Suspension
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Suspension
Hi, I'm new and need some help. I own a 2003, 2 wheel drive, club cab Dakota and have front end problems. First is the squeek. the front end squeeks when I turn, go over speed bumps, I mainly notice it when I'm driving in parking lots. Second, is a knock that I can feel in the floor board when I'm slowing down, turning slowly, accelerating quickly, or driving over bumps. I've had the ball joints replaced. They have since been inspected twice along with the front end and no problems can be found. Does anyone have any ideas?
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Joined: Nov 2006
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From: So Cal
My first response to you is good luck. I have had nothing but trouble since I began to mess with my front end. Others may have better stories to share but here is mine. I have a 97 5.2 4x4.
I started with a squeek. Being a driveway mechanic I replaced the shocks first. Being on a budget I did it with some low ends, first mistake. I found that the bolt on the lower control arm only screws in so far. The stock shocks have a larger bushing than the aftermarkets. After driving for a few weeks it got worse. I found a tapping coming from the front left.
Due to laziness and special tools required I took it to a shop. Found that my tie rod ends were bad. Got those replaced, both the inner and outer, and the tapping went away. My ride was now better but on a rough road it felt as if my wheels would fall off at any moment. The recommendation was to replace the ball joints.
Same shop did the job and again there was improvement. I still had way too much vibration with the small irregularities in the road and the brakes would stutter when I stopped. On the highway the truck would vibrate so much I needed to slow down thinking it was going to fall apart. I took it to an aliginment center to check wheel balancing and alignment.
This was also an improvement but no where I wanted my ride to be. I read this board and some technical manuals and found that my torsion bars were unevenly adjusted. I cranked the highest one down to the other and the brake stutter stopped. I have since cranked both down to what I believe is the stock height based on baked on road dust. I have also put on some KYB shocks to replace the low ends that i started with.
My ride is so much smoother that I almost cried. I am off to the alignment center today to get it realigned after this adjustment. After $1500 and a few months of pain I think I finally have my truck back. I will be replacing the sway bar bushings as those now have a squeek.
I think that you will find that once you start chasing one thing, whatever that may be, in the front end there will always be something else. Not trying to be cruel or bum you out worse, just wanted to share my experiences that I have gone through in the past 3 months.
Like I said at first, good luck and I hope you get your truck straight quicker than I did.
I started with a squeek. Being a driveway mechanic I replaced the shocks first. Being on a budget I did it with some low ends, first mistake. I found that the bolt on the lower control arm only screws in so far. The stock shocks have a larger bushing than the aftermarkets. After driving for a few weeks it got worse. I found a tapping coming from the front left.
Due to laziness and special tools required I took it to a shop. Found that my tie rod ends were bad. Got those replaced, both the inner and outer, and the tapping went away. My ride was now better but on a rough road it felt as if my wheels would fall off at any moment. The recommendation was to replace the ball joints.
Same shop did the job and again there was improvement. I still had way too much vibration with the small irregularities in the road and the brakes would stutter when I stopped. On the highway the truck would vibrate so much I needed to slow down thinking it was going to fall apart. I took it to an aliginment center to check wheel balancing and alignment.
This was also an improvement but no where I wanted my ride to be. I read this board and some technical manuals and found that my torsion bars were unevenly adjusted. I cranked the highest one down to the other and the brake stutter stopped. I have since cranked both down to what I believe is the stock height based on baked on road dust. I have also put on some KYB shocks to replace the low ends that i started with.
My ride is so much smoother that I almost cried. I am off to the alignment center today to get it realigned after this adjustment. After $1500 and a few months of pain I think I finally have my truck back. I will be replacing the sway bar bushings as those now have a squeek.
I think that you will find that once you start chasing one thing, whatever that may be, in the front end there will always be something else. Not trying to be cruel or bum you out worse, just wanted to share my experiences that I have gone through in the past 3 months.
Like I said at first, good luck and I hope you get your truck straight quicker than I did.
Last edited by packarat; Aug 23, 2009 at 12:13 PM.
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Joined: Mar 2011
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05 Squeaks Too
My front end right side started squeaking last summer, greased anything I could, noise went away, just started squeaking and groaning on the right side, took wheel off and moved suspension around, moved steering back and forth no noise at all, put wheel back on and noise is back , today no noise at all, very cold out though today 6 deg. But i have this groaning noise when I first turn my wheels to the right, not to the left ,goes away as I drive, any suggestions?
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 165
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From: Sutton, Ontario
Check your balljoints for broken boots, if one is broken, get a grease gun with a needle and fill it right up.
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Champion
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Gilbert, Arizona
I think
It sounds like a control arm bushing to me if not a ball joint or look at the torsion bar links they may be bad.
Jack the front up grab the wheels and try like hell to see if you hear anything as you pull the wheels side to side and in and out get a strong powerful light and inspect everything sometimes having someone do the pushing and pulling as you look under the truck helps see things move around.
This vid is on a Ford but same way to test things Ignore the first few seconds they suck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKk33w86OSI
Jack the front up grab the wheels and try like hell to see if you hear anything as you pull the wheels side to side and in and out get a strong powerful light and inspect everything sometimes having someone do the pushing and pulling as you look under the truck helps see things move around.
This vid is on a Ford but same way to test things Ignore the first few seconds they suck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKk33w86OSI
Last edited by 98DAKAZ; Jan 14, 2012 at 12:58 PM.
id say check your bearings jack the truck up take off the tire and try and move the hub around if it moves at all, replace the hub ur bearing is shot, and make sure to go to dodge and get a new hub nut as well theyre one time use each time costs like 15 bucks, i didn't change mine out and had to replace the hub 6 months later