2000 Mountaineer Issue
 

I have a 2000 Mountaineer and I took it in for repair because there was a clicking or knocking noise from the front end driver side when I lightly apply the brake. The sound is off and on and does not happen all the time, and usually goes away once I fully apply the brake to stop. I took it to the shop and at first the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong. The shop owner took it for a drive and he speculated that it was the upper ball joint, so I had that replaced. When driving home yesterday from the shop, I heard the sound again and took it back and it is currently in the shop. The rotors and brakes are new, and so are the ball joints now. Anyone have any suggestions or have this same problem?

could be control arm bushings, anti-roll bar ends, anti-roll bar bushings, tire rod ends... Anything that moves in the steering and suspension systems that are tied into the wheels and can move with the wheel could be at fault. It could also be a wheel that is not quite fit right and has an occasional slip. (friend of mine had that problem on a corsica he had once. he never fixed it though. when the spare tire was in place of that one wheel it didn't make the sound any more.)

I would take it to good front end shop so the place it is at now doesn't keep replacing parts until the noise goes away. The "clicking or knocking" in the driv. side ft. only occurs under light braking? What about when turning slightly/ sharply? Does the speed of the vehicle play a role in the noise making? Does it seem to not make the noise under certain conditions? Hot or cold, just started, or after driving awhile? Any other info would be helpful in pinpointing the noise making part. Mileage of vehicle? Recent front-end alignment or tire replacement? Let me know.

It seems to make the noise after driving for a while, when I first drive it, it seems fine, but after a few miles of driving when I apply the break I hear it again. Turning doesn't seem to affect it and neither does speed, as soon as I fully apply the break it stops. Also it seems to be more prevalent when it gets warm as it is usually pretty cool when I leave for work in the mornings. The mechanic I took it too said everything looks new in the front end, and I haven't had an alignment or tire replacement since the fall. It does have almost 109,000 miles on it, but the majority of them are highway miles, and the most recent work I had on it was having a bolt tightened about two months ago.

I am leaning toward a brake or wheel bearing problem because the noise goes away under braking.