clunk in snow

[Gleanermanl2]

Ok so on my 2004 FX4 ranger 4lv6 manual when ever i drive on a paved road or smooth hard surface coverd in snow i can feel a clunk, and a shudder in my truck. it needs to be an inch or so of snow. ive been all over first the front hubs were replaced.. didnt help. Then i took it to a Ford dealer and they thought it was a mis fireing engine. Sometimes it will do it over and over sometimes only once ever ten min. But on snow it will always do it. Sometimes its louder and more pronounced, and sometimes it rattles the whole truck. Its got 85k on it a PA truck im in NY now. it does it 4high as well. i also am pretty sure i have the 8.8 rear end with the pos lock. Any ideas? Of course it never does it for the dealer ship either... they just waste 1/4 of gas driving on roads witought snow. Also they have not looked at the rear end. And it wont do it just like starting out you have to be about 40mph. And it wont do it on wet roads. PLEASE HELP?

 

[AllanD]

Sounds like it's probably "axle wrap"

a "normal noise" but still annoying.

AD

 

[bwright1818]

Well, this may not be the same noise but it might be: My '93 4 by 4 supercab had this wierd problem from new: When driving in wet conditions, particularly slushy snow, I had a noise that sounded as if somebody was pounding under the truck with a hammer. My dealer couldn't find it. I thought it might also be cold-related. I called a dealer in Fargo ND, who couldn't help either. It sounded like it was in the front, by the way. Long story short, water got between the rear leaf spring leaves. When the axle went DOWN, it created a sucking noise like popping your finger out of your mouth, only much worse. I found it by pushing the truck up and down when it was in a parking lot. I put hose clamps between the leaves and the noise stopped. They didn't stay in well though, so I finally got new after market rear springs and have never had the problem again. Hope this helps....

Bill

 

[Captain Ledd]

My first thought was that stupid balancer they put on driveshafts that always seems to fall off. Maybe the different driving conditions make you drive differently enough it always happens during those conditions.

Don't know if they still had those up until then, but it's an easy check. There'll be a big ring up by the transfer case, grab and yank (well more of a jiggle), if it's loose, you'll know.