Front Suspension
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 654
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From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Front Suspension
At 65+ MPH I get some pretty rough vibration from my front end when going around curves. I jacked up the front today and used a pry bar to check for worn u-joints but they were all tight. However, I did notice a ring proximal to the u-joints where the wheel connects to the axle that is just hanging loose. Looks like it should be up inside the joint on the axle side. Ring is hanging there on both left and right sides.
Everything else is good and tight, and no other signs of problems with the suspension or steering. Tires are also evenly worn, and it tracks straight so no signs of alignment issues.
Pulled up the schematics on Tousley for the front suspension and the only thing I can come up with is the grease seal (#7 in this diagram), but that only shows for a 2WD truck, and mine is 4WD.
Any thoughts on what it might be?
Everything else is good and tight, and no other signs of problems with the suspension or steering. Tires are also evenly worn, and it tracks straight so no signs of alignment issues.
Pulled up the schematics on Tousley for the front suspension and the only thing I can come up with is the grease seal (#7 in this diagram), but that only shows for a 2WD truck, and mine is 4WD.
Any thoughts on what it might be?
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 559
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From: Franklin, Georgia
i remamber seeing a thread about this in the past. i belive everyone said it just a dust seal. mine are also just spinning around. but i think your ok as long as you dont drive through a lake. looks like alot of work to replace them.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 654
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From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Yeah, it looked like it would be a PITA to get at them... everything's gotta come off. Glad to hear others' are just spinning too...
So what else might be causing my vibration?
So what else might be causing my vibration?
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 654
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From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Thanks; how would I check out each of those things? Steering is tight but not stiff, so I don't think it's the steering box... Wheels didn't move vertically at all when jacked up and putting a crow bar to them, so I think u joints are okay. The others I don't know how to check for. Suggestions? Would I be best off to just take it to a shop and have them check everything and do an alignment if needed? It feels like a bad alignment to me, but there's no vibration when driving straight, and no pull to one side or the other. Also no uneven wear on the tires...
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2004
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Have the front wheels balanced and the tires inspected for cupping on the shoulder area of the tire and for a possible belt separation. Also check the steering linkage(tie rod ends) and track bar bushings & bolts. The best way to do this is to start the truck and have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth using short to medium, firm turns while you check for play in the tie rod ends and movement in the track bar and mounting bolts. Assuming this is a 4x4 truck.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 654
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From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Thanks for all the help guys... here's an update:
Truck was in at the dealer for injectors (thankfully under warranty!) and I had them check out the steering issue as well. Here's what they say it needs:
Track bar
Track bar ball joint
Steering dampener
Alignment (after install of above parts)
I also need new tires since I'm down to the wear bars, and so will be getting tires and balance while I'm at it.
So, a couple questions.
First, do those parts make sense to y'all? Tiredlr, matches up pretty close with what you said there...
Second, are those parts I can replace myself pretty easily? If so, what are the part numbers I should be looking for at Tousley? My warranty paperwork says they should be covered, but the warranty company's not wanting to do the work... I guess they're calling them "worn out" instead of failed. Dropping $1000 on tires is gonna hurt bad enough. If I can save myself some money on this stuff, that'd be great!
Truck was in at the dealer for injectors (thankfully under warranty!) and I had them check out the steering issue as well. Here's what they say it needs:
Track bar
Track bar ball joint
Steering dampener
Alignment (after install of above parts)
I also need new tires since I'm down to the wear bars, and so will be getting tires and balance while I'm at it.
So, a couple questions.
First, do those parts make sense to y'all? Tiredlr, matches up pretty close with what you said there...
Second, are those parts I can replace myself pretty easily? If so, what are the part numbers I should be looking for at Tousley? My warranty paperwork says they should be covered, but the warranty company's not wanting to do the work... I guess they're calling them "worn out" instead of failed. Dropping $1000 on tires is gonna hurt bad enough. If I can save myself some money on this stuff, that'd be great!
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Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 8,241
Likes: 155
From: L.A. (Lower Alabama)
I don't think the track bar is terribly expensive. I changed just the bushing on the driver side about a year ago. ( link to thread -> https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-bushing.html ) at the time the bar assembly was available for $125. That would probably be the way to go. Almost everyone who makes suspension parts sells a dampner so you have plenty of options there. Changing them out should be straight forward. The hardware is pretty big and the torques are high. You'll need a cheater pipe 
and maybe a pickle fork. Then off to the shop for the alignment.
and maybe a pickle fork. Then off to the shop for the alignment.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
And a pickle fork is... ?
And without having a torque wrench capable of measuring around 400 ft/lbs, what's the best way to know when I hit the correct torque? My torque wrench measures from 8-100 ft/lbs, and I also have a pneumatic air gun like shops use, but no idea if it has built in torque or what it would torque to if it did.
And without having a torque wrench capable of measuring around 400 ft/lbs, what's the best way to know when I hit the correct torque? My torque wrench measures from 8-100 ft/lbs, and I also have a pneumatic air gun like shops use, but no idea if it has built in torque or what it would torque to if it did.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,420
Likes: 16
From: Ouray, CO
400 ft-lbs is a "single big-grunt" 450 ft-lbs is "two big-grunts" 
Also depends on the length of your wrench's handle.
Keep in mind lug nuts are 150-165 ft-lbs for comparison purposes.
google is your friend if you need a picture...
pickle-fork is the tie-rod/ball joint removal tool.
Looks like a 2 prong fork and the prongs are tappered to slip in-between and around the parts.
Also depends on the length of your wrench's handle.
Keep in mind lug nuts are 150-165 ft-lbs for comparison purposes.
google is your friend if you need a picture...
pickle-fork is the tie-rod/ball joint removal tool.
Looks like a 2 prong fork and the prongs are tappered to slip in-between and around the parts.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 8,241
Likes: 155
From: L.A. (Lower Alabama)
It's a large chisel with a tapered fork on the business end. It's made to split tie rod ends/ball joints by driving it into the joint with a hammer. (They are also available for air hammers if you have air tools) Auto parts stores have them for $20 or so. I think you will need it on the passengers side of the track bar. I was torque wrench challenged also, just tightened it REAL tight with the cheater bar reaching in through the fender-well in front of the tire as shown in the pic in the thread. That one bolt is really the only issue. The rest of the fasteners are smaller size.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,171
Likes: 2
How many miles are on your truck? I have around 65K, mine has started a steering wheel wobble under heavy braking from highway speeds. Keeping the tire pressure up to 75 psi helps it a lot, but I like to run 65 psi to get a slightly better ride. I have a new drag link and tie rod ends installed when I got the truck, so they are fine, but I am wondering about the track bar. Please post if changing it helps.
I also think that setting castor to the maximum will help, and if you have a lifted truck, that does reduce possible castor and might make it worse.
Brian
I also think that setting castor to the maximum will help, and if you have a lifted truck, that does reduce possible castor and might make it worse.
Brian
