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Sounds like someone is hitting my floor board with a ball ping hammer

13K views 36 replies 22 participants last post by  CGuava 
#1 ·
Ok so I lifted my truck about 4 months ago and it made this noise every once in a great while, this was with the stock tires. On Monday I had 4 Wheel Parts put some 35" FC II's on her and do the alignment. Now almost every time I make a turn and there is some small or large bump I hear a bang sound that sounds as if it is coming from right under the driver seat the sound is almost as if someone is hitting the bottom of the cab with a ball ping hammer I have checked everything in the area and in the front end to make sure all was tight I also had my buddy turn the wheel both ways to make sure all components cleared each other I also get the bang noise every once in a while on a strait away during or right after hitting a bump in the road I am stumped and so is my dealer and 4 Wheel Parts so if anyone has any suggestions I would love to here from you Also note that it was just in for head gaskets and the dealer did a cab off job they messed a lot of stuff up and i ended up going back to them with a full page of things they needed to fix i.e.: body ground not connected residual fluid all over a huge gouge in my door that they tried to paint and over sprayed the rest of the truck so it could have easily been something they did during the cab off head job I wish they would help me diagnose this bang noise without the chance of being charged an arm and leg
THANKS IN ADVANCE
 
#2 ·
I don't really have a clue. However if you mounted 12.5 x 35s on 6" wide rims as indicated in your post, it could be the sidewalls bulging and hitting the driveshaft when you turn. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif Your tires have to look like an overinflated river raft.
 
#3 ·
If the cab was off recently I'd inspect the body mounts. Make sure they are intact and the bolts are all tight. If you have a Super Crew there are 6 bolts and 2 nuts. Both nuts are below the inlet and outlet for the intercooler, the first set of bolts are right underneath where your feet would go, the next set are right behind the driver's and passenger seats, and the last set are behind the fold down rear seats. Also check the radius arm bushings for cracking.
 
#4 ·
F350Lariat.... I do have 35 x 12.5 tires mounted on my stock 6" rims they crown a little but not to bad I'm guessing I'll get at least 35,000 out of them but I'm hoping for 40k I got 55k out of my last set but they weren't as big as for them hitting the drive shaft um.. that is impossible being that they would have to go through the frame to do that plus I've checked them a few times for clearance lifting the truck at different points and turning the wheel in both directions being that I do take it off road in the dunes I wanted to be sure most people say you can squeeze 37's with a 6 inch lift but I think that's crazy

Gofasterdammit... your post name is awesome and we need a tech like you here in Morgan Hill these guys have destroyed my poor truck I have checked the body mounts but only from underneath they all have bolts coming through them but should I check the other side are they under the carpet they must be ? Also checked the radius arm bushings they look good I'm going to shoot em with some lube tonight and see if that cures it
 
#5 ·
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RipperF350</div><div class="ubbcode-body">F350Lariat.... I do have 35 x 12.5 tires mounted on my stock 6" rims they crown a little but not to bad I'm guessing I'll get at least 35,000 out of them but I'm hoping for 40k I got 55k out of my last set but they weren't as big as for them hitting the drive shaft um.. that is impossible being that they would have to go through the frame to do that plus I've checked them a few times for clearance lifting the truck at different points and turning the wheel in both directions being that I do take it off road in the dunes I wanted to be sure most people say you can squeeze 37's with a 6 inch lift but I think that's crazy

Gofasterdammit... your post name is awesome and we need a tech like you here in Morgan Hill these guys have destroyed my poor truck I have checked the body mounts but only from underneath they all have bolts coming through them but should I check the other side are they under the carpet they must be ? Also checked the radius arm bushings they look good I'm going to shoot em with some lube tonight and see if that cures it </div></div>
take your truck to marc at tiffany ford in hollister from now on. tell him david darsey sent you. he's an admin on powerstroke.org. I'm from mh but going to school in chico.
 
#7 ·
Okay ... joking a little bit with the sidewall hitting the driveshaft.

I hope your truck is for show and not intended to carry the payload of a 1 ton dually. Those tires are UNSAFE. The federal rim matching size for a 12.5x35 tire is 8.5"-11" (Recommended 10"). /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif You are a full 4" under the recommended rim size. I hope for your sake and possibly someone else that the tire bead never seperates from the rim under load.

It sounds like GoFasterDammit's experience may narrow down the sound (popping) issue.
 
#8 ·
So I shot the bushings with some silicone lube and checked for cracks but its still get the noise. My buddy heard it for the first time and didn't know what to say, he was astonished.

I did find a TSB 06-6-6 that basically said faulty bump stops will cause a bang noise so I order the revised parts, a bump stop and the metal cup it sits in, but I really don't think that's what it is. Tomorrow I'm going to get under there and re-torque all suspension and steering components I hope I find something this bang is driving me crazy!

Thanks for the info David I was already planning to go to Hollister, but I would hate to bring the problems Morgan Hill caused over to them, warranty wont cover it, they wont cover it, and I sure don't want to. But I'm definitely going there from here on out I might even trade in there just to start over

As for the truck she is on the road all the time about 35k a year and when its not its in the Sand at pismo those stock pinter were always getting me stuck when I had my trailer I'm not worried about the bead separating I saw how hard the tire machine had to work to get them over the rim, I've also talked to quiet a few lifted dually owners with oversized tires and they have gone through a few sets of tires without problems well other than only seeing 35k out of a $3k set of tires its worth it to me to not have to worry about the sand eating my truck again
 
#9 ·
My 2005 F350 did the exact same thing. Something would "pop" right below the drivers seat. All stock suspension and stock size tires so it has nothing to do with that. I always suspected it was a body bolt also but never took the time to track it down. Seems like it usually just did it when going up into a driveway or small incline at an angle.
 
#10 ·
Swaybar endlinks!!!
 
#11 ·
I had what sounds like the same noise. The rubber bushings that surround the front sway bar where it passes through the bracket attached to the frame had worked their way out allowing the sway bar to rattle against the steel bracket. Dealer pushed them back in and all is well now.
 
#12 ·
Just checked the sway bar all bushings are where they need to be and not worn out. I'm starting to think its something in the steering just because it dose it a lot more when i make right turns but it still dose it in a left turn as well the sound seems to be coming more from the driver side how can you tell if the end links are good or not
 
#13 ·
My 03" did the same thing. It was the sway bar end links. I pried and pounded torqued and lubed but sure enough,End links. Got mine from a local shop that installs lifts for $20 each. M ines stock height
 
#14 ·
I gotta be the ass here. LOL
It's a ball peen hammer...not ball ping.
Sorry...I couldn't resist. LOL

As for the noise...I'm no help. My 2wd has done it since I got it...stock height and also dropped. I've checked everything that moves under there...the cause still hasn't been found.
 
#15 ·
The noise is the body mounts sliding a bit. I also have this noise. Since it is mounted in a rubber mount the bushing flexes enough to allow some movement. The only way to help would be to find some urethane bushings that would hold the pressure better.
 
#16 ·
Doesn't Energy Suspension make body mount bushings? I swear I saw them somewhere.....
 
#18 ·
Mine does the same thing, at least the sound and symptoms seem to be the same... Loose Sway Bar Endlinks are often the cuplrits but in my case, they are super tight and not the cause of the clunking sound. I've checked and tightened and checked and tightened and still can't figure out what it is... It's suspension related, on the drivers side, is worse when the truck is cold ( ..? ) after sitting overnight or extended period of time. It's metal to metal and I feel it on the floorboard too... I've even checked the tie rod and drag link, steering box, shocks for a broken shaft, axle shafts for play, trac bar drop bracket, trac bar, leafspring u-bolts, brake calipers, blah, blah, blah... Let us know if you figure it out...
 
#19 ·
Well I think I may have figured it out I was looking closely at my upper ball joints on the knuckle and on the passenger side the ball joint seems to be pretty tight to the knuckle but the driver side has a 3/16 th gap i just had it aligned at 4 wheel parts so I'm taking it back to them on Friday if that's not it hopefully they can figure it out
 
#20 ·
Mine does the same thing too, mostly on right turns, into driveways. I can feel it pop in the floor board right under my feet. I have tightened, and re-tightened, and loosened, and re-tightened everything in the front end...the shackles, front hanger, end links, trac bar....it still does it. So, I'm just use to it now.
 
#21 ·
Ok so its not the ball joints either and I checked the sway bar bushings and end links all were in good condition and tight with weight on the suspension I also checked everything with the frame lifted and the suspension free floating I even removed my air tanks and horn to see if those were somehow moving around and making noise still nothing anyone else have a suggestion I've been stumped for weeks maybe its time for me to get use to it too or just turn up the radio
 
#22 ·
Hey buddy I hate to tell ya but it very well could be sway bar links. I went through the same thing as you. I didn't even find the problem, it was a tire guy, when I asked him about the klunking he said end links. "Happens alot" Replaced 'em been fine for 15K.
 
#24 ·
OK you guys have me sold on the sway bar end links Is there any visible or noticeable damage i mean mine feel solid and look good but at this point I'll try anything if the guys at 4 wheel parts don't have any suggestions i might as well have them get the parts
 
#25 ·
Nothing I could notice, Like I said I did everything else first and didn't even think about 'em. According to the tire guy its usally the last thing to come up but more often than not it fixes the problem. Hope it works for you too.
 
#26 ·
Ok so I decided I am going to disconnect and remove my sway bar end links and then carefully drive it around for a while and see if it still makes the banging noise If it dose turn out to be the sway bar end links would it be worth looking for a better built after market set up and if so dose anyone recommend a certain one
 
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