squeaking/grinding noise

[fairielver]

About a week ago mu fiancee's 2001 Sports Trac developed this loud squeaking almost grinding sound when he makes a turn or when weight is put on the truck. He has new shocks and brakes so they are not the issue. This sound generates from the passenger side. Any ideas?

[shorod]

Could be ball joints, they are fairly common to fail in this generation of Explorer. Also, it's not uncommon for outer tie rod ends on various Ford products to get dry and squeak.

One way to diagnose would be to use a small pin pick to puncture a small hole in the dust boot of one joint (outer tie rod end, ball joint) and use an aerosol can of white lithium grease with a straw applicator to apply a squirt of grease through the hole. Operate the suspension or steering and see if the noise has changed or is completely gone. Repeat on other joints until you find all the culprits.

This application of grease is just a short term fix though, for the long term you'll want to replace the noisy part(s).

Did the noise just start after the brakes or shocks were installed? Just because they are new does not mean they can't be the issue if they were not installed correctly.

-Rod