Hello all,

Long time reader, first time poster.

'99 Ranger, 4x2, 3.0L

I would get a lot of vibration over bumps and high-speed curves. The steering wheel would shimmy so I narrowed the options to the front-end. I found a bad shock on the right front so I replaced both front shocks. This made a big difference but the high-speed vibration is still there. I suspect the bad shocks threw out the alignment or the wheel balance. Maybe the bad shocks caused some uneven wear on the tires. I will try to swap the front and rear wheels to see if the problem is in the wheels or tires. Any ideas ?

Many thanks,
Tom

 

It could be the alignment, or it could be the wheel balancing.

 

Here is an update:

After rotating the front and rear tires, the steering wheel did not shimmy anymore, although a vibration could still be felt.

During the rotation, I noticed some slight cupping on the inside of the former front tires; no doubt a direct result of the bad shocks.

I had the 2 rear tires (formerly in the front) balanced and had the alignment checked. The alignment was good.

I went ahead and replaced the rear shocks to keep an even wear on the tires.

So far, the truck is riding smooth at highway speeds.