Can anyone help me out with our escape?

Weve got an 03 2wd escape 3.0. it has 108k (within 50 miles of the same mileage of my truck, pretty cool) It has recently started squeaking when we turn the wheel. its on the drivers front. being a 4x4 guy I have no idea about a front wheel drive suspension. I assumed just start lubin g stuff up and hope it goes away, but this plan failed ha ha. what confuses me is it does it going over bumps as well. When I jacked it up and turned the wheel it appears to be the spring/shock/strut/whatever the thing is thats squeaking. it also moves with the wheel when I turn it.

Can anyone help me out? I need to know what I should be looking to replace, and how difficult it is. I do everything on my truck myself so I have the ability to figure stuff out. but im also smart enough to know when a pain in the ass is worth taking in and paying for.

 

i have been chasing a similar sound on my expedition and about to give up and take it somewhere. let me know if you figure yours out

 

hows the lower ball joints? noise travels... making it seem like the strut...

 

How would I check the ball joint? Every experience I have had with ball joints is more of a bumping/rattling instead of a squeaking. What leads me to the shock/strut is the fact that when I turn the wheel the shock and spring moves as the wheel turns and it squeaks, as well as when we hit bumps it squeaks. just a common denominator ha ha. If you can let me know how I would check the ball joint I will be glad to hopefully narrow this down without paying someone by the hour.

 

my ball joints on my old truck squeaked and when i changed them out then it stopped. my buddy told me that sometimes they squeak when they are starting to go out before the rattle, it's only a matter of time he said. just my $.02 don't know if that's your problem or not

 

Ok, ^^^ do you know how I can check this out? everytime ball joints have gone out, I know for sure its ball joints so I have never had to troubleshoot them before.

 

jack front end up under the a-arm per side.. and use a bar see if theres any play... if none... if u got a stethiscope or long handle screw driver listen thru it to pin point the squeak... and if u can without ripping the boot spray something in the balljoint see if it stops...

 

ricky, yours is probably ball joints.

fx, yours sounds like a strut. Its common for struts to squeak when they get worn.

 

I already did the pry bar test and its solid as a rock. I lubed everything down there a few days ago when I had it jacked up. Im leaning towards the strut too... Id just hate to replace it and it still be squeakin.

 

Ball joints that's what mine did