Dull click/tapping/thumping noise from front drivers side wheel area
02-23-2017, 08:00 PM
#1
Dull click/tapping/thumping noise from front drivers side wheel area
I've been trying to trouble shoot this and have done some searching but haven't been able to come up with anything.
Truck is an 04 FX4 5.4, there is a dull click while moving, mostly noticeable while idling or slowing down. It is generally very soft (almost any engine noise masks it and I can't hear it with the window down) but it varies, every now and again it's louder.
I jacked up the truck and spun the wheel, I get a thump from the wheel hub area. This sound is much more metallic than when it sounds like in the truck but that may be the product of sound transfer. I put a stethoscope on it and it seems loudest on the portion of the axle assmebly directly behind the IWE actuator. I wasn't able to replicate the repetitive sound though.
Trouble shooting notes:
-It IS speed relative as far as frequency but NOT volume (under a certain speed I don't hear it, I assume this is the reason I could not replicate the repetitive nature spinning the tire by hand assuming the sound I heard was the same sound)
-The wheel did not seem abnormally difficult to spin by hand (though I admit I'm not sure how easily they should spin?)
-It IS present regardless of breaking
-It IS present with IWE solenoid UNPLUGGED
-It IS present in 4x4 High (I can't determine if it's present in Low gear because the higher revs make the engine noise too loud)
Any help would be much appreciated. I literally JUST got the truck back from having the transmission rebuilt (reverse went out) and spark plugs done (side note; they only broke three!)
I am going to take a loan out to cover that cost (cheaper than the CC) and if I need to replace something I want to be able to cover that cost with the same money, but obviously I need to figure out what needs to be replaced so I have an idea of how much I'll need.
Truck is an 04 FX4 5.4, there is a dull click while moving, mostly noticeable while idling or slowing down. It is generally very soft (almost any engine noise masks it and I can't hear it with the window down) but it varies, every now and again it's louder.
I jacked up the truck and spun the wheel, I get a thump from the wheel hub area. This sound is much more metallic than when it sounds like in the truck but that may be the product of sound transfer. I put a stethoscope on it and it seems loudest on the portion of the axle assmebly directly behind the IWE actuator. I wasn't able to replicate the repetitive sound though.
Trouble shooting notes:
-It IS speed relative as far as frequency but NOT volume (under a certain speed I don't hear it, I assume this is the reason I could not replicate the repetitive nature spinning the tire by hand assuming the sound I heard was the same sound)
-The wheel did not seem abnormally difficult to spin by hand (though I admit I'm not sure how easily they should spin?)
-It IS present regardless of breaking
-It IS present with IWE solenoid UNPLUGGED
-It IS present in 4x4 High (I can't determine if it's present in Low gear because the higher revs make the engine noise too loud)
Any help would be much appreciated. I literally JUST got the truck back from having the transmission rebuilt (reverse went out) and spark plugs done (side note; they only broke three!)
I am going to take a loan out to cover that cost (cheaper than the CC) and if I need to replace something I want to be able to cover that cost with the same money, but obviously I need to figure out what needs to be replaced so I have an idea of how much I'll need.
02-24-2017, 07:38 AM
#2
Moderator
So does this sound get faster with higher rpm (I know it gets tougher to hear) or slow down with slower RPM? Or does it get faster with speed ect...? Can you make a video, upload it to youtube, and post up a link on here? Sounds are tough to describe and tough to diagnose from said description. You did give pretty good details though!
02-24-2017, 09:00 AM
#3
Senior Member
Hub Assy would be my first guess. Maybe some suspension parts going out as well? Jack up truck and check for excessive wheel movement and then use a prybar type tool to check the ball joints.
02-24-2017, 01:05 PM
#4
The sound does get faster/slower with wheel speed.
I will go through the wheel movement stuff once I get home, the ball joints (both top and bottom) actually got replaced with MOOG units two summers ago. The fact that it gets faster and slower with wheel speed seems to mean it's in a rotating part, but when I look at what to listen for for various parts going bad (IWE actuator, cv axles) this sound doesn't seem to match any of them.
I can try to take a video but I'm not sure the sound will even pick up, will try on my way home.
I will go through the wheel movement stuff once I get home, the ball joints (both top and bottom) actually got replaced with MOOG units two summers ago. The fact that it gets faster and slower with wheel speed seems to mean it's in a rotating part, but when I look at what to listen for for various parts going bad (IWE actuator, cv axles) this sound doesn't seem to match any of them.
I can try to take a video but I'm not sure the sound will even pick up, will try on my way home.
02-28-2017, 09:51 AM
#5
I chased a sound for months that would get faster/slower with wheel speed. Could never figure WTF was causing it, after troubshooting IWEs and replacing a few simple things, turns out it was my front driveshaft differential u-joint taking a ****.
03-01-2017, 07:29 AM
#6
Mark
iTrader: (1)
Why was the front drive shaft turning for months ?
03-01-2017, 02:08 PM
#7
I tried to take a video but as I feared the mic just isn't picking up the sound well enough on the video.
I'm fairly sure its the hub assembly though, I found a couple of write ups on replacing them and the symptoms those folks had seem to match. Also, it now will randomly be VERY loud at highway speed on occasion. The first time it did it I almost thought it was the the 18 wheeler next to me riding the air break. This symptom goes away as you coast down 5-10 mph and then it goes back to being quiet. Not consistently reproducible though.
I've priced out the hubs and they aren't terrible so I'm going to just replace both sides and be done with it. (I'm still waiting on the day I get to regret not replacing the passenger side ball joints back when I replaced the drivers side...
) of course we've gotten into a bind due to my local USPS not delivering mail in a timely fashion which is putting a hold on getting the money to fix this/pay off the transmission rebuild for a week or so... 
I'm fairly sure its the hub assembly though, I found a couple of write ups on replacing them and the symptoms those folks had seem to match. Also, it now will randomly be VERY loud at highway speed on occasion. The first time it did it I almost thought it was the the 18 wheeler next to me riding the air break. This symptom goes away as you coast down 5-10 mph and then it goes back to being quiet. Not consistently reproducible though.
I've priced out the hubs and they aren't terrible so I'm going to just replace both sides and be done with it. (I'm still waiting on the day I get to regret not replacing the passenger side ball joints back when I replaced the drivers side...
) of course we've gotten into a bind due to my local USPS not delivering mail in a timely fashion which is putting a hold on getting the money to fix this/pay off the transmission rebuild for a week or so...