Rear End Click/Snap Noise

[HCFX]

Wondering if anyone with the max trailer tow 3/4 floating axle is having the same issues as I am and found a resolution? My driveline is extremely noisy. Doesn't matter if it's when changing between park, drive, reverse or at speed, it's constantly clicking and clacking. So far the dealership has greased the slip yoke on the driveshaft and retorqued the pinion nut, removed the diff cover and backlash is correct, everything inside the rear diff looks a-ok. Outer axle hub bolts are intact and at the proper torque. At my wit's end with this! It's pretty embarrassing when you're camping with your buddies, none of whom own a truck with less than 150k, and they're standing around asking you what the hell's wrong with your 1yr old low mileage pickup while you're maneuvering your camper and it's snapping and clicking to no end.

2023 5.0L 3.73 ELD w/Max Tow. 11,000 miles.

Sponsored

 

[22Platinum]

that is noisy

 

[UGADawg96]

Sounds like the axle bolts... and you checked them ?

 

[WD8CXB]

Sounds like the axle bolts... and you checked them ?

I agree, sounds like broken axle bolts. Check you bolts.

 

[HCFX]

Bolts were checked. Intact and tight. I checked myself when I swapped back to my stock tires (I was getting some flack about oversized tires and airbags) and being a TTY bolt with a 90 degree torque spec it's tough to verify it's torqued properly to spec. My torque wrench clicked at 120ft lbs.

 

[fordtruckman2003]

That video truck isn't moving (looking at tire) and it sounds like that? ?

 

[UGADawg96]

That video truck isn't moving (looking at tire) and it sounds like that? ?

I didn't notice until you said something. If the vehicle isn't moving, then it has to be an engine issue ?

 

[fordtruckman2003]

Or the braking system if it is in gear with brake applied.

 

[fordtruckman2003]

I was getting some flack about oversized tires and airbags

So you don't have a stock suspension.
Have you verified nothing is loose with your airbag system?

 

[HCFX]

So you don't have a stock suspension.
Have you verified nothing is loose with your airbag system?

Yes, it is nothing to do with the airbags and is in line with the same noise a few others on the internet have experienced. Doesn’t appear to be very common.

one guy had his axle bolts replaced and that fixed it for 1,000 miles until it came back. Another guy got an entire rear diff from hub to hub and that made it worse so they bought his truck back. A number of others are inconclusive and their dealers are contacting hotline and attempting some stuff like in my case.

 

[Murrk847]

I have a 2023 5.0 w/ the 3.73 and NO Max Tow. Mine also does this. Dont think its an axle bolt issue. I was thinking it was something with the leaf springs but I havent cared enough yet to do a full diagnosis. Did you get your truck leveled or just did air bags in the rear? Mine is not half as bad as yours though and I am at 20k and some change.

 

[whizkidder]

Sounds like something loose tapping on an exhaust pipe.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I have a 2023 5.0 w/ the 3.73 and NO Max Tow. Mine also does this. Dont think its an axle bolt issue. I was thinking it was something with the leaf springs but I havent cared enough yet to do a full diagnosis. Did you get your truck leveled or just did air bags in the rear? Mine is not half as bad as yours though and I am at 20k and some change.

Hi there. This rear end concern doesn’t sound like something we want you to experience with your F-150. Could you please send us a PM with your VIN and the name and location of your Ford dealer? To send a private message, just click on our username and select "Start Conversation". I'd be happy to look into how I can assist you on my end.

 

[HCFX]

I have a 2023 5.0 w/ the 3.73 and NO Max Tow. Mine also does this. Dont think its an axle bolt issue. I was thinking it was something with the leaf springs but I havent cared enough yet to do a full diagnosis. Did you get your truck leveled or just did air bags in the rear? Mine is not half as bad as yours though and I am at 20k and some change.

It is leveled with airbags. They are easy enough to remove so I took 20 minutes and pulled them out before bringing it in.

They took the rear end apart and checked everything and couldn't find any gun that was smoking. This is from my RO:

"FOUND REAR AIRBAGS. GUEST REMOVED AIRBAGS THEMSELVES AT THEIR DISCRETION TO RULE OUT AFTERMARKET BRACKET COMPONENTS. NOISE STILL PRESENT. CHECKED REAR AXLE BOLTS AND FOUND TORQUED TO SPEC. INSTALLED CHASSIS EARS AND ISOLATED NOISE TO REAR DIFF AREA....REMOVED DRIVESHAFT AND TESTED NO NOISE, REMOVED REAR DIFF COVER AND INSPECTED....NO METAL IN FLUID....REMOVED CARRIER ASSY AND AXLE SHAFTS AND INSPECTED NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE FOUND. REMOVED PINION FLANGE AND INSPECTED FOUND FLANGE SIDE OF OIL SLINGER DRY. THIS COULD CAUSE A ROTATIONAL BINDING/CLICKING NOISE. GREASED AND REINSTALLED SLINGER WITH NEW PINION SEAL. LUBED AXLE SHAFTS AND REINSTALLED WITH CARRIER ASSY" yadda yadda.

Currently, all is quiet but I haven't gone far. Even the singular "Click" when heavily loading up the driveline (you can hear it in the video, it's louder, duller and less frequent than the repeated ting noise) is gone. Time will tell, but hopefully it doesn't come back. If it does, I'll get it looked at again and if it can't get figured out I have 9 months until the end of my lease. I was planning on buying it out and keeping it because in 9 months it might have 20,000 miles and will still be in excellent conditon. but if it's going to be a plague I'll just trade it in for another one without the max tow axle. Been wanting to try out that Powerboost 7.2kw business since it came out but I wanted some other poor saps to work out the issues before I did... This could be my excuse I suppose.

I will say I'm perplexed with yours. I have never heard of anyone with this noise that did not have the max tow package. There's a thread on the OG F150 Forum about it and a number of people have/had this noise and all were max tow packages. A few people have had it come back and a few haven't, with varying work done at dealers to attempt to fix it. One guy had to have his truck bought back.

 

[HCFX]

Update, about 1,000 miles later the noise is back. Not as loud and not as frequent yet but after a weekend of towing this coming weekend I'm sure it will be.

Been hearing this pretty much since day one and I'm over it. I'll either trade it in for one without the max axle this fall or next summer.

Sponsored