Advice, please

[Fourth Horseman]

I could use some advice from you folks here as most all of you know a heck of a lot more about cars than I do. Ever since I had my 4.10 gears installed and my rear axle bearing issues fixed I've had an intermittent ticking noise that comes from the right rear of the car. It's fairly faint, and hard to hear at anything over 25 to 30 MPH. It only happens once a week to once every two weeks and then only lasts for a few minutes. It's usually when the car is cold, though I don't know if temperature of any components is really an issue. It does not sound like it's coming from the differential. When it happens I can sometimes hear it echo off buildings and walls and stuff near the road, and it always seems to be audible from the right (passenger) side but not at all from the left side. It sounds sort of like a bearing ticking, but I don't know how that could be the case since it only happens so rarely.

I took it in to the dealership that did the original work but they can't replicate the problem. That's no surprise since it happens only now and then. They're reluctant to do anything about it since they can't hear it. They don't want to open up the rear end or the axle that they worked on previously saying that if they do and find nothing wrong they'd have to charge me for it. I have not yet argued this with them too strenuously as I wanted to consult with you folks first.

First: what could this ticking be? It did not happen before the service, so I think it's definitely related to something they did in either the gear swap or the axle repair/replacement.

Second: how should I proceed? I was really hoping to build a good working relationship with this dealership but after their seeming lack of interest in working on this I feel inclined to do some screaming at them and then give them a failing grade when the customer service survey comes in the mail from Ford.

I'm not overly concerned about this as the car has not be exhibiting any other odd behavior, but with the long drive to Indianapolis coming up... well, you understand, I'm sure. Any suggestions or thoughts welcome.

[427435]

Could be a bearing although I don't know why it would then only occur when cold.

Could be the exhaust system creaking as it warms up and expands----especially if it was rubbing the frame or body someplace.

Could be something to do with the brake pad. The brakes had to come off when the axle bearing were worked on and maybe they didn't get put back quite right. Some cars have isolation pads between the brake pads and disk brake housing----which don't always get put back during a brake job or disassembly.

It will likely either go away after a 1000 miles or get bad enough you can track it down.

I would check the exhaust system carefully to be sure it didn't get pushed out of position when they were working on the axle.

Then I would pull the rear wheels and see if everything on the noisy side matches the quiet side.

If nothing is found, I would drive it until the noise either went away or got bad enough for the dealer to hear it. Be sure he's written up a service slip with your complaint, so you have a record.

[FordNut]

Brakes is what first comes to my mind, too.

[Fourth Horseman]

Brakes makes some sense to me on this issue for another reason. I didn't mention this before, but at very slow speeds, like less than 5 MPH in a parking garage for example, it doesn't sound like a tick but a slow, soft scraping type of noise. As you accelerate it sounds more like a tick.

Also, I hadn't thought about this in connection with the noise before, but ever since I got my car back the parking brake has made some noise from the back of the car when applied. It used to be quiet. Do you think it's possible they messed up the parking brake when they put everything back together?

In any event, I'll jack the car up tomorrow and take a close look at all brake cables and maybe even pull the right rear caliper and have a look. Thanks for the help, guys, I really do appreciate it. If I had to rely on the dealership for help I'd get nowhere.

[MMSuperFan]

I had a ticking noise which may or may not have been similar in sound quality, but, it was only when cold and at low speed. After about 6 weeks or so it progressed into a rattle....scratch one cat. Cat replaced, noise gone.

[BillyGman]

4th H, I believe that I might have the exact answer that you need!! I say that, because that's almost exactly what happened to my car after I got it back from the dealer who changed the Torque converter. The noise was driving me nuts and it could only be heard from the passenger side. I was all worried thinking it was the Stallion converter. I had a buddy of mine sit in the back seat on the passenger side and hang out the window as I drove the car in a parking lot at about 15 MPH and he could hear it loud and clear. I brought it back to the sleezy dealer (they are) and it turns out they didn't adjust the parking brake properly, nor did they have the bracket that holds the cable mounted correctly when they put it back on after the work they did. They fixed it while I waited in a matter of literally 15 minutes.


On one hand, I was glad it was something simple, while on the other hand they didn't even care about making such a bonehead mistake. I noticed that when I got my car back the first time from them when it was making noise, the emergency brake pedal went all the way down to the floor even though it never did before that. And after they fixed the noise, the pedal was back to normal. Have a guy sit in the back seat on the passenger side w/the window all the way down while you drive it around the parking lot. Tell him if he sticks his head out the wondow, he will hear it.

[Fourth Horseman]

Billy, do you know which bracket I should look for? I'm thinking I'll try to fix this myself rather than take it back to the dealer again. Thanks for your help. I can't believe how superior it is to just come and ask you guys than to take the car to the so-called professionals.

[BillyGman]

Billy, do you know which bracket I should look for? I'm thinking I'll try to fix this myself rather than take it back to the dealer again. Thanks for your help. I can't believe how superior it is to just come and ask you guys than to take the car to the so-called professionals.Yeah, those "Professionals" ticked me off in both dealers I've brought my car to. And I had to bring it back a second time to get a job done correctly in both of the two dealers I've had my car to. So they're batting 1,000 in my book. :rolleyes:

Scott, I never looked at the bracket since I had no idea that it was something that simple until after they fixed it. I was thinking something major, since I had just had them install my new Stallion converter. They said it was the emergency brake cable bracket. I believe it's located on the driver's side of the car to the side of the driveshaft, and slightly to the rear of the car. I remember seeing it when I installed my 4.56 gears, and when I installed my new driveshaft, but I didn't pay much attention to it since I didn't need to mess w/it at the time. They said that because of it being mounted improperly, by one of their, ehem, "Professional" mechanics, that the emergency brake cable itself was rubbing up against something. But they didn't even care to take the time to expllain it fully to me. The mechanic didn't talk to me about it, and the assitant service manager was running away from me as he handed me the keys while I was trying to ask him about it. Really great people. :rolleyes:

I think the emergency brake cable might have been rubbing up against the brake rotor on the passenger side or something in that area. Maybe against the wheel itself. I'm not sure. But I know that it was a real quick fix for them. It took a matter of 15 minutes for them to fix, and that includes the time it took them to grab my keys, move the car into the garage, and get it on and off the lift.

[Marauder8]

There are times when the emergency brake fulcrum inside the rear rotor may contact the inside if the wheel studs.
I saw this on a 4.10 installation I did for RFOverlord.

[BillyGman]

There are times when the emergency brake fulcrum inside the rear rotor may contact the inside if the wheel studs.
I saw this on a 4.10 installation I did for RFOverlord.
Would that have anything to do w/the cable bracket being installed wrong, or w/the emergency brake pedal going down to the floor when engaging it? Cuz that's what the deal was w/mine.

[Fourth Horseman]

Thanks guys. I've got my shop manual in hand and I'm heading out right now to pull the wheel and disc and have a look. I'll look at the parking brake adjument bracket as well, as I think that's what you're referring to, Billy. I'll report on whatever I find. Hopefully I won't have to take it back to them for a fix.

[Krytin]

Sounds like you're on the right track w/the parking brake. If that isn't the problem take a look at the "U" joints.

[Fourth Horseman]

Well, I pulled the right rear wheel and disc off today and inspected the parking brake closely. The mechanism looks ok and I don't see anywhere where it's been rubbing the backs of the studs or anything like that. The cable leading to the parking brake also appears to be routed correctly and not rubbing anything. I put everything back. I'm going to try to find time tomorrow to look at the other side. I'm curious about the parking brake cable adjustment assembly. I've been hearing some noise lately when I apply the parking brake, and suspect this might be the culprit. Anyway, I'll report if I find anything.

[BillyGman]

Yes, that's what I was talking about. The bracket that mounts the cable underneath the car. Like I've previously described, it's located on the driver's side of the car, alongside of the driveshaft if I remember correctly. I wasn't suggesting that you take the wheel off. Just get under there and look at the cable bracket. That's what the problem was w/my car. they put that bracket back the wrong way. That's all the specifics I can give you, since that's all I know. They said it was improperly mounted.(the bracket that is).

[Fourth Horseman]

Yes, that's what I was talking about. The bracket that mounts the cable underneath the car. Like I've previously described, it's located on the driver's side of the car, alongside of the driveshaft if I remember correctly. I wasn't suggesting that you take the wheel off. Just get under there and look at the cable bracket. That's what the problem was w/my car. they put that bracket back the wrong way. That's all the specifics I can give you, since that's all I know. They said it was improperly mounted.(the bracket that is).

I hear you, and given time I will inspect that bracket closely. However, that bracket is with the brake cable that runs down the left side of the car. The noises I've been hearing are on the right side of the car, which is why I began my inspection on that side. Also, I wanted to be see if I might be having an issue like what Marauder8 was saying, where part of the parking brake assembly was rubbing against something it shouldn't inside of the drum. To do that I had to pull the wheel and disc.

Tomorrow I'll inspect everything on the other side of the car, even though the noise is not coming from that side. You never know. I'll report back what I find. At the very least, it can't hurt to retension the cable as per instructions in the shop manual.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

[BillyGman]

The noise was coming from the right side on my car too. But it was that bracket that was causing it according to the dealer. Good luck Scott. If you end up going back to the dealer w/it, then read my last PM that I sent you first. :)

[Fourth Horseman]

The noise was coming from the right side on my car too. But it was that bracket that was causing it according to the dealer. Good luck Scott. If you end up going back to the dealer w/it, then read my last PM that I sent you first. :)

Will do, thanks! :up:

[Fourth Horseman]

Didn't get a chance to dig into this any more today. It'll have to wait until next weekend, but I'll report back when I get to it if I find anything of interest.