I noticed recently that my front suspension has a horrible squeak when the suspension is worked. Sounds like dead dry poly bushings but its all factory. Only the pass side is doing it. It does it when turning to but I think thats the truck leaning and suspension working.

Any ideas where to start diagnosing this? Should I plan on picking up a set of struts?

 

My bet would be either lower or upper ball joints. Best thing is to get a buddy to bounce the front up and down while you are underneath finding the location of the noise. If the noise is that bad you will probably be able to feel the part rubbing. While you are under there might as well take a look at the rubber bushing to the ball joints and see if they have a tear in them.

What ever you end up replacing find GREASABLE!!

 

In order of probability - lower ball joint, sway bar end links, upper ball joint, control arm bushings. I agree, open the door and have a buddy use it as leverage to rock the truck while you climb under to diagnose.

 

My truck doesn't squeak. It just clunks. Drivers side rear both sides up front, and I still cant find the problem. ???

 

ball joints, they are terriblle, when you hear the squeak or poping its the ball joint moving around in the control arm. dodge rivets the ball into place which is stupid

 

Amusingly, I found on mine that the upper strut swivel mount was the source of most of the front end noise. When I changed out the shocks, I replaced them as well, and lo and behold, the noise was completely gone.

The sway bar may clunk a bit, but unless the links are completely roached, then that won't do the squeaking. Could be upper control arm bushings, but they will be visibly bad

 

Can't seem to figure it out.

Gave the little biscuit bushings in the sway bar end link a shot of silicone to see if they quieted and they didn't. It only makes noise when steering only because the chassis shifts and compresses/extends the suspension a bit. I can't duplicate it with the truck on jack and suspension drooping. When somebody moves the steering with me under the truck it sounds like its coming from the knuckle. The lower ball joint is near by.

One other thing I noticed. When I lift up on the wheel well it does it. When I jacked the truck up and put it back down, I couldn't get it to move. When the suspension is in droop and lowered it wants to preload the wheels sideways. Perhaps its taking up some slop in the ball joint?

Any way to grease the ball joints other than a needle adapter piercing the rubber boot??? I might try that anyway. If it goes away, I guess I'll have to spring for lower joints.

 

My tie rod ends went bad and it would pop or clunk when turning the wheels from 1 extreme to the other. Dodge replaced them under warrenty. this was around 50K, just hit 71K and it is popping again.

LB

 

I ordered lower Moog ball joints yesterday and they came in today. When I went to pick them up, I took the truck and the noise is greatly deminished and almost gone.

Its a little warmer and raining cats and dogs today.

 

I would have to guess the sway bar end links...it took the dealer three tries to get it right, first upper, then lower and finally the end links and.....BINGO no more clatter...plus it rides like new again...