty much ruin both the bracket and the rotor.

I caught mine quick enough that I was able to save my rotor, but it had some very obvious grinding marks on it.

For whatver reason, our trucks dont like bigger than stock tires and it tears wheel bearings up bad. I have a DYNATRAC fixed spindle conversion sitting in the back of the wifes car waiting for a day when I have some free time to install it.

I installed an OEM hub/bearing to get me by until I install the dynatrac. I could do a roadside repair of an OEM wheelbearing in less than 30 mins if I had the tools and spare parts in my hand.

 

[Maintain]

Too bad you don't live near me haha.

 

[dzl_x_4x4]

I agree 100% with Ford_forgotten, that it is the wheel bearings. Just did mine around the same time he did his My Link. I did both sides, because I test drove it after side 1 (the worst side), when I would turn into my driveway, I would hear "click-click,click-click" after the install. After I did side 2, well, just read the link to see my results.

IMO. Don't drive it! You can cause some serious problems if you don't wreck the truck first.

 

[Maintain]

It came back to bite me in the buttox... got it tore down today b/c it was squealing soo loud people beside me were holding their ears! I've got the hub off and it s BURNT UP!