Ford F150 Clunking Noise When Stopping (Answer Revealed)

How annoying is it when your Ford F150 starts making clunking noises? With every bump you hit, the noise becomes more irritating. 

But what’s bothering you the most is the noise while hitting the brakes.

So, how to solve Ford F150 clunking noise when stopping?

To solve the clunking noise in Ford F150, you have to put grease in the driveshafts. Again, if there is a spare tire swinging, you’ll hear the noise. For this, you have to fix and secure the tire under the truck. Fixing a loosened compartment will also help you in minimizing the noise.   

Just like this, there are other reasons that might be responsible for your problem. Want to learn how to stop it? If you do, continue reading this article till the end. 

Why is My Truck Making a Clunking Noise?

The reason your Ford F150 is making noise is that the driveshafts don’t have enough grease. You can call it the F150 slip bump

There are other reasons that might cause a Ford slip bump too. We’ve combined all of the explanations below. By reading this segment, you’ll understand why each reason can be the cause of your problem.

So, here are the reasons that are causing clunking noise in your Ford F150:

1. Lack of Grease

We already mentioned that the lack of grease in the driveshafts is the culprit. Let’s get into the details.

Well, there are slip lines in drive shafts. When the slip lines are properly greased, they help the F150 slip yoke slide. 

Here the grease works as a lubricant. It makes the slip yoke slippery and enables it to move smoothly. 

When the slip yoke is dry, the driveshafts create friction. As a result, you hear a Ford F150 clunking noise when stopping.

There’s an easy solution to this problem. Let me tell you what to do.

Solution

I think you can guess what you have to do here. Yes, you have to grease the slip yoke. 

And for this, I would suggest using a PTFE lubricant. If you’re confused, you can just use the lubricant recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

If you’re not even comfortable with that option, I got an easy solution for you. You don’t have to scratch your head anymore. Just go to the links of PTFE lubricants below and choose your preferred one. 

All of these lubricants are extremely good for use. So here they are:

So, you got the lubricant. Now, let’s go straight to the action. Here’s a step-by-step procedure for how you can grease the driveshafts:

  • First of all, you have to verify the condition of the slip yoke.
  • Then, you have to remove 4 bolts. These bolts connect the driveshaft to the rear yoke.
  • In the next step, you should cut the clamps on the boot. They are situated on the slip joint.
  • Next, you have to mark the slip joint with a pen. Make sure it’s a paint pen so that the mark is evident. This helps in the alignment while reinstalling. 
  • After that, take the slip joints and separate them.
  • Now, here comes the main part. You must clean the old grease out from the brake. Then, take the lubricant you gathered and fill the splines. 
  • Again, reinstall the slip joint. Make sure all the alignments are correctly maintained. 
  • In the last step, you should drive the truck. See if it makes any clunking noise like before. You can call it the verification of your repair.

You can also use a Zerk fitting to feed the slip-yoke grease. It imposes high pressure on the clunks so that the grease has properly lubricated the metal. 

But remember to figure out the right grease fitting zerk size

So, this is how you solve the most common reason responsible for clunking noise.

Now, there’s another possibility that might create the noises when you brake. It’s the spare tire that’s swinging under your truck. Keep reading if you think this is the main problem. 

2. Swinging Spare Tire

Another reason you might hear clunking noise is the swinging spare tire.   

If you have a spare tire, it can swing on the cables that it’s tied with. While driving your Ford F150, the tire hits the well back and forth. 

In case you have the same situation, you’ll hear a clunking noise. 

So, what’s the solution? Keep reading to figure out how to stop this clunking noise problem.   

Solution

To fix a swinging spare tire, you have to retie the cable. But this time you have to be careful. You have to ensure the cable is retightened correctly.

Let me walk you through the step-by-step process of what you should do:

  • Firstly, you have to untie the cable from the tire.
  • Then, keep the spare tire in the center. 
  • Now, retie the tire with the cables.
  • Check if the spare tire is tilting or hanging on a side. If it does, level it up to the center and tighten it strongly.

There you go! The spare tire is now secured. It won’t cause any friction with the wells. You won’t hear that annoying clunking noise anymore when you brake the Ford.

Now, let’s move on to the next reason.    

3. Loosen Compartment

Sometimes, any loose compartment might be the reason for the clunking noise. There might also be a jack loose in the storage compartment. 

Yeah, I know it seems like a very silly problem but it’s a serious one. Nobody would have thought that the compartments underneath may fall apart. 

So, you should fix it immediately.

Solution

Well, fixing a loose compartment is totally up to you. You have to identify at which point it’s falling off. 

Take a wrench and screwdriver. Tighten the bolts. You’re good to go!

Yeah, it’s as simple as that!

Bonus Solution

Now, I got a bonus solution for you. It is applicable for any of the aforementioned reasons. 

If you have a warranty from Ford, just take it for a repair. You will save more time and energy on this. More importantly, you can repair it for free!

But if you don’t have a warranty, you can just buy a 20-dollar kit. And apply the processes I mentioned above. 

It won’t be a problem for you anymore. 

Two Other Noises You Should Pay Attention To

You have noticed the clunking noise. Especially, when you pull on the brakes, the noise becomes dominant. 

But this type of noise only indicates that the bolts need to be greased. Other than this, this problem doesn’t indicate much serious issue.

Well, there are two other noises that you may hear when you hit the brakes. These are:

  • Squealing Noises 
  • Brakes Grinding

In case you haven’t heard or experienced these noises, I’ll describe it to you. By knowing about these two noises, you can take precautionary measures in the future.

Squealing Noises

Braking with a squealing noise is really hard to take. This noise has a high-pitch sound. It’ll make you feel cringing. But it indicates some major issues.

It could be that the brake pads have lost their functionalities. Also, because of water splashes, the rotors can get rusted. 

These reasons cause a high-pitch squealing noise. So, as soon as you hear the noise, check what’s going wrong immediately. 

Brakes Grinding

There’s another metallic high-pitch jarring sound that’s awful to hear. It’s the noise of the grinding brakes. This happens when the disc and caliper have friction with each other.

As a result, the brake pads get worn down completely. If you don’t fix the brake pads immediately, the friction will keep increasing day by day. You’ll have to bear expensive damage repairs then. 

FAQ

Here are some frequent queries:

Can I drive my f150 without a front drive shaft?

Yes, you can drive your f150 without a front drive shaft. It’s because the f150 has a traditional 4WD. It has a center differential that you can lock easily. If you remove the front drive shaft, you have to lock the differential. Thus, you’ll be able to transfer the power to the front driveshaft.    

Why does a rear U-joint wear out so often?

A rear U-joint wears out often because the U-bolt pinion yoke is too tight. And it only happens when you use the U-bolt-styled pinion yoke. You will notice this problem when you need to change the damaged U-joint. So, the perfect measure to tighten the bolts is 17 lb-ft for 1310-series U-joints. 

What happens if the drive shaft breaks while driving?

If your drive shaft breaks while driving, you’ll lose the control of steering. You won’t be able to maneuver the vehicle properly. You will face difficulty in moving both forward and backward. Basically, the breakage of the drive shaft will destroy the acceleration power. So, it’s dangerous for you.

Final Words

So, this is how you solve the ford f150 clunking noise when starting. I hope this article was useful for you. You have to remember that you should solve the problem by identifying the right reason.

Well, I tried to cover all of the reasons and respective solutions. Hopefully, you’ll be able to solve the clunking noise. Wish you a smooth ride ahead!

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