I recently got my truck and decided to crawl underneath today for a look at the front end ( first day with decent weather) I found out I'm missing the sway bar link on the drivers side ( the passenger side link looks new I suppose they forgot to put the drivers side in) but while looking at where the spindle meets the upper and lower control arms under these plastic covers over the joints. They look awful clean to have been under there too long do you think the ball joints may have been replaced? I would think that likey except I still here the rattling metal coming from the passenger side when I hit bumps which I assumed were bad ball joints. I haven't had a chance to jack it up yet but just looking for some opinions.

 

a bad ball joint is usually more of a popping noise when hitting bumps in the road. so i dont think that would be causing a metal rattling noise. i could be wrong. weirder things have happened. but i would check to see if there is a piece of the sway bar link still in there. that will cause a rattling sometimes. or if the other sway bar link is loose. also check any heat shields on the exhaust. as they will also cause the rattling noise.

 

Thanks for the clarification, ill look around for something else being loose.

 

no problem. wish i could see something obvious in the picture. keep us updated.

 

Your rattling noise could be the lack of a sway bar link on the pass side. I know when these go out its a difference of night and day with just one side breaking.

And yes, you seem to have new balljoints on that side too, but it doesn't mean the p.o. took good care of it, one could have come apart and that whole hub assembly could have come loose and damaged something up in there. Look for scrape marks and other damages up there and that could give some clues about why it has new balljoints.

Looks like a new abs sensor too, so who knows, usually someone wouldn't dump a load of money into something to get rid of it.

Just for fun, take the wheel off, remove the brake pads, and rotors, and check the dust shield, see if that's still straight, if even attached.

Hope this helps! *thumbsup*

 

Thanks Cody, that is some excellent advice and even further clarification. Ill crawl around today and I ordered a new link yesterday so ill keep everyone posted on if that fixed it.

 

No problem.