Ok, I will make a long story and little shorter to give you an idea.

We are talking about my 1994 F150 XLT 4X4 with a Dana 44 IFS front diff. Things I have done to the truck as of late and before.

It has a 3 inch body lift on it( never had an issue with this in 3 years )
I just put in this fall a 3 inch front end spring lvler under the springs.
All sway bars are still in place.
It sits on 35 inch mudders
Auto trans with the switch on the dash to go into 4wd, not on the floor.
Warner Locking Hubs, second set as of last fall ( other set was stolen )


Now this fall I hauled about 20 loads of wood in the truck, firewood, this was all off road to get, I never beat on it to get the wood or anything. No issues at all. And I used 4wd from time to time. So I know that worked.

Then about a month or so ago I went and got 6 Railway Ties and this put the front of the truck up in the air as all the weight was on the rear since they are 10 feet long and I have a 5 foot box being an Extended cab. So alot was hanging out. I did Have it in 4x4 at the time as I had to turn around in the bush and did not feel like getting stuck. I then loaded them up. and got back to the gravel road, about 1/4 mile away. Stopped the truck and put it back into 2wd and unlocked hubs, on the way back it started this vibrating sound from the front that would go from one side to the other. It was not in one spot all the time, it did not go away when you applied the brakes either. And it did not go faster when you sped up or slowed down, it was a constant, and the only way to make it go away was to gun it, slam on the brakes etc, or whack various steel parts with a sledge when it was parked.

I unloaded this load, and thought it would be back to normal now, no way, it has just gone from really good one day to really annoying the next.


Tonight was the most annoying and as it was snowing and I left it in 4wd. Now it would start from time to time and then if I gave it gas it would go away, then take foot off and back sometimes, but not always, then if I hit a bump on the road it would go off, if I was on perfect pavement, it was ok. But again if I hit the odd rough spot it would go off, I then would gun it, and it would go away.

Now in 2wd if I gun it 90% if the time it will NOT go away. But just comes and goes as you drive.

Now the perfect way to describe the sound and feeling is if you ran over those rumble strips on the side of the HWY, this is about the exact sound and feeling I get. No grinding sounds ever.

SO, what could have happened when I loaded this heavy load on the back to mess something up in the front. I have thought maybe my front shocks were stretched and are shot, but why now. And it should be more of a bang then a rumble I would thing and the truck really doesn't bounce like its shocks were shot.

I did check all the nuts and bolts and springs and all are tight.

Checked the front diff and it is full, no water in it.

Everything is greased properly.


Suggestions or things to look for.


Thanks in advance.

 

Is it almost like a wobble? because i had the same problem with my truck, i took it into a guy i know who is good at front ends, and he said that my ball joints are shot. how are your hubs?

 

I jacked up the truck and it has its normal movement, but nothing you can hear or anything, just like if I spin the 35s while on the truck in the air, no sounds. It drives perfect on the road and hwy, no wobble or anything. No drifting to one side or the other.

I thought ball joints as well, but this should not come and go and have a perfect 2-3 days then it is back again, then goes away from just giving it gas or stopping and be fine again. Plus it is the same constant noise ( like riding on the rumble strip of a hwy ), never changes the sound that is. Never gets faster or slower either.

Also this all started after that one load where it lifted the weight probably 30%/70% front- back

 

curious how is this going? Was trolling through and saw this. If the noise is only coming from the front axle then I'd say front end may have flexed too much and might have damaged the axle u-joints. The axles don't like the hub centers and pivot points too far out of wack. With that big load, were the wheels barely touching the ground?

 

Since you've put a levelling kit on it....I'd check to make sure the coil springs are sitting correctly in the spring bucket. I don't care if you've checked and checked it......tighten the living **** out of those coil spring bolts that go up the center of them...I had a similar problem on my truck.

 

Tie rod bushing!