Destination Unknown - a 1997 F350 build

[pappawheely]

When I hear a clunk in my front end it's usually the factory bump stops. I think they are made of granite.

 

[sdemarcus]

My obs had a clunking noise, I found it to be the RSK and leaf spring rubbing together. The sound made me think the front axle was about to fall off and send the truck rolling (and not on the wheels) into oncoming traffic. However, after a good month of inspecting the truck, I noticed some red rust coming from the RSK where the front of the leaf spring mounts. It had been rubbing a groove into the bracket (apparently others have had the same issue) the entire time. So I sprayed it with some heavy duty chain lube, sure enough it helped with the noise, but didn't stop it all together. I will fix it one day, but for now I'm just happy to know the axle is going to stay under the truck.
Hard to see it because of the chain lube, but that is metal on metal and very loud when dry. The bracket from the kit doesn't allow the spring wrap to clear/ leaf spring wrap is way to big.

 

[IdaSHO]

Yeah, if its leaf sprung it is VERY common to have a clunk as the leaf eye walks left to right in the shackle.

If it is metal on metal, better get it fixed. But otherwise, I have trouble justifying swapping out bushings for an occasional noise.

Being leaf sprung there is no inherent danger. Certainly no "death wobble" that coil sprung front ends have a tendency to exhibit with the slightest of front end wear.

 

[Chorky]

All edited for space

... a bit of play in the splines of the steering shaft. .... I can’t make it produce the sound, and it’s impossible to locate it’s source. ... I e concluded it must be the springs moving ever so slightly....or even a shackle shifting a bit. But it drives great. I put it on an alignment rack- that mechanic couldn’t find anything either.

So glad you found time to check your truck out. I truly hope you have more luck going forward. Sounds like you definitely had a degree of Devine intervention!

Yes intervention for sure no doubt about that with how those nuts were, my goodness.. Anywhoo. I am thinking the same in terms of springs or something that is ever so slight there is no visible sign, and bolts torqued. Of course if it was something really bad there would be obvious signs. But I'm so OCD and put so much into the truck it drives me bonkers haha!

Because you say that you can feel it in the wheel, I am suspicious of something in that component train.
Looks like you have a dropped pitman arm, so it could hit the spring under compression during a turn. Hard to tell from the couple pictures you posted.
Third, check the steering stabilizer/tie rod bracket to draglink adjuster collar clearance. Looks super tight in one picture.

Certainly the loose spindles causing constant changes in alignment, but take a look at your caster. Lifted leaf spring trucks usually need degree shims to add a little caster back. Otherwise, the steering feels loose and darty. With your shackle reverse, I am not sure how that affects it, but worth a look.

Brad

Thanks for the thoughts Brad! The steering components are all new. Gear, shaft, stabilizer, links, etc. The entire steering system. It could be a faulty shaft. I do need to check on it but it is very hard to recreate, and just rocking the wheel back and forth at a stop does not recreate the issue, ruling out steering components. The pitman arm is a factory arm, just a new one. I dont think it has made contact with a spring, but it is close! Same with the steering stabilizer. It was hitting the diff cover at full lock, but I have adjusted it since, and has made no further contact. Also, fyi, the noise/feeling I get happens most noticeably while the wheel is straight anyway, over cobble on a bad FS road. I'm not sure what the caster is but I think it was alighned to be spot on...I had the sheet lying around somewhere.... As for the shackle reversal (front) and flip (rear) it does change driving charasteristics, and I am also wondering if I need better quality shocks since the current ones are just bilsteins - theyre ok, but not great.

 

[Chorky]

When I hear a clunk in my front end it's usually the factory bump stops. I think they are made of granite.

Haha, I didn't even think that honestly, but the clunk is not with full articulation. It's more or less on potholed roads, or cobble, or the occasional low speed speed bump crossing. Very odd. But my bump stops need to be extended. As is no I have probably...oh... 6" up travel up front, and maybe 12" out back. More travel than the shocks can account for. But I may artificially (by adjusting the holes the shackles attach to their brackets) lower the suspension, to allow for a few more inches of down travel, and less up travel so that sourcing a good shock (fox probably) will be easy.

Yeah, if its leaf sprung it is VERY common to have a clunk as the leaf eye walks left to right in the shackle.

If it is metal on metal, better get it fixed. But otherwise, I have trouble justifying swapping out bushings for an occasional noise.

Being leaf sprung there is no inherent danger. Certainly no "death wobble" that coil sprung front ends have a tendency to exhibit with the slightest of front end wear.

Well this is the problem. At times it is metal to metal. I dont have the ability to fix it at the moment. ANd it has been like that for a year. This is the concern I raised over and over again between sky, and a suspension place. Kept getting a "its normal" repsonse despite the obvious fact the spring bushings (springs are new) are already pushing out. So what the fix will be I don't know. But hopefully I can implement one before the shackles are damaged and need to be replaced. Quite irritating given the situation, and things mentioned in previous pages. And you hit the nail on the head with the 'danger' bit. That is what I'm most concerned about. A clunk is super annoying of course, but at the heart of it alll is overall concern about danger and having something fall apart going 65 on the highway. I'm sure at this point, based on the front end being torn down this last week, that that won't happen. So now it is just at a point of resolving an annoyance issue more than anything I believe.

 

[Chorky]

In other (happy) news. Went for a cruise today. I think this will do just fine Wonky steering has been resolved from tightening the spindle bolts - for the time being anyway. Clunk still there obviously. But everything else on the truck is performing well at this point. Always something to tinker with and other aspects of the build to continue with as time/location/tools permit. Pretty happy at the moment!

 

[eblau]

I've had the clunk/rattle on both my 2WD and 4WD OBS F350s. I found that the caliper slide pins rubber core will wear out over time allowing the caliper to move up/ down and contact the carrier. New slide pins took care of it on the 2WD, Need to do the 4WD next. My super duty RSK springs look the same and the front end just makes noise. Meh.

 

[Chorky]

I've had the clunk/rattle on both my 2WD and 4WD OBS F350s. I found that the caliper slide pins rubber core will wear out over time allowing the caliper to move up/ down and contact the carrier. New slide pins took care of it on the 2WD, Need to do the 4WD next. My super duty RSK springs look the same and the front end just makes noise. Meh.

Oh that sounds terrible! I don't think I"ve ever come across anything like that before! Calipers are good though. But that's a good thing to consider! I have found that spraying the brackets down with silicone things quiet down (not the clunk, just normal suspension noise). I think heavy duty metal lubricant would work better and last longer though.

 

[Chorky]

I swear, my job is a scam! Getting paid to look at flowers all day. ha, well not really, but had to take a break from normal work duties to check out some of my favorites!

 

[Chorky]

Well first test with the canopy camping set-up. A quick overnighter. Nothing special. But amazing place. So many gates were still locked, was worried about finding a camping spot since most the dispersed campsites were already taken. Fortunately, this area always pleases. To my surprise, a road less traveled with only the standard brown road number sign lead to something amazing. Home for the night was wonderful.

 

[eblau]

It will knock like a bad upper ball joint if they are really old/ original with high miles. The noise was driving me nuts on the 2WD truck until I found those slide pins to be the culprit. I grease them with sil-glide in a tube, a spray wont be heavy enough and could contaminate the pad if it gets on the rotor. I am going to double check my spindle nuts on the 4WD, gotta get up under there and grease the front end soon anyways. Scary yours were 3 out of 5 loose!!

Oh that sounds terrible! I don't think I"ve ever come across anything like that before! Calipers are good though. But that's a good thing to consider! I have found that spraying the brackets down with silicone things quiet down (not the clunk, just normal suspension noise). I think heavy duty metal lubricant would work better and last longer though.

 

[Chorky]

Well a few more excursions now that I'm more settled. Including a pretty cool 4th! (backpacking trip)










And maybe a new lady friend? Although not sure where it's going yet...

 

[Chorky]

However, the pics from above were while using the Jeep since it was a backpacking trip and leaving the truck with all it's gear relatively unsecured (I don't consider a canopy secure) didn't feel right. And it's still not set up to the final plan so it's a bit cumbersome sometimes especially with all my work gear in the back....

Which has had me thinking lately of future plans. Of course the current set-up works for now. But it is far from optimum. I have found myself lately driving the jeep more than expected. It's less comfortable, no storage, and has more road noise than the truck - but I find it's just 'easier'. Some things to consider...

 

[Chorky]

Sure has been an excellent summer! Didn't get any truck camping pics, but heres a few of where the truck too me.

 

[Chorky]

As the summer has continued, and begins to wind down I have started to better understand what I really do vs. what I thought I would do. Fortunately, for me, they are pretty similar, which is a good thing I suppose and reduced most feelings of working on projects that didn't net good benefits.

So, I have decided that finishing with the modified version of the original truck plan is the route to go, with custom building a trailer out of a 7x16' cargo rig (but that will in a different section, and probably not for a bit still). So, as there is still a laundry list of things I desire for the truck, I do need to concentrate efforts and finances on what will net the biggest returns in terms of functionality and usability.

That would be a bed. The factory bed works for now, but a custom bed is much better I believe. Some months ago a gentleman from HPI sent me some drawings to explore, they were similar to what I had in mind already. A standard 8' bed, with a 6-12" beveled extension. Side boxes above and below for storage of all my current gear plus extras.

The current gear I carry is as follows:

• 2 boxes of camping gear and a cooler
• 2 7 gal water jugs
• camping tarp and 4 poles
• camp chair
• tent (not used as the idea is to sleep in the truck)
• camp table (roll up style)
• lantern
• sthil 201
• sthil 361 full wrap
• saw gear/PPE
• tire chains (real chains) x4
• bottle jack
• hi-lift
• 2 spare tires
• 2 jack stands
• a box of random tools
• a box of random spare parts/fluids
• rope/tie down straps
• winch extension strap
• tree trunk saver
• snatch strap
• flares
• chock block
• shop towells
• hatchet
• chopping ax
• splitting ax
• shovel
• pick
• and some other random items condusive to vehicles

• Of course there are items here than i can rid of, some times that are not conducive to the truck since I don't have the correct things yet, and many things I need to still get. The items I wish to still get are as follows:
• full recovery rigging kit suitable for complex heavyweight recoveries
• maxtrax (x4)
• rigging chain (removal of trees and to help pull firewood logs to roads)
• appropriate tool box (about the average size just correct tools)
• appropriate spare parts
• appropriate fluids
• air-up/air-down kit
• tire repair kit
• fold away toilet of some sort
• and probably some other things my brain won't think about right now

So the idea is to fit all of this (minus things I consolidate/get rid of), plus some additional bed specific items into the boxes (hopefully, but not likely) in the bed's boxes). Next post will be about the bed itself....