When I’m driving slow I hear what sounds like a tin can clanking up against another piece of metal, coming from the rear end. Right, Left, or center I’m not sure. U-joint maybe? HELP!
It’s a 2003 Ford F-150
There is also a bit of wobbling when I’m breaking at a high rate of speed.
The wobbling may be due to warped rotors, and the clanking a loose/broken muffler clamp or heat shield, but check to see the lugnuts are tight and in place also. Make sure the lug nuts have the conical portion pointed to the rim, just in case somebody did something stupid like they did to my 93 f250!
Yeah, good idea. I’ve seen that done before.
I’d also suggest getting it on a rack in a reputable shop for a good look-see at the chassis. At 12 years old you could have worn out bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, and whatnot. Better to be safe than sorry.
Usually where you’d first notice a u-joint driveshaft problem is when starting to move, like from a stop sign. Or when parallel parking, moving forward, then backward. Each time you’d hear a sort of “clunk” sound. Sometimes you can hear a rat a tat tat sound at higher speeds with a u-joint on the fritz. So probably not a u-joint.
hmmm … well I have a Ford truck too. A lot older than yours, but still a Ford truck. I’ve had sounds like that, occurring at low speeds. But for me they only occurred when turning at low speeds. In my case, one time it was rusty brakes, another it was sticking differential clutches. I don’t think those apply in your case.
Well, it could still be the brakes I suppose. That should be fairly easy to determine if you do as suggested above, have your shop put it up on the lift.
My guess, you’ve got something loose in the exhaust system banging around. While it is up on the lift, have them check if the cat heat shield has come loose.