Steering Stabilizer Question
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 207
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From: South Carolina
After upper and lower ball joint replacement and wheel takes effort to come back to center then ball joints are to tight from install. This could correct in a little time keep greased . Also always grease ball joints with front end jacked up just as you would king pins
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 511
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My tech mentioned ball joints being too tight could cause what I was describing, but said they all checked out OK.
What is the "return to center" problem I keep hearing about? Is that the same issue I am describing with the wheel feeling like it is pulling left, you correct it and it pulls right....back & forth until braking and making a hard turn to get it to go away??
Got any pictures or description of the nut or whatever it is that might be too tight, and where I would grease them? Same goes for U-joints...if they are sealed, is there a zerk fitting to grease them? Remember....4WD suspension rookie here
I'd really like to find an easy fix to this since I am now $1200 into this gremlin and THOUGHT it was fixed for about $800
What is the "return to center" problem I keep hearing about? Is that the same issue I am describing with the wheel feeling like it is pulling left, you correct it and it pulls right....back & forth until braking and making a hard turn to get it to go away??
Got any pictures or description of the nut or whatever it is that might be too tight, and where I would grease them? Same goes for U-joints...if they are sealed, is there a zerk fitting to grease them? Remember....4WD suspension rookie here
I'd really like to find an easy fix to this since I am now $1200 into this gremlin and THOUGHT it was fixed for about $800
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 511
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OK just watched a YouTube video. If it is suspected that ball joints were too tight, is that the actual ball joint bolts that get tightened onto the spindle and then have the codder pin to keep it in place. If you suspect it is too tight do you just remove and loosen up one space, or more? The video I watched didn't mention any torque specs, just "tighten it up good" and used a breaker bar to give it hell.
Guess it's time to pop my wheels off and look for zerk fittings too.
Guess it's time to pop my wheels off and look for zerk fittings too.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 136
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From: San Diego area
My "return to center" issue was simply that - if I bumped the wheel to the left, I drifted left, or right bump, drift right. This was at 70 MPH. It ended up being a "sticky" upper ball joint on the top right and changed them both (upper and lower). It's OK now but only at speed. It still does it when I'm going 50 or less but I think it's because everything that pivots is new including a Readhead Steering Gear.
Just changing the ball joints would have probably fixed it and saved me about 3K. That said, the wheel didn't grab or jump like your describing and apologize if my issue mislead you. What I was trying to say was to look at the ball joints like I wish I had done in the beginning - apparently they are prone to failure with the mileage you describe, are often overlooked, and can cause plenty of issues.
Just changing the ball joints would have probably fixed it and saved me about 3K. That said, the wheel didn't grab or jump like your describing and apologize if my issue mislead you. What I was trying to say was to look at the ball joints like I wish I had done in the beginning - apparently they are prone to failure with the mileage you describe, are often overlooked, and can cause plenty of issues.
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andydunks
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
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Jun 19, 2014 09:57 PM
