Jer1Ku

Hi there! This is my first time posting on a vehicle forum.. but after scratching my head until it's raw and contacting every local Ford dealer.. I've given up hope. Hopefully you all can help me!

A little background information:

All my life I have driven a car, so on March 15'ish my latest Neon's (I know..) transmission went out. I called and priced it at $1,300USD. So, having been tired of fixing the Neon, I went and bought a used (58,000 Miles) 2005 F150 XLT (5.4L / V8). It's a beautiful car, it's been kept maintained by the previous owner who leased it out. There were receipts in the glove department from where the oil was changed every 3,000 miles and everything else was done at 10,000 miles. The only thing wrong with it was the tires were the factory tires that came on it. Anyways.. So I brought it home and everything was great.

A few days later I started hearing a rolling rubber sound. It sounded as if I had a flat tire on my front / driver side tire but it wasn't flat. So after about a day of driving around with that noise, I took the vehicle back and bought 4 new tires. I was low on money so I went with Kumho (Sorry!), 4 x 60,000 mile tires for $540. (The seller at the dealer sold me them for his cost.. since the truck had crappy tires to begin with.)

So fast forward about a week and here's where the problem comes. This noise is incredibly hard to explain, but imagine placing an aluminum can inside of a metal bowl and allowing it to swirl around. That's what the noise generally sounds like. However, it's one of those noises that only happens when you're alone. I did get it to happen with my wife in the car, so she doesn't think I'm crazy! I don't notice anything I'm specifically doing to make the noise start.. and about 5-10 minutes after it starts, it goes away. The noise rotates sometimes faster than my tire is spinning so I'm not quite sure it's anything on the tire.. but that's just where it sounds like it's coming from.

I took the truck back to the dealer, and the salesman drove it. He managed to hear the sound on his way back into the dealership and tried to explain it to the mechanic. The mechanic took apart that tire and re-aligned it and did all that jazz, put it back on.. and the sound didn't happen again for about 3 days. When it happened, me and my father took the tire off and checked everything.. with no luck!

I'm just curious if anyone here knows what could be causing it to happen?

Cliff Notes:
- Sound only happens when rolling / braking. Does not occur when idle.
- Sounds as if it's coming from the front / driver-side tire.
- Tire was re-aligned after hearing the noise. Mechanic saw nothing wrong.
- Brand new tire on the truck.
- Sounds like placing an aluminum can inside of a metal bowl. (Sorry, about the best I can come up with!)
- Truck now has 60,000 miles on it with no reports of any past-problems.
- 90% positive it's not the ball-bearings in the Tire.
- The same noise happens when I go over a bump or anything similar.

Truck:
- 2 Wheel Drive
- 5.4 L V8 Engine
- 60,000 Miles
- Breaks just changed at 40,000 Miles.

Thanks for any and all suggestions,
- John C.

Jer1Ku

Just a quick update, even after no responses:

My wife took the truck down a dirt hill and she said the noise happened the whole time. Could it be my shocks? Would they make a rolling sound?

Jer1Ku

So I took it to a good friend of mine who owns a shop.. and he drove it, heard the noise, and said it was the brake pads ( The previous owner had the brakes changed at 40,000 miles.. ) .. My friend said the brake pads were not aligned properly? He said it's a simple fix; and the issue wouldn't mess up anything.. that I wouldn't have to worry, but if I wanted to fix it they could for a small fee.

Does that sound right?

kmaesad

Around the rotor there should be a metal shield (toward the front of the caliper ) check and see is the rotor is rubbing against it . if so -just bend away from rotor. Also your friend could be right with the pads not being put on properly.

fordman45

You should also check you bearing I know I had the same problem. Replaced the rotors and brakes still had that noise. Turned out to be my bearings, not runs smooth again.

JCR 56

He probably got it figured out, the post is 5 years old.