00 front clunking

[missingp2nut]

Hi, I'm new here and was just wondering if someone had any ideas that I haven't thought of.

My 2000 F350 SD SRW 7.3 auto 130K mi, has been having a clunking problem a few years now. It started about 4 years ago on a trip to CA. It sounded like it was mainly coming from the drivers side, by my feet. At that time I could not find anything loose or broken so I've just kept on driving it. Over the last couple of years the pass side started doing it also. I recently replaced all front ball joints and u-joints as the tires were wearing and that needed to be done. Nope that wasn't the problem. I tried prying around on everything in site to see if anything was loose or wearing, but still no luck. I have the Ford replacement plastic spacers for the springs but haven't put them in yet. Will the springs clunk if missing these? I thought maybe they would just squeak. Could it be the pivoting shackle sticking and clunking? To me it sound like a body panel flexing and popping. I can't find any signs of friction or wear like something is loose or rubbing. exh, trans mt., motor mt, etc. I'm going to see if I can find the few minutes to jam the new plastic spcers in between the springs in the next week to see if that helps.

Thanks, and sorry if this got so long.

 

[JRJ04]

ill be interested to see how this pans out...ive got the exact same problem!

 

[atk]

if you have a front sway bar, check the sway bar bushings and sway bar end links. common issue with these trucks....

 

[bigrigr]

Ditto on the sway bar parts atk, also put a wrench on the shocks as well, many a noise has been attributed to a shrinking shock bushing, just squeezing the bolts a little tighter can make the noise stop. good luck!

 

[DaveBen]

Check your ball joints. Jack up each front wheel and grab it top and bottom of the wheel. Give it a good push-pull motion. If it moves, it is ball joints. If not see above.

Dave

 

[hawkdriver]

Same here. I replaced the hubs, ball joints, sway bar ends, shocks, brakes all in one day and still have a clunk. I am beginning to think it is the steering shaft as I can feel some dragging in it sometimes. I'm still in search of.....

 

[iracemine]

i used a ball joint from murrys once and it didint last 3 months. now i go with moog.

 

[bigrigr]

Very true, moog only. everything else is junk

 

[hawkdriver]

I'm thinking it may be the cheap ball joints I put in last time. I hate to do that job again but I don't want to trash my new tires either. I just need the time to get under it and see what's going on now......Guess I'll start pricing some Moogs.

 

[Lineman]

clunking

try checking your shock mounts sway bar end links or check your headlights mine are loose causing rattling