Hello,

2004 Escape 2WD 3.0. I've recently developed a pull while driving. Long story short is the truck, under acceleration pulls to the left and when letting off the gas will pull to the right. This is pretty constant. Second issue is while driving straight the car feels like it is "sliding" to the left or right almost like a feeling of hydroplaning until I correct it. I've long suspected a need for an alignment and/or front struts due to my front tires wearing pretty quick it seems over the last year. I did just replace the front 2 tires with 2 "used" but good tires with about 60-70% of their tread left. I don't want to put new tires on until I can do all 4 at the same time as well as an alignment and struts. Any help/advice?

 

Check your motor/transmission mounts. Check your driveshaft CVT joints & axles. The right(passenger) side had a center support that helps reduce 'torque steer' which is what you describe. If that support is cooked, you might feel the steering you describe.
A loose/worn/broken motor/trans mount could allow the assembly(trans/engine) to wiggle around when torque is produced, and wiggle the other way when it is reduced. IOW, look for something loose/broken/worn. You can(should be able) to wiggle the engine using a length of timber, such as a 2X2 or 2X4 to see if it wants to jump out and go for a spin on its own...
Try moving either end of the trans/engine and see what you get. You can also place a board under the engine at either end, and jack it up with a floor jack(GENTLY!!!!!!!) to see if either end mount will separate. They ain't spozta do that.
tom

 

I know for a while I've noticed when I go over a bump or pothole I hear a noise like a clunk or something is loose like a strut mount or something. That's another reason I believe the struts are part of the problem. But I also believe the motor mounts need to be replaced as well. The motor does move a lot when revving it and sometimes there's a lot more vibration in the car then other times. How hard are the mounts to change?

 

mine went bad, caused a noise like something rubbing on floor when I accelerated. I replaced 3 of the 4 mounts. Right, left, and rear. It wasn't a bad job at all. Got all 3 on amazon, pretty cheap. For me the passenger side was the worst one because of A/C lines in the way.

 

Yea I'm going to try to get it on a lift but I'm thinking a ball joint might be bad. When I steer left sometimes I'll hear a "pop" sound coming from the right front. That's also the same area I hear the clunk or loose sound when I hit a hole or rough patch of road. Could still be a strut mount though I guess.

 

I had a very similar situation on my 2002. Ended up being the passengers side wheel bearing.
Just my experience and $0.02.

 

It's just weird because I didn't have the issue before I had the two front tires replaced. The clunking sound over bumps has always been there, but the pulling and feeling like the car is sliding or hydroplaning when turning left only started after the tires. I'm wondering if the tires could be the issue. But I've had bad tires before and they didn't cause these symptoms.

 

Clunking is probably an unrelated sway bar end link or two.

Rotate the tires front and rear just to see if the problem is still there. If not, could be a bad tire.

 

Clunking can be caused by loose wheels, struts, sway bars and links, ball joints, steering linkage, motor/trans mounts, bushings, wheel bearings, and CV axles.

Torque steer and steering wander can be caused by tires, CV axles, dragging brakes, alignment, struts, loose steering linkage, wheel bearings, and motor/trans mounts.

I’m sure there plenty more sources than those listed above.

You’ll just have to get the wheels off the ground and inspect it - make sure both front wheels are up at the same time and place jacks/jack stands in a place that allows the wheels and lower control arms to hang freely. Set parking brake and/or chock rear wheels.

Rock each wheel top to bottom and side to side to check for play in the wheel bearings, ball joints and tie rods. Any play felt should be further investigated.

Shift to neutral (engine off) and spin each wheel to check for brake drag and wheel bearing noise.

Inspect the lower control arm to cradle bushings for wear (loose and weather checked) and tearing. Use a pry bar to check vertical and horizontal movement and compare to the opposite side. Some movement is normal but they should be rigid with little give. Make sure the mounting bolts for the control arms aren’t loose or broken (bolts can break without falling out but there tends to be witness marks/egging of the holes if this happens).

Inspect for signs of cradle to suspension/steering contact (spots that look like bare, polished metal).

Are the tires (new and old) directional? If so or if you’re not sure, check the sidewalls - directional tires are marked with “inside,” “outside,” or an arrow indicating the direction of rotation. If any of the tires were installed incorrectly, that can cause the steering wander/sliding/hydroplaning feel you’re describing.

Look and feel for bulges in the tread and sidewalls. They’re not always obvious (see pics below from a slipped belt in my tire that only caused a pull - no vibration or shudder which is typical).

A thorough inspection of the front end should find the source of the clunking for sure. If the steering wander and torque steer aren’t revealed as well, an alignment may be the necessary fix.