FRONT END NOISE

[Don Hall]

2004 4.6 18500 miles.

I'm crippled, so I'm just looking for help prior to going to a shop. I can only view the engine bay.

On a flat surface, no noise. Entering/leaving from a slight dip in the road, I hear a rubbing sound that disapates immediately when returning to a flat surface. Noise seems to come from right front area. It is not a quiet noise. It is a loud scrapping noise.

Noise sounds like rubbing/scrapping in the wheel well, abrasion with the ground, abrasion with a brake rotor, or a faulty shock. If you are familiar with Corvettes, they have an air dam to direct air up through the radiator. If you enter a road dip, the dam, which rides very low, will contact the road. This scrapping noise is similar to the Corvette noise, but the XP doesn't have an air dam.

At first, I thought maybe a safety cone became lodged in the suspension, or any heavy piece of trash.

Not sure what a faulty shock absorber sounds like.

I know some will advise to just stay on a flat surface, others will rightly suggest to pull
all trash from lower front suspension.

Hoping anyone familiar with the '04 XP suspension may shed some light.

Thanks in advance.

 

[1955moose]

Don, haven't heard from you for awhile. Is yours 2 or 4 wheel drive? Squeaks and scrapes are tough to diagnose. It's going to be spit balling since you can't get in there to actually work on it. Scraping sounds possibly like worn control arm bushing's, or a worn ball joint. But again without a shop racking it's just a guess. One thing you might try if you or somebody can help is spray the control arm bushing's with either silicone or a rubber lube. See if they get any quieter. If they do, then you might consider changing the complete control arms, with ball joints included.

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[JExpedition07]

Don like moose said it’s a best guess. But yours being a 04’ with only 18k miles I’d be willing to bet a rubber bushing may have aged/ cracking rubber.

Good to hear from you again.

 

[TobyU]

It could be a control arm bushing creaking and but you would have to bounce it up and down to simulate.

Something could be popped out of place in inner wheelwell too.

Could also be rotor backing plate too close to rotor.

Get someone to peek around under there and hopefully it will be an obvious easy fix.

 

[Don Hall]

Thanks for the informative responses. Headed for a shop this AM. Will post results.

 

[Don Hall]

GOOD FIX, IF IT IS A FIX.

Headed to shop for inspection. Crossed over a dip near my house that created the scrapping noise. No noise. I'm 86, so I didn't realize that the dip didn't create a noise at that time. Came to my senses about another 30ft, and realized no noise. Made a quick u-turn, and hit the dip a little harder......no noise. Back home, hooked up batt tender, and headed for computer so you responders wouldn't be concerned with my sophisticated noise problem.

In earlier years, much earlier, I would have been disappointed when a fix occurred, and I didn't know what solved the problem. Now, if a fix occurs, and I don't know what
solved the problem, good for me.

 

[1955moose]

Don, you know the saying, it never hurts when you go to the doctor. Believe me , like a relative you can't get rid of, it will be back.

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[Don Hall]

You may be right, moose. I'm hoping it was just a piece of plastic lodged in the suspension, and finally worked free (?).

 

[John Christopher]

GOOD FIX, IF IT IS A FIX.

Headed to shop for inspection. Crossed over a dip near my house that created the scrapping noise. No noise. I'm 86, so I didn't realize that the dip didn't create a noise at that time. Came to my senses about another 30ft, and realized no noise. Made a quick u-turn, and hit the dip a little harder......no noise. Back home, hooked up batt tender, and headed for computer so you responders wouldn't be concerned with my sophisticated noise problem.

In earlier years, much earlier, I would have been disappointed when a fix occurred, and I didn't know what solved the problem. Now, if a fix occurs, and I don't know what
solved the problem, good for me.

Good to hear that the noise is gone. In reading your mileage it is the lowest mileage I have ever seen on a 15 year old vehicle. Is it actually 18,500 or is there a 0 missing. Just curious. Thanks.

 

[Bain64]

Good to hear that the noise is gone. In reading your mileage it is the lowest mileage I have ever seen on a 15 year old vehicle. Is it actually 18,500 or is there a 0 missing. Just curious. Thanks.

He really has less than 19k on the clock, I was curious too!
Here's his 1 owner Expy, Don posted this in the mileage thread