Sponsored

Anyone get light "clunking" felt in the steering wheel going over bumps?

OP
OP

Kmc0929

Well-known member
First Name
Korry
Joined
Apr 11, 2023
Threads
28
Messages
64
Reaction score
9
Location
North Carolina
Vehicles
2021 F150 Lariat Powerboost
Mine is really bad when on gravel roads specifically. Driving in a straight like 5-10 mph is feels like someone is randomly thumping the steering shaft with a tiny hammer.
Sponsored

 

780

Well-known member
First Name
Todd
Joined
Feb 2, 2022
Threads
19
Messages
1,458
Reaction score
1,355
Location
edmonton
Vehicles
302a crew - 6'5" Sport, Max Tow, FX4
Mine just started doing this too while driving on bumpy hard packed snowy residential roads.

Kind of a clunk. Used to be common problem on 00-06 GM trucks. Pretty sure on them is was the steering shaft.
 
OP
OP

Kmc0929

Well-known member
First Name
Korry
Joined
Apr 11, 2023
Threads
28
Messages
64
Reaction score
9
Location
North Carolina
Vehicles
2021 F150 Lariat Powerboost
Any way I can inspect the steering shaft to see if thats the culprit? I really can only reach the top portion of it in the engine bay. Any suggestions?
 
OP
OP

Kmc0929

Well-known member
First Name
Korry
Joined
Apr 11, 2023
Threads
28
Messages
64
Reaction score
9
Location
North Carolina
Vehicles
2021 F150 Lariat Powerboost
Following up on this - anyone else have this issue?
 

DNazzy’s2025

Well-known member
First Name
David
Joined
May 23, 2025
Threads
3
Messages
157
Reaction score
72
Location
Georgia
Vehicles
2025 Ford F150 Lariat
Occupation
Project Manager
Following up on this - anyone else have this issue?
Hello everyone, new to this forum. I just bought a 2025 Lariat Fx4 with the Powerboost in April this year. I immediately had a 2.5” leveling puck kit installed with 35” Ridge Grapplers. In the past month, I have noticed this EXACT issue. I can’t hear any noise really, it’s more so a bump feeling coming back thru the steering wheel. Almost like someone is tapping the steering shaft. I can only feel it at low speeds - 20 mph and less. Driving over a railroad track, or crossing large cracks from bridges, or gravel road will produce the feeling every time. I would love to know what’s causing it. Truck is brand new, so I haven’t take it to Ford or the 4 wheel drive shop yet that installed the leveling kit. Really trying to see if anyone else has figured it out so I can be a little more informed when I do finally take it in to be looked at. Of course I’m worried Ford will just blame it on the leveling kit…
 

Sponsored

OP
OP

Kmc0929

Well-known member
First Name
Korry
Joined
Apr 11, 2023
Threads
28
Messages
64
Reaction score
9
Location
North Carolina
Vehicles
2021 F150 Lariat Powerboost
Hello everyone, new to this forum. I just bought a 2025 Lariat Fx4 with the Powerboost in April this year. I immediately had a 2.5” leveling puck kit installed with 35” Ridge Grapplers. In the past month, I have noticed this EXACT issue. I can’t hear any noise really, it’s more so a bump feeling coming back thru the steering wheel. Almost like someone is tapping the steering shaft. I can only feel it at low speeds - 20 mph and less. Driving over a railroad track, or crossing large cracks from bridges, or gravel road will produce the feeling every time. I would love to know what’s causing it. Truck is brand new, so I haven’t take it to Ford or the 4 wheel drive shop yet that installed the leveling kit. Really trying to see if anyone else has figured it out so I can be a little more informed when I do finally take it in to be looked at. Of course I’m worried Ford will just blame it on the leveling kit…
exact same issue... its got to be something in the shaft or the epas everything else from control arms to struts to sway bar links are all tight. I checked the steering shaft inside the cab and the upper portion in the engine bay, both were tight.

my guess is its somewhere down at the bottom where the shaft goes into the epas

funny thing is I drove a rental expedition a few weeks ago that was maybe a year old and it had the same issue.
 

DNazzy’s2025

Well-known member
First Name
David
Joined
May 23, 2025
Threads
3
Messages
157
Reaction score
72
Location
Georgia
Vehicles
2025 Ford F150 Lariat
Occupation
Project Manager
I also double checked tightness of all the major areas that would have been touched with the leveling kit install and the alignment. Everything is tight. I do wonder if our leveling kits and bigger, heavier tires magnifies the issue? I don’t remember hearing it before I leveled it, but then again, I only had it stock for about 1 week after buying it, so I may not have noticed right away. I’m with you, I think it’s steering shaft or EPAS related.

Anyone else having this issue?
 

DNazzy’s2025

Well-known member
First Name
David
Joined
May 23, 2025
Threads
3
Messages
157
Reaction score
72
Location
Georgia
Vehicles
2025 Ford F150 Lariat
Occupation
Project Manager
exact same issue... its got to be something in the shaft or the epas everything else from control arms to struts to sway bar links are all tight. I checked the steering shaft inside the cab and the upper portion in the engine bay, both were tight.

my guess is its somewhere down at the bottom where the shaft goes into the epas

funny thing is I drove a rental expedition a few weeks ago that was maybe a year old and it had the same issue.
Kmc0929 - I have a follow up question for you: on the way home from work today, I realized I am mostly feeling this clunking sensation through the driver side tire. I noticed it because I crossed a bridge crack at an angle and my driver side tire hit it first and I felt the clunk, and then my passenger side hit it, and I did not feel the clunk. I also thought I noticed this pulling into my driveway at an angle the other day. Have you noticed if it’s in your driver side tire only, or do you feel it through both?
 

Special K

Member
First Name
Kain
Joined
Nov 21, 2024
Threads
0
Messages
9
Reaction score
1
Location
Chandler, AZ
Vehicles
2021 F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost FX4
Occupation
Mechanical Engineer
Kmc0929 - I have a follow up question for you: on the way home from work today, I realized I am mostly feeling this clunking sensation through the driver side tire. I noticed it because I crossed a bridge crack at an angle and my driver side tire hit it first and I felt the clunk, and then my passenger side hit it, and I did not feel the clunk. I also thought I noticed this pulling into my driveway at an angle the other day. Have you noticed if it’s in your driver side tire only, or do you feel it through both?
My experience has been similar to yours. If I go over small bumps where both tires pass over it at the same time, there is usually no "clunking felt". If the tires pass over at different times, I typically get the "clunking" feedback. In my case it does not seem specific to one side.

One additional finding is that this problem is intermittent. It seems to be more prominent after driving for a long time, and seems to be prominent immediately on hot days. For me it also only happens at low speeds. This leads me to believe it is related to the EPAS since it is designed to produce less assistance at higher speeds. I have mentioned this to my dealer, but wanted to have a better understanding of it before going down the rabbit hole with them and likely having "no problem found".
 

DNazzy’s2025

Well-known member
First Name
David
Joined
May 23, 2025
Threads
3
Messages
157
Reaction score
72
Location
Georgia
Vehicles
2025 Ford F150 Lariat
Occupation
Project Manager
Ok, here's my update.

I removed the OEM front struts with Rough Country 2" spacer and replaced with 6112.

My clunk is gone.

My front left OE strut was leaking heavily with only 8K miles on it.

Was that the issue? I cant say for sure. I just know its gone now :unsure:

Additionally, I checked the swaybar links and ball joints/tierods before I disassembled and didn't find anything loose.

Just wanted to update y'all.
So, the common denominator is we all installed puck leveling kits and then noticed this clunk. I’m considering switching to Eibach coilovers in the next year or so. If I spend anymore money on mods this year, my wife’s gonna divorce me. Guess I’ll just have to live with the clunk for now. Sure would be great if someone actually figured out the issue here. Anyone else out there that can chime in??
 

Sponsored


DNazzy’s2025

Well-known member
First Name
David
Joined
May 23, 2025
Threads
3
Messages
157
Reaction score
72
Location
Georgia
Vehicles
2025 Ford F150 Lariat
Occupation
Project Manager
My experience has been similar to yours. If I go over small bumps where both tires pass over it at the same time, there is usually no "clunking felt". If the tires pass over at different times, I typically get the "clunking" feedback. In my case it does not seem specific to one side.

One additional finding is that this problem is intermittent. It seems to be more prominent after driving for a long time, and seems to be prominent immediately on hot days. For me it also only happens at low speeds. This leads me to believe it is related to the EPAS since it is designed to produce less assistance at higher speeds. I have mentioned this to my dealer, but wanted to have a better understanding of it before going down the rabbit hole with them and likely having "no problem found".
I have also noticed that mine seems to become more pronounced once the truck is hot after a long commute.

Curious, what leveling/lift kit do you have installed? Did you notice if before you lifted it?
 

Special K

Member
First Name
Kain
Joined
Nov 21, 2024
Threads
0
Messages
9
Reaction score
1
Location
Chandler, AZ
Vehicles
2021 F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost FX4
Occupation
Mechanical Engineer
So, the common denominator is we all installed puck leveling kits and then noticed this clunk. I’m considering switching to Eibach coilovers in the next year or so. If I spend anymore money on mods this year, my wife’s gonna divorce me. Guess I’ll just have to live with the clunk for now. Sure would be great if someone actually figured out the issue here. Anyone else out there that can chime in??
I experienced this issue with no level in the truck. I bought the truck with around 30K miles completely stock and started noticing it shortly after purchasing. I have since installed a 2" ReadyLift level, and the problem did not worsen. In fact, it may have even reduced the severity slightly.
 

Special K

Member
First Name
Kain
Joined
Nov 21, 2024
Threads
0
Messages
9
Reaction score
1
Location
Chandler, AZ
Vehicles
2021 F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost FX4
Occupation
Mechanical Engineer
I also have larger tires (315/70r17 Toyo Open Country AT3's installed on Raptor wheels).
 

DNazzy’s2025

Well-known member
First Name
David
Joined
May 23, 2025
Threads
3
Messages
157
Reaction score
72
Location
Georgia
Vehicles
2025 Ford F150 Lariat
Occupation
Project Manager
I experienced this issue with no level in the truck. I bought the truck with around 30K miles completely stock and started noticing it shortly after purchasing. I have since installed a 2" ReadyLift level, and the problem did not worsen. In fact, it may have even reduced the severity slightly.
Well that makes me feel better… I had my pucks and tires installed in less than a week after buying my truck in April of this year. I didn’t notice anything in the first week I had it stock, but I may have just not noticed it right away. I started to convince myself that I self induced this problem with installing the leveling kit. Maybe the leveling kit has nothing to do with it.
 

DNazzy’s2025

Well-known member
First Name
David
Joined
May 23, 2025
Threads
3
Messages
157
Reaction score
72
Location
Georgia
Vehicles
2025 Ford F150 Lariat
Occupation
Project Manager
My experience has been similar to yours. If I go over small bumps where both tires pass over it at the same time, there is usually no "clunking felt". If the tires pass over at different times, I typically get the "clunking" feedback. In my case it does not seem specific to one side.

One additional finding is that this problem is intermittent. It seems to be more prominent after driving for a long time, and seems to be prominent immediately on hot days. For me it also only happens at low speeds. This leads me to believe it is related to the EPAS since it is designed to produce less assistance at higher speeds. I have mentioned this to my dealer, but wanted to have a better understanding of it before going down the rabbit hole with them and likely having "no problem found".
When are you taking your truck back in to the stealership? Mine is due for its first service, I’m thinking in the next 1-2 weeks I’ll set that up and then also tell them about the clunking i’m experiencing. See what BS they try to tell me.
Sponsored

 
 







Top