Noise occurring underneath the truck

TRAVIS6767

MEMBER
2002 FORD F-150
5.4L
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
150 MILES

I have a noise occurring underneath my truck and it is hard to explain the noise, but now when I put on my brakes to come to a complete stop the brake pedal raises up while I am pressing down. The noise only occurs when I am driving down the road but stops when I come to a complete stop or slowing down.

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,754 POSTS

I would head straight to any tire and alignment shop to have the steering and suspension systems inspected. Ford has a lot more trouble with ball joints breaking than other manufacturers, and that usually starts with squeaking and crunching noises as a warning. There are a number of other things that can cause rattles and clunks that are not exactly safety issues, but that is not something to gamble on.

Add to that the brake pedal changing height tells you something is pushing on the brake pads. Most commonly that is a warped brake rotor, but you should feel the brake pedal pulse up and down once per wheel revolution. If you only feel the pedal rise once per stop, a better suspect would be a loose or sloppy wheel bearing, or something shifting in the suspension system. The people at the tire shop should be able to identify the causes of both concerns.