I have the same problem in my 2016 lariat . took it into the dealer for a check a month ago and was told it was my wagner brake pads . they said the angle on the pads are not angled enough like the motorcraft pads. my pads are wagner semi metallic. it does it mostly cold and when the vehicle warms up it goes away after a while. so I am going to change them tomorrow with the new raybestor element 3 pads. if I still have the problem it is going back to the dealer!!!!

 

I have the same on-going issue with my truck....2016 Lariat SC FX4. I have a related post if you care to commiserate with a fellow owner who is dealing with the same problems!

 

I read your list of issues. I have another theory to throw out there. I wonder if your steering knuckle was machined wrong creating a misalignment between the IWE and the hub causing premature wear. I haven't got a good enough look at the knuckle to determine if that is possible. Maybe a tech on here could comment?

 

That would be interesting to know for sure! If these next two 'fixes' that Ford proposes do not work, maybe that is something to look into.

 

Update:
Rear diff cover pulled - no issues. Front diff plug pulled to inspect for steel chunks - nothing. Front left hub replaced again - nothing. Front driveshaft removed - noise is gone. Transfer case on order and should be in Friday. The only parts left to replace are the front diff and drive shaft.

 

Do you guys feel/hear when your 4wd is engaged? Not having driven any other f150's not sure what they are like.

I know steering can be effected when power is being sent to front wheels. But do you guys feel more vibration/feedback/etc when under acceleration when in 4wd? Hard to explain.

Just wondering if could be my tcase too.

I received the iwe, going to do the swap next week. Until then just driving around in 4a, no grinding/noises when braking.

 

Oy!!!!

Is the sound still there when you pull the electrical plug on the solenoid to engage the hubs but, leave the TC out of the equation? If the noise comes back, then you know it is probably the front diff.

 

For me, 2010 5.4 SCREW with the 6.5 ft bed. I do feel it in the acceleration. I can tell it take more gas to get it moving faster. I can also hear more noise coming from the front.

 

Yesterday they claimed to have checked the vacuum system extensively. I'm not sure if they unplugged the solenoid. Regardless, I'm getting a new or newly rebuilt transfer case!

 

Sorry to hear about all the troubles. The symptoms you are having were EXACTLY the same I had. My front left solenoid was replaced and it fixed everything. Dealer quoted something like $900 last year so I did it myself for a quarter of that. I have read of people with 30k miles that have replaced the IWE's 3 or 4 times. I wouldn't discount the new set being bad.