andyems10

I need the advice of a mechanic. I had this posted in the general discussion but now I'm looking for advice on what to check next from maybe a tech or a mechanic.
I purchased a new '14 regular cab 4x4 STX about a month ago. I noticed a noise coming from the front passenger side wheel area. I have taken it to my dealer once and they kept it for two days. Told me they found the front rotors were warped and they turned them "just a hair" but otherwise couldn't find anything wrong. That did not stop the noise like they thought it would. They told me after the two days to come pick it up. They said they heard the noise and acknowledged it was there but had no idea what was causing it. They said to keep driving it until it got worse. I asked if warped rotors at 500 miles could be related to the noise and they said they didn't think so. It just irks me that my new truck has way more noise than my old Chevy I traded in. I hope someone on here could give me an idea on what to try next. I don't care to try and diagnose myself but I'm afraid of doing too much and them not wanting to warranty anything I might find. Here is what I've found:
-The noise is a metallic rubbing/clicking sound. It almost mimics a minor exhaust leak type sound. The tech that rode with me made the same comment when he heard it. It's not high pitched or a squeal/squeak. It sounds exactly like something is rubbing against a rotor or something is grinding in the drivetrain. It's hard to describe the sound exactly.
-The noise is not engine related. This might not be safe but I found a long, downward sloping section of road coming home from work. I placed my truck in Neutral and turned off the engine while coasting at 45 mph. The sound was still present with the engine off. No change at all after turning off the motor.
-The noise is speed related and perfectly rhythmic. It's a perfectly timed noise, and the rhythm increases/decreases with wheel speed. It does not change whatsoever with bumps, braking, turning, etc. As long as the wheels are turning the noise doesn't change, other than its relation to wheel speed.
-I only hear the noise after 15 minutes or so of driving. When I leave for work in the mornings its not there. After 15 minutes its tarts and its constant until my next destination. After sitting 8 hours at work it comes back in the first 5-10 minutes or so and is present continuously until I get home. Almost lke its related to heat of driving after several minutes.
-This is not wheel or tire related. As part of my deal they swapped the STX Sport 20 inch wheels for the 18inch wheels. I liked the 18 inch better. This sound was present with both sets of wheels.
-Engaging 4x4 does not change the noise at all. It's still present in 2x4 and 4x4 and can be heard over the noise of the front differential when its engaged.

I'm not trying to and don't want to raise a big stink. I just want my new truck not to rattle. I don't like hearing it, esp since the truck is otherwise so quiet. I'm not sure that its totally safe either. Something is not correct in the front of this truck. I took it to another dealer yesterday for a second opinion. The tech heard it and said he'd put it on the rack and gave a look. His service manager then rode with me. He said he didn't hear any noise at all. Told me he was a master technician and to him there was no noise at all. He said he was not going to let his tech put it on the rack and waste time. Gave me a speech about how trucks generally make more noise than cars. Went as far as telling mr that was the first time he'd ever rode in a 2014 F-150. Said he wasn't sure that all of the '14s didn't rattle a little. He referred me back to my selling dealer and told me there was nothing else he could do for me. I didn't argue with him. By that point I had decided that with that attitude I probably didn't want them working on my vehicle anyway.
I hust want to figure out what's wrong. Can anyone on here, based on my info, suggest what the problem could be? I've always heard a wheel bearing only made noise when turning? This is constant no matter the wheel direction.

RLXXI

Sounds like you have a rock or stick wedge in between the rotor and backing plate.

andyems10

My first thought was a brake/rotor issue too. But I would have thought they would have found that when they turned the rotors. I was feeling a slight vibration around 20-25 when braking before they turned the rotors. It went away for a day or two but it's already back.

RLXXI

They may have over looked it if they used an on the car lathe. Dealers, at least the one I worked at had just such a machine, it gives a truer surface than taking the rotor off as it compensates for the entire rotating mass, rotor/hub/mating surface. Worth a look any way, jack up one front wheel at a time, take the tire off and inspect the gap for debris.

andyems10

Ok. I'll definitely try that today. I had no idea such a machine existed. I assumed they always had to be removed to be machined. Good idea. Thank you.

Weekender

Have a GoPro or know someone who does? Mount it somewhere (frame behind the wheel well?) and record the noise. Watching the vid and hearing it happen might point you toward the source.

Is the selling dealer nearby? If you bought it from a competing dealership in the same town or region and take it to the other, you could get the brush-off in the service department.

Weekender

andyems10

I took off the front wheels. I didn't see anything around the rotor or heat shield that might cause the noise.
I don't have a GoPro camera but might be able to locate one. I bought this truck a few cities away, maybe a 20 or30 minute drive. I had nothing against my local dealer who is 5 minutes away. They just didn't have anything close to what I wanted in stock. I had hoped to use the local, closer dealer for all my service needs though. Can't get any more blunt than to tell me I need to go home and take it back to the dealer I bought it from.

scoobyf150

Pretty sure we may have the same issue based on your description.. For me at first it seemed like it was a front end noise from passenger side, but after checking over front brake system,tires etc...I finally raised rear axle off ground and ran truck in 2wd up to speed and there was that noise..seems to me.at least in my case that noise is coming from front of transfer case towards the transmission..many others have experienced the same issue but nobody has ever posted a conclusion from ford...

andyems10

I basically gave up for now. I'm living with it until my next oil change. I hate that I'm "living with" a rattle in a new truck but I got tired of driving to the selling dealer to get it checked. First time I waited several hours for them to tell me they couldn't hear anything. My wife can hear it for crying out loud! A few weeks later they kept it for two days. The tech went on a test drive with me and heard it that day. Two days later they call me and tell me it's ready. They also tell me they're basically clueless. They acknowledge its there but can't find anything. When I picked it up I looked at my paperwork. All they did was check the front fender for vibration and stability issues. They checked the tires for rocks and found none. If they would have paid attention to me they could have saved that step. I had them swap the 20s for 18s when I made the deal. I heard the noise with both sets if wheels and tires and I explained that. They did turn the front rotors at only 500+- miles because they were warped but said the sound "probably wasn't related" to that. I'm not sure what they did the other amount of time in those two days they kept it. Again, I did notice mine starts after its driven for about 10-15 miles. At first startup and drive it's quiet as can be.
My next oil change I'll try again. Hope I don't have to live with this for the life of the truck. Something is wrobg somewhere and eventually it's going to wear something out. Their advice of "drive it until it goes away or gets louder" didn't inspire a lot of confidence in them. Not what I wanted to hear after buying my first Ford.

scoobyf150

My 2014 stx had the noise since day 1. I bought it around Halloween and the temperatures outside were already getting somewhat cold in NJ so I had the exact type of scenario. It seemed to be barely noticeable until the trans temp guage read warm, then I could hear it pretty well. The main problem is that if the windows are down, or the blower motor is on or radio...it will drown out the noise enough to make it hard to hear, so you almost have to be there for the test drive with the tech to point it out! On that note, now that summer temps are here, I can hear it pretty good within the first mile of driving and its hard not to hear once the trans is up to operating temps. I'm due for my 2nd service and noise has not changed for the better by any means. I hate to say it but if dealer fails to find it again or pulls the I don't hear anything routine, then I'm gonna have to try to figure this out myself because the noise is gonna drive me to lunacy soon