On my way in to work today, I noticed that there's a noise coming from the front drivers side... similar to how brakes sound if they get wet. The sound only comes as I'm applying the brake and am down to 5mph or less. I get out of the truck to inspect for anything unusual and I see this (area in the yellow outline):




I have no idea what this piece is, but do know the passenger side is 100% vertical and appears to be correct. Given my ignorance, I can only assume this is the culprit and it's broken. Can anyone tell me what this part is???

 

As I'm doing research, I'm thinking it's the front sway bar end link. If there are any alternative ideas out there, I'm open to suggestion.

 

Looks like a sway bar end-link to me. You can get them at most any local auto parts store.

 

Yep, that's a sway bar end link. If you where local I'd give you my old ones lol.

 

Sway bar end link for sure get on Amazon and have moog ship two prime eligible. Cheaper than auto parts stores and moog is the best out there. Won't kill you to not fix it for two days just don't do donuts or speed around corners till then. Also you should do both because if that one broke the other won't be far behind. With an angle grinder and a socket wrench took me 30mins to cut out the old ones and toss the new ones in. Also ford specs is 16-21ft/lbs of torque. I went with 18 just to be safe. Also not a bad idea to recheck them after about 1000miles

 

+1 on buying through Amazon. Either Amazon or 1aauto are a lot cheaper than most parts stores.

 

Your drawing is around the sway bar end link but i have never heard a bad sway bar end link sound like wet brakes(whatever that sounds like) or wet brakes ever sound like a bad sway bar.

I see your truck is wet, could it be this wet brake sounds you speak of?

Bad sway bar end links are none to make noise over bumps or whenever the suspension moves at a quick pace. Kinda sounds like quarter in a paint can.

A better picture of where the top of the thing you have circled meets the bar that wraps to the other side of the truck would give us more info to say if the noise you hearing is the end links.

EDIT: Just brightened the screen on my phone and the problem is clearly the sway bar end like top nut/washer and bushing has fallen off and the sway bar is no long attached to the end link.

Wayne

Wayne

 

Example

This one is bad and looks like it's.



Wayne

 

This is how it should look.



Wayne