Wheel bearings don't cause squeaking noises. These noises must never be ignored, especially on Ford products because they have much more trouble with worn steering and suspension parts than all other manufacturers. Any time you hear a noise or feel a clunk, have the vehicle inspected at a tire and alignment shop. The people there are experts at finding the causes of these things, as well as for bad tire wear, pulling to one side, and vibrations.
The biggest concern is for ball joints and tie rod ends. Those have been common failure items since the mid 1970s. If one separates, it can send you into the ditch or into oncoming traffic. The good news here is if you hear that squeak when climbing in and out of the vehicle, while the cause still could be a ball joint, it could also be caused by a deteriorated control arm bushing. Those affect the alignment and tire wear at first, and can affect handling and steering control if they're allowed to get bad enough, but in general they aren't exactly a safety hazard on their own. The clue to the control arm bushings is they will not make noise when you turn the steering wheel and the vehicle is standing still. The tire and wheel have to move up and down for a worn control arm bushing to make noise.
Ball joints can fail in multiple ways. Most commonly they cause a clunking noise, but often they become tight first, and that causes them to squeak. Most noise-causing movement occurs when the ball rotates in the socket, meaning you're turning the steering wheel, but they can also make a little less noise when the wheel and tire move up and down, such as when entering and exiting the vehicle.
Your mechanic may have to use a stethoscope while bouncing the vehicle to figure out which part is causing the noise.
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Sunday, March 10th, 2019 AT 10:07 PM
