2000 Ford Explorer 5.0 AWD knocking noises

I would think it is more suspension related than anything. The first thing to check is that all of the bolts and nuts securing the shocks and control arms are tight. From there, check the shocks for any leakage, meaning they failed and are making noise. If you don't see that, have a friend bounce the truck up and down and listen for noises. I would advise not to drive the Explorer until you find the problem!

On other thing. Grab the front half shafts and give them a good shake, see if they are loose at all.

It finally made the sound again this morning so I recorded the noise it was making, it sounds like two metal pieces are hitting together and the faster the wheel rotates the louder the noise gets. Breaking will stop the noise and it does not occur when going 10mph or under. Is there any way I could get a sound clip uploaded?

Not that I know of, but you can email it to [email protected] and I will take a listen.

Thank you so much, just sent an email. It would be a great idea for this website to allow upload of audio, and might make it easier for those that give the advice. Thank you again!

Sounds to me like the sway bar link bushings or the sway bar bushings have worn out and are allowing the sway bar to hit the frame or the control arm.

Okay I will check these out this afternoon and post back. A few years ago it was making a similar sound and we took it into a shop and they replaced the transfer case first, ended up still making the sound and then they replaced the u-joint and the noise stopped. I'm hoping its what you are suggesting because that would be a whole lot cheaper to fix. Thank you again for all of your help.

If this sound goes away when the brakes are applied you should check the calipers and see if they are loose in any way. The slide bushings can wear out or the bracket bolts can loosen up. Shake the caliper and see if it has any movement.

I agree with wrenchtech, there are shims you can apply to pads to remove the slack from the wear. They are sold from Chrysler but fit any other models. I use these extensively on many pad holder brackets. included is what they look like, the little chome clips at bottom. They are great for those annoying brakes sounds and rot hole sound also, as pads move when brakes are not applied.

I'm not referring to a simple anti rattle kit. I'm talking about a major issue with the caliper slides or mounting bolts. There is a big difference in the sound between a pad rattle and a caliper knocking.

Hey wrenchtech, if you want to email me at the address above, I will forward you the file and you can have a listen too. It's definitely not brake related, it's a hollow pinging sound, like the sway bar smacking off of something. I would like to see what you think as well...

I don't know how you can be so sure it's not brake related since applying the brake makes it stop. That has to limit it somewhat. Another possibility is just a severely worn tie rod end.

It's a possibility, but if you heard the file she emailed me you would hear what I am talking about. Definitely worth checking the brakes, I just doubt that's it, from the noise she emailed me.

Okay so I made a youtube video with the sounds so everyone could access it. Enjoy the beautiful snow image too. Thank you all for your help, it really is appreciated!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nlqOPl5TBY

I still say to check the brake calipers and also check for any wheel weights hitting the caliper.

Okay so we checked everything around the tire and the front suspension. All of that seems good, we did notice that it sounds like the noise is travelling down the drive train because the sound seems to come from different directions. My husband could hear a slight squeeky grind and then a pop. It is very rhythmic. It does this in both Drive and Park. Any ideas? Could it be the universal joint?

If it does it in park, it is definitely not a universal, as they only move when you are moving. That sounds more like internal transmission of maybe even the flywheel/flexplate.

Yep, sounds more like flexplate bolts coming loose and hitting the engine as it rotates.

I feel so stupid I meant Reverse, not park! My husband had me going between reverse, park, and drive so much that I guess I was thinking drive park reverse and just left out the reverse. It does not make a single noise in park. Sorry and thank you so much for your help we are trying to fix this ourselves because of budgetary constraints.

Ok, it now has the potential of being U-joints. Get under the SUV and give the drive shafts a good shake and see if they are loose. Check the axles for looseness as well. If nothing is found from that point, I would defer back to internal transmission, unless a new development pops up.

So my husband took out the front drive shaft and the noise stopped. He is replacing the CV joint on the front drive shaft and as a precautionary measure he is changing out the U-joints plus servicing all of the fluids. I just got back from driving it minus the front drive shaft and it was the smoothest ride I have ever taken in it. Thank you guys for all of your help and I will continue to update once the repairs are made and the driveshaft is back in.

Awesome. I am glad we all got together to help assess your problem. Please let us know the precise final diagnosis, so we can store this in our mechanic memory banks :).

Okay so we had a few delays with two CV joints being shipped with broken seals, we also went ahead and replaced all of the u-joints in the car. Once we finally got a good CV joint and got it installed the noises were gone and it is riding smooth once again. Total cost for repairs was just at 100.00 because we had Autozone bucks to cash in. Thank you all so much for all of your help, this has become my go to forum for car repair questions!

Phenomenal, I am glad we could help and that it's all fixed up. For a good price as well!