Hey all, I'm still on the fence on whether or not to dump some money into her or move to a new car, but meanwhile I want to get an idea of maybe what to tackle if I decide to keep it. Money isn't tight per say, but I don't want to dump into all the issues at once if it can be helped, keeps emergency cash around. Here's what I'm into.

2004 Expedition EB 5.4
stock shocks/springs (never serviced)
mostly stock ball joints/tie rods/all that stuff.
2nd set of tires from me (bought truck at 40,000 miles in 06, ran the continental contitracs to 72,000 miles) Currently running my set of General Grabber HTS LT tires (LT tires, not passenger) rotated every 10k (every 2 oil changes)
Just rolled 124,500 on the clock yesterday

I say mostly new tie rod, cause if anyone remembers the thread (i posted pics) I ditched the truck in an accident a few years ago and it did need a new tie rod on the rear end.

The truck is perfect other than a few paint blemeshis, no electrical issues, everything works, ice cold A/C, new spark plugs/filters ect at 102,000, and full syn oil at every 5-6k.

I have what I call a death wobble though. It's been getting worse since about mid last year and is kind of dangerous to me. At about 30mph and higher the truck gets a strong desire to pull right. Like let go the steering wheel and you'll cross from left to right lane in about 4 seconds. Not only that, if you get into a severe headwind or behind a semi, the truck starts to pull left and right like a sailboat sail in the wind. It's getting pretty bad to the point I can't follow behind one, I have to get completely out of his wake. And on a windy day driving it for 4 hours is literally exhausting. It's almost as if 1/8 of the range of turn for the front wheels is completely free and they are shimmying with any body sway, if that conveys what I mean.

I was told about 7k miles ago that my ball joins were starting to show signs of wear, but this was a strange shop in a strange town and I didn't trust them, I caught them in a few other lies when I was just trying to get a simple oil change.

I haven't had it to anyone else to look at it, I was just trying to get an idea of what it could be and cost, as a full suspension rework with new tires (new shocks and all ball joints) was going to be knocking on the door of 3500$ (MOOG joints).

So maybe my Ford crew can give me some insight!

 

If I was you I would bring it to a mechanic I trust. And have him look it all over and see whats wrong with it. Because like everyone says its worth dumping some money into instead of having car payments.

 

That's what I was thinking it would come to, but I am just seeing if I can get any ball park estimates or at least a ballpark quote of what these different parts cost, as I have no experience with it whatsoever. I don't want to get overcharged. Not to mention if I don't have the cash to do it right away I'd be out a diag fee, so if someone tells me I'm looking at like 3k of work right from the get go I am going to have to wait another month because we already have some big expenditures (significant other's school just got paid which was 5k cash and had to get some new ensembles at the tune of 700$).