Front End Popping

[06reddragon]

First i'll give you a little background. When i first got my truck in december i had issues with the death wobble, some being severe. After dealing with that for a couple months I broke down and bought dual steering stabilizers...problem solved.

Now my steering is all over the place. It's so loose you can barely keep it on a straight line. When going down a straight road my wheel is about 25 degrees left of center and it feeling like you are "steering" the truck the whole time your driving. It never seems to just track down the road. Not only that, but when you move the wheel past center to the right, then bring it back to the left there is a popping sound coming from the front end that i can feel up through the steering wheel.

My thinking is that the death wobble shook something loose in the front end because the truck wasnt like this when i bought it. The million dollar question is where should i start looking??? Where do you think the popping sound is coming from in the steering wheel??

[choupique108]

start looking everywhere and may sure EVERYTHING is tight under the front of the truck. It sounds to me that something is loose.

[GS247]

I would check the play in the ball joints, tie rod ends and your hub bearings. You should be able to take it in to Les Schwab or Big O and have them do a front end shake down and get a free estimate on what is wrong. it sounds like when you bought your dual stabilizers all you did was mask the problem and now it is worse. Your front end shouldn’t have a death wobble even with out your stabilizers. I would do this soon before something lets go. Good luck.

There was a thread a while back about a front end pop I think it had something with the drag link or center link.

[KeepinItFord]

I think it might be your hubs making the poping noise. did that on my truck when i first got it.

[melmount]

Make sure the pitman arm is not coming or came loose. That could be real dangerous.
Then look at the rest of the stuff. I had a dodge that was all over the place bad. Then one day in a parking lot when parking the pitman arm snapped in two.. Imagine that on the freeway at 70 mph!

[Black&Gold]

mine did the same thing, it was the sway bar links, they may seem tight but if they are not superman tight then they will pop some times. i tightened mine down something fierce and the popping noise went away.

[06reddragon]

Sounds like I should definitely take care of it soon. I took it to a mechanic awhile back and he brushed it off and said it was steering bad because of the 35inch mud tires that were wore bad. Well now it's winter time and I put brand new 285 stock tires and rims on it and the problem is still horrible.

Now the popping sound wasnt there when he looked at it, but that def tells me theres something more to it...im suspecting it may be the pitman arm. Are those very expensive???

[KeepinItFord]

I have a pitman arm for your truck but its a lifted one for 4inchs. ill give to you for shipping. if u need.

[06reddragon]

Hey I appreciate it KeepingItFord....I'll let you know how I make out. My truck is lifted for inches so that would work perfect. Thanks.

[KeepinItFord]

ok, yeah just pm me. Theyre like 60-80 in stores.