Chassis question

IDIBRONCO

IDIBRONCO
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This is about my blue Truck. The only detail that may be important that isn't the signature is that it has a Dana 50 front end. I've noticed a rattling sound that's similar to a bad shock coming from the front end. Since I was planning a trip to Colorado this weekend, I wanted to make sure that I got it taken care of. As I drive down the street with the window down, it sounds like it's coming from the driver's side front. It also sounds like it's more toward the outside instead of in the middle of the truck which reinforced my bad shock theory. Last evening, I pulled the driver's front tire off and looked at everything around the brake caliper. Nothing looked out of place and nothing was loose enough to be moved by hand. I was going to replace the front shocks, but wanted to be sure so I took the front shocks off and drove home like that. I didn't hear the noise from my garage to the highway (which I normally did) so I was thinking the it was definitely the shocks. As I pulled into town while going home, I heard the noise again so it wasn't the shocks. Now I'm kind of stumped. If anything, the noise seems to have a slightly lower pitched tone than a shock does. Is it possible that a bad pivot bushing can make a noise like that? I don't have or have access to an Engine Ear or something similar, so I'm just guessing at this point.
 

IDIBRONCO

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Well I can rule out the tie rods/ends. I just replaced them last January. I'm thinking about replacing all four shocks (since I've owned it since January '13 and haven't done that yet) and the pivot bushings.
 

IDIBRONCO

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I ordered some pivot bushings and rear shocks from Carquest. The front shocks wouldn't be in until the end of next week so I said no thanks. I looked at the driver's side leaf spring closely when I got to my garage. It appears that the rear bushing bolt sits pretty close to the bottom of the area where the bushing rides so I'm suspecting that the bushings may be bad. That's ok since the rest of the parts probably need to be replaced as well. After I got back home, I went to Rock Auto and ordered front shocks, leaf spring and shackle bushings, and all new bolts. Even though I hadn't planned on it, I guess I'm running down to Harbor Freight to pick up a ball joint press to make the job easier. I'll eventually replace those too, just not right now. I forgot to do it today, but I'll try to remember to grease the ball joints tomorrow just to see if the noise changes any at all.
 

Cubey

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Even though I hadn't planned on it, I guess I'm running down to Harbor Freight to pick up a ball joint press to make the job easier. I'll eventually replace those too, just not right now.

I used the HFT electric impact and o'reilly rental ball joint press tool set when I did the front end on my F250. Worked nicely.
 

Cubey

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Hopefully I won't have that issue.

Rust is what makes things stick badly. I dunno how bad rust is where you are (I'm guessing not too bad?) but my F250 out of TX had no such problem.
 
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