Truck sounds like an elk going down the road??
Asked by Holden Sep 02, 2016 at 07:31 PM about the 2001 Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 4WD SB
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
my 2001 f150 4wd makes the loudest noise ive ever heard from a vehicle
once i pass 50 mph. the only way i can describe it is as a steady elk tone
that gets louder and higher pitched as i go faster. if i put it in neutral it still
makes the noise until i drop below 45ish. rpms do not effect the noise it is all
based off of speed. turning does not change the noise either. i thought it
could be wheel bearings but i lifted up the truck and there was no play on
any of the wheels and when i spin them they are smooth as butter. it
sounded like the noise was more near the front of the truck but it was hard
to tell because it was too loud to hear anything. anything helps! thanks
guys! i need to get this done by tomorrow night!!
10 Answers
YES, I think I know exactly what's wrong, it's your TIRES! We had a car with cupped tires and heard all kinds of noises as the car rolled faster. It definitely increased with speed....
Hmm, the only other thing it could be are your universal joints...
see i thought the same thing but the thing is i wouldnt think that would happen overnight. it just happened one day when i hopped on the on ramp of the freeway. my u joints are brand new and my tires dont show any uneven wear because they are fairly new. i thought it would maybe be my cv joints but it just dosnt sound like a cv joint.
yes it gets louder and higher pitch. and there is no vibrations or performance loss.
OK, maybe it's a transmission issue?? You said that it's like a high pitched whine, couldn't it be a torque converter issue and it just gets quieter under 45 and you can't hear it?
Check the rear end (differential) gears, gear oil and gears backlash
thanks for all the responses guys! for future issues like this that anybody has CHECK FOR THINGS THAT CAN WHISTLE!!!! it was the rack that I had on the top of my truck. such a simple thing that caused a lot of stress. haha thanks for all of your help anyways!
