I have a 97 4.0 sohc 110k kms which just started a loud squeak in the front suspension on the drivers side. the squeak happens everytime the truck rocks. the squeak sounds like its definitely rubber on rubber or maybe rubber on metal. i replaced the stab links in the fall and thought it might be from that but i've checked those and its not. at first the squeak only occured when the suspension was operating but now its making the noise when i steer at very slow speeds. could it possible be from the shock? or would it likely be a ball joint. if ball joint is there a way to tell if its shot or just needs lube? (i can't find a needle fitting for a grease gun).
thanks

Exact same problem with a 2000 Ford Explorer Sport Track!

Sounds to me like a ball joint and they are a pain in the a$$ to replace from what I've heard. Try putting some transmission fluid, yes transmission fluid, in a oiler and grease up all the rubber seals on the suspension and see if it shuts up a bit. Explorers always squeak like crazy. Mine never shuts up! Ford used really cheap suspension parts on them so they squeak and I guess eventually wear out. Could your wheel bearing be shot in that wheel? Good Luck

all the input is much appreciated,
i couldn't get my hands on a needle injector so i put a little slit into the boots of the upper and lower ball joints. jsut enough to get the straw of a can of lubricant in. Fluid Film was the brand. sprayed the lubricant inside the joints. and then sealed the slit on the boots. also put the lubricant on the rubber of the stabilizer link just incase. i took the truck out for a drive and it was still making the noise but it has since stopped. i guess it just took the lubricant a little longer to work itself in than i thought. it was a couple of days before the noise stopped and i would say it was close to 50 kilometers

thanks for the response molehole. so the squeak is gone but i think i have more problems. if there was a problem with the wheel bearing what are some of the symptoms i should be looking for?

When I had one go bad I got a really bad vibration at highway speed and it made a lot of noise. My parents had a Bonneville that had a bad wheel bearing and you could barely stand it at any speed until it was fixed. If I remember correctly it was like $250 or something with labor-I'm not sure I didn't replace it. Good Luck

The ball joints were probably causing the squeak but you also need to check them for play, if there is any they should be replaced.

well hopefully i won't encounter that!

hey by any chance have you ever replaced an IAC valve? i've got a 97 with a 110K on it. its starting to idle rough when i'm stopped. i would say its probably idling low when i'm stopped and about a week ago it actually stalled when i shifted from reverse. i don't think i'm getting great mileage either so i'm thinking about replacing the MAF, and O2 sensors while im' at it. Replacing both will be a first for me. thoughts or tips on doing these would be great?
thanks
c

on another note to the squeek....is there a shance that the Torque rods are not seated correctly???

on another note to the squeek....is there a shance that the Torque rods are not seated correctly???

Not sure. All i know is that the squeak has subsided from spraying some lubricant into the boots of the upper and lower ball joints and onto the rubber ends of the stab link. I imagine if there was a problem with the torque rods (to be quite honest i'm not exactly sure where those are!!!) i'd still be hearing the squeak. Would there be other symptoms to this that i could identify?

c

stabalizer bar, torque rod, you may be talking about the same thing. there is a 1 inch rod let to right that connects the front end. some call this a sway bar. it is mounted on two rubber bushings to the frame. this is where my squeek was. sprayed and it came back in a week. took off and coated with antisieze and reassembled. been 4 months, no squeek.

yeah stabilizer bar is what i was talking about. never heard torque bar before. squeak still gone but i suspect now that it was the lower ball joint and it will be a matter of time before it's toast. hopefully later than sooner! now its on to the IAC valve and MAF sensor and possibly the o2 sensor for good measure

the IAC is very easy to install it is on top of the intake under he pastic cover go to a parts store and buy a Haynes manual for you explorer they are the best for working on your own cars. they have detailed pics. and very easy to understand they are less than 15 bucks and a must for the do it yourselfer. the manual will tell and show you just about everything you need to know and they also have a trouble shooting guide in there to help you out on some of the problems you might face or some of the symtoms you have. good luck.

On Explorers, I've seen several stabilzer bar busings (not the links) cause squeaks. To check them, just remove the bushings, lube thim with a dielectric grease compound, and reinstall them. They're on the front sway bar and they're just held in with two bolts (15mm, I believe) and a horseshoe shaped bracket.. Just a quick and simple check before spending money. Oh yeah, don't replace them, just lube them as the new ones will squeak as soon as the lube washes out of them, too.