Front end rattle

[GJolicoeur]

I just finished rebuilding my 04. 5 3500 4 X 4 front end with new axle u-joints and upper and lower ball joints.



I was chasing a rattly knocking noise which seemed to be coming from the wheels wobbling because of the worn joints.



I also put in new disk brake pads.



The new joints are really tight and the u-joints are great. The wheels don't wiggle at all anymore.



My problem is with a rattle in the front end - the right side where I hear it going over small bumps in the road. It's different from the occasional noise from the brake dust shields.



Can anyone point me in the direction of the source? What should I check to eliminate things?



The truck has 98,000 miles on it. On the second set of shocks. (Edelbrocks).

 

[Superglide]

Could be the lower bushing in your shock. Had the same thing with the same shocks. I now have Bilsteins and find them to be far better.

 

[zzman]

If you have the plastic wheel simulators (hub caps), check to see if they are loose.

Mine do not fit tight anymore and sounds like a real junk heep rolling down the road.

Just a thought.

 

[BGlidewell]

check to see if your coolant tank is sloshing. it can make a knock sound and is on that same side...

 

[GJolicoeur]

I took the wheel covers off since they were creaking - the noise is not related to them.

 

[GJolicoeur]

This is definitely a metal knocking sound. I think I'll pull the shock on the right side and see if the sound goes away.

 

[PFranzese]

I had edelbrock shocks and when they started get some decent mileage on them I started to hear some suspension noises over bumps. I eventually changed them and the noises went away. Not sure if your shocks are making the noise but worth a look.

 

[WMoroni]

Possibly a track bar bushing. Could be the steering gear it self, maybe the shaft from the steering wheel to the gearbox, but that would probaly sound like it was under your feet. Shocks have already been mentioned. I had all these cause clunking/knocking noises on my various trucks.

 

[BDaugherty]

My buddy's truck had a similar issue. In his case, the frame end of the trac bar was moving because of a loose bolt. I found it by wathing the track bar while he steered lock to lock. You could see the movement and hear the noise. In his case, the noise mainly occured while going over a bump or manuvering in a parking lot.

 

[GJolicoeur]

The problem was the shocks. I replaced them with a new set of Bilsteins and the noise is gone away.

 

[SWithrow]

Been chasing a noise in mine as well. So you drove it with bad shocks for almost 3 years, did it wear on tires or other front end components</SPAN>

 

[GJolicoeur]

Haha - no I didn't drive it like that for 3 years. I fixed it right away. I was just trolling my old messages to see if I'd brought them all up to date (I'm retired now - I have time!!!) and I noticed I had never finished the story.
I just hate that when you never find out what happened,...