Just noticed this today. It sounded like a rock in the tire tread but as I came to a stop it is a definite clicking sound. There are no rocks in the tread (amazing for BFGs) and I can't see anything that would cause this. Does it sound like I have a u-joint bad possibly? There are several to choose from but when I jack the truck up I can't get it to make the sound....

 

check your center caps if you have them. I drove for 4000km with this noise thinking my front end was going to come off. Only to go in to the dealer and give them crap about a wheel bearing noise. Then find out myself the next day it was the clips that hold the center caps on. ( note i went tback to the dealer and told them what the problem was and to their dismay said oh see we told you it wasnt a wheel bearing), So check that first. and lets us know if that was the problem
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I'll check that but I probably would have heard the noise when the truck was jacked up and I was spinning the wheel. I'll check it in the morning..
Thanks

 

i thought the same thing my self actually. Pull the cap off and check the clips, they might be bent i have one bent and mine rattles alot, i just turn up my stereo to drown the noise. I hope that is the problem with yours. At least then you will know.

 

I can easily fix it by rolling up the window! Who knows how long it's been doing it since it's been too cold to roll down the windows for a long time...

 

Well, the caps all seem fine on the inside and they fit nice and tight. I'll pull the wheel off tonight and see if something got lodged in there somehow. That's what it sounds like.....

 

Around were I live when I hear what you hear it is a horse shoe nail in my tire Amish buggies drop them all over. You can tell by how far apart the click is if it is about the time it takes for a tire rotation and it will change sounds on different roads.

 

Well, I pulled the wheel off hoping it would be something simple but I can't find anything. It doesn't make any noise when the front end is off the ground so I'm thinking a bearing is going bad or possibly a u-joint. I can't feel any play anywhere so I'm at a loss. I guess it's time for a trip to the dealership....

 

my boss had the same thing happen to him and it was the axle u joint

 

Either the axle ujoint, or even a front driveshaft Ujoint.

You don't hear it just spinning the tire because it probably has to be under load to make the click.
And it isn't loose enough to see any play.

You can try a couple things to help narrow it down.

Do some slow turns and see if the click speeds up or slows down depending on which direction you are turning.

Obvious, but the outside tire turns faster in a turn than the inside tire,
so if the click speeds up or slows down, axle ujoint.
If the click isn't affected by turning, then the front driveshaft ujoint would be the culprit.

It also helps to shift to neutral and shut the engine off so you can hear the sounds better,
well with my noisy 2nd gen it helps, most likely won't make a difference with your quiet 3rd gen.



phox

 

It seems to speed up a little when I make a slow turn to the left. I haven't tried making a slow turn to the right but that's a good idea. Thanks for the ideas guys..

My 3rd gen is getting louder as I get more miles on it too thank you very much!!

 

my truck did this, especially during warm weather or once the front hubs/ wheel warm up. When the truck was making turns you'd hear the clicking sound. I ended up taking off the wheel covers and putting grease on the clips. This cured it for a while but you still have to re-lube every once in a while. My dealer replaced both front wheel covers and centers. The clicking sound was due to the tire flexing and pushing on the wheel covers causing them to click. I have not really been listening for it since then but I'm sure when things warm up it will be back unless the replacement covers have been redesigned for more clearance around the outer edge so the tire does not push against the cover.
I have a friend that works at the dealer and he has seen a few of these with the same thing, he was the one who told me to grease the clips.
Short story: covers off> no click on turns / covers on> clicks on turns / lube then, it gets better for a while

 

Mine's not a dually so that wouldn't pertain to me. I'll keep it in mind if I end up w/ a dually in the future.....

Thanks

 

Well, I have to eat my words because the problem is somewhere in the wheel itself. I think it's the chrome cladding binding somehow. If you pull the wheel off and put it on the other side the sound goes with it. Now I have to find 1 used chrome clad wheel. The dealer wants a fortune for one........

fltfndr, you were right...

 

Is that not covered under warrenty.