1994 F150 front end rattle
08-29-2008, 12:10 PM
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1994 F150 front end rattle
Hi. Love my 94. Runs well. Costs about a thousand a year in maintainence (mostly bodywork/rust and replacement parts). Trying to get some input on a new problem which arrived last night. To it:
Driving home, I hear what sounds like something thin and metallic dragging under the truck. Only hear it when I'm going slow; either slowing to a stop or starting from one. I check under the car and see nothing's dragging. I sleep on it.
This morning, I check again in the light. Nothing dragging, and I can't see anything conspicuously loose that'd be vibrating against something else. I drive it around the neighborhood at speeds under 30, and again the sound only appears when slwoing to a stop or speeding up from a stop. It's like a thin, metallic dragging sound. Something metallic is vibrating against something else. Sort of a thin, tin canny sound. It sounds amplified when driving by cement barriers.
Obviously, I am not a mechanic, and generally have no idea what I'm talking about, but any help would be appreciated.
Some thoughts from googling this:
1. Someone with a similar sound says 'emergency brake' and that struck a chord; i used mine recently (three days ago) for the first time, noticed it was feeling tight, and released it and parked somewhere it wouldn't be necessary. A loose e-brake cable?
2. Ive also heard worn out brake pads, u-joint, and (jesus christ no...) transmission.
Any help would be appreciated.
Driving home, I hear what sounds like something thin and metallic dragging under the truck. Only hear it when I'm going slow; either slowing to a stop or starting from one. I check under the car and see nothing's dragging. I sleep on it.
This morning, I check again in the light. Nothing dragging, and I can't see anything conspicuously loose that'd be vibrating against something else. I drive it around the neighborhood at speeds under 30, and again the sound only appears when slwoing to a stop or speeding up from a stop. It's like a thin, metallic dragging sound. Something metallic is vibrating against something else. Sort of a thin, tin canny sound. It sounds amplified when driving by cement barriers.
Obviously, I am not a mechanic, and generally have no idea what I'm talking about, but any help would be appreciated.
Some thoughts from googling this:
1. Someone with a similar sound says 'emergency brake' and that struck a chord; i used mine recently (three days ago) for the first time, noticed it was feeling tight, and released it and parked somewhere it wouldn't be necessary. A loose e-brake cable?
2. Ive also heard worn out brake pads, u-joint, and (jesus christ no...) transmission.
Any help would be appreciated.
08-29-2008, 01:20 PM
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Are the rear brake drums rusty? Try spraying WD-40 on them where they contact the wheel and see if it helps. It helped with my truck when I had a similar problem like you discribed.
10-19-2008, 04:34 PM
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Tinny little rattle
If the sound is a tinny little rattle check the catylitic converter heat shield/cover. It has rivets or something holding it together so you may need to replace them if they are rusted through. I had to do this on my 94.
