Hi, I have a 1998 ford explorer xlt. My problem recently is that during one of the first snow days this year my wife heard a noise in the front. I drove the car the next day and didnt hear anything. The next day I drove the car I heard this noise and it got worse as I drove. I took it to a shop and they told me that the front breaks needed changing. After they changed the breaks they still heard the noise and determined that it was the front differential. I bought a used dif and had it replaced at another shop because the first shop worked only on small jobs. After replacing the dif the noise was still there. The mechanic there looked into it more and tols me that the problem was the right bushing. So I had him replace the bushing. While he had the car I also asjed him to replcae all the shocks. After that was complete the noise went away but the car shook and pulled. The mechanic did tell me that I would need an alignment and this would fix the problem. Sooo, I took it to Sears and they did the alignment. I have bought new 20 inch rims and tires a year ago and there are not of shops that can align these tires. Anyway, while driving to work the next day I still feel this heavy shacking when I hit 60 and above. So they looked everything over and said the work looked OK. They recommended that I rotate the rear tires to the front. Okay, so we did and when I drove home it was much better but there was still light shacking. They recommended that I take it back to Sears and havce them redo the alignment. Now the shacking is back again heavy as before. HELP!!!!! this is turning out to be a nightmare. I don't know what it caould be? The dif? The bushing? The shocks? The tires? Although I dont think it is the tires.

Thanks for your help.

 

First Q, do you feel the shake in the steering wheel or in your seat?

 

get rid of those 20" rim

 

Do you have AWD or 4wd? Also, consider balancing the tires.

 

Yes, I have done the balancing. I had the tires on for almost a year and had no problems with them.

Update: Today the shop changed the sway bars and still the problem existed. I stopped by sears again and a mechanic took a look at it and said that the problem may be the new shocks. He doesn't think that the new shocks are heavy duty enough for the big tires.

 

If the tires are truly balanced, with no warping, or separation, and unless the shocks are completely dead, the tires should not shake the truck.

 

This sounds like an intermittent brake caliper slide problem.

The "PULLING" tells me you need to jack it up at all four corners and try the wheels by turning them.

I THINK one of your brakes is binding, because it can't slide in it's track right. If a brake caliper gets stuck - it will eat up a rotor fast, and cause exactly that.

Tracks or pins need cleaning and white lithium grease applied.


*Check rotors and drums for scoring.


There is also a way to test for a binding brake on the road.

FEEL the centers of your rims for HEAT after driving a while. If one hub seems WAY TOO HOT - it is, and THAT is the one with a problem.

It's a quick and easy way to diagnose a dragging brake.


I have a right front one on a Ranger to look at this weekend - it pulled the same indications.

Rear wheels cool to the touch.
Left front, warm but not bad.
Right front - ABSOLUTELY HOT!

And that was the side it was pulling towards. The caliper isn't sliding right.

It is getting STUCK after the brakes are put on, so that the inner pad is not disengaged (it's still dragging).

CAUSE: Rusted or dirty caliper slide track. Lack of lubrication, foriegn object lodged in the caliper slide. Worst case= rust pit causing a hang up, failed or jammed caliper pin.