I recently replaced my drag link which was loose and clunking around. I noticed my steering wheel is pointed at 11 while driving straight now. I'm not sure if it was like that before, the vehicle was new to me when I did most of the initial work.
It looks to me like I should be able to just adjust the drag link turnbuckle to change the steering wheel position but I'm not sure. Is that okay to do?
I have a new-to-me 2001 Ex V10 4x4 w/ 132k. I'd say it's 85% and I'm slowly working to get it to 100%. Right now, I'm tackling the low hanging fruit. I'm trying to track down the front end clunks and creaks.
I cinched down on the driver side sway bar end link and it took out some of the clunk. I traced the remainder of the clunk to the drag link which I can rotate about 20-30 degrees by hand. Both grease boots are shot.
New rotors and pads get here Monday. While I change them, I'll be working the front end issues as well. I went ahead and bought the Energy Suspension sway bar bushing kit and will swap them all out. I also plan on replacing the drag link ends too.
My question is: do I need to replace my tie rod ends? The grease boots have definitely leaked but I can't detect any slop like the drag link. If the grease is leaking all over is that a sign that they need replacing?
I've never done steering work before but it looks straight forward. Any tips for a novice? Anything I should be aware of before I start? While I'm down there, is there anything else I should change while the steering is apart?
So I changed the front struts, springs, mounts, bearings, etc with factory Toyota parts. The car is a 2007 Camry LE 4 cyl with over 200k miles. While the car does not pull to one side, the steering wheel is now at roughly the 2 o'clock position for the car to be driving straight. Nothing else was changed, replaced, or modified. I do notice the car sits much higher now than it did before (old struts leaked oil and needed to be changed).
View 8 RepliesThis is my sway bar and drag link look like with the wheel turned all the way to the right. When I took these pictures, I had put the right tire on the curb too see what it was going too look like. However. Even with all wheels on level ground. It still is running very close. When the steering is straight, I have maybe 1" to 1.5" clearance between the 2. My truck does have a readylift 2.5" level kit on it. Running like this stock or leveled? Should I look around for longer sway bar links?
View 2 RepliesAfter some off-roading and hit some pretty big bumps at speed, and now my steering wheel is about 15 degrees off, but the car is not pulling.
I am in another country where I don't speak the language well, so what should be done to fix this. I took it into the shop, and they pulled the car onto some electronic sensors and said the alignment was fine. They did a very visual inspection (glance?) under the car as well, and were ready to send me on my way.
I showed them that the steering wheel was off, and their solution was to just take off the wheel and put it back on straight. Is this what should be done to fix this problem? I do believe the alignment of the cars is okay because it's driving fine, but I'm still not sure if there is something else going on that caused the steering wheel to be knocked out of line. I've been doing some online searching and I'm not so sure that they are doing the right thing.
I am having difficulty with my front sway bar downlinks, they keep coming loose. I have recently replaced them for the same reason with some O'Reilly Auto Parts house brands, they seemed alright when compared to the Motorcraft replacements, they even had grease fittings which was unusual for some of the others I have seen. I have torqued them down, I have tried red locktite, the only thing I have not tried is to weld them. It is only the lower nut which keeps coming loose.
View 9 RepliesMy Ex has a 4-inck Sky Jacker lift and I need to replace one of the sway bar end link bushing. Is the bushing size same as the stock ones? Need to know so I can order the right ones. What is the Energy Suspension part#....
View 1 RepliesI dropped off my 2006 Mercury Milan at a local Ford dealer this morning to have an AC temperature chip replaced because my air was not cold and prior diagnostics determined the chip no longer functioned. This turned out to be quite a costly repair. I was told it took 9 hours of labor requiring the entire dashboard to be removed. After picking up my car, I started driving home and immediately noticed the steering wheel was angled about 45 degrees to the right while I was driving straight. I have never seen something like this (and my car has been out of alignment before). I took it back to Ford to tell them that the steering wheel was crooked while the tires were straight and the manager said she didn't know how this could have happened because they never even lifted the vehicle. What might be wrong? Silver lining...the AC works now.
View 13 RepliesI recently replaced Sway Bar Links on my 2000 X (V10, 4x4, 155k). They were only a year and half old but the bushings had gave way. Mechanic went with an OEM part with a new design from NAPA. This new design added grease fittings. Now the truck rattles constantly and seems to have more sway. Shocks are probably originals, but I don't think they are the main cause. I can tell the rattle is coming through the frame. All my suspension is stock.
View 14 RepliesMy Neon's rear driver's side drum brake keeps locking up without me hitting the brake pedal. I have changed the hardware, wheel cylinder, brake shoes, brake hose, and the drum itself. Once the brakes heat up, the brake will start to drag (that is what it feels like) and then will lock up the rear wheel. I have bled those brakes at least 3 times, so I don't think there is an air bubble in the line. This has been going on for the last 2 months. Someone told me that I might have gotten a bad batch of brake shoes. Another told me that there might still be an air bubble in the line.
View 13 RepliesI have a 2010 model 5 and am experiencing a woo, woo, woo, woo type sound. I thought it was from the rear but after jacking up and turning each rear wheel, all I hear is the slight drag from the pads on the disc. The car has 61K on it and from previous posts that seems to be about the mileage range for one. It is most noticeable above 25 to 45 mph. Bad front bearing with this sound? The car is covered under the platinum warranty so cost is not a problem, just getting it diagnosed is useful.
View 14 RepliesThe automatic driver's window on my '97 XLT tips forward as I raise it, which causes the window to bind and stop. If I hold the window in a rearward direction, it raises just fine. I've had the door panel off a couple times looking for a way to adjust the window, but I don't see a way. The metal arm is hard-attached to the bottom of the window and I don't see any adjustments anywhere else. How can I align a window that raises crooked?
View 8 Replies08' 4x4. I changed the front brake hoses because the truck felt like it was dragging a bit, when i would hit the gas from a stop, that seemed to work, I also changed the front rotors because when braking I was getting a pulsing feeling in the brake pedal. that fixed that.
Now I feel like there is still a bit of a slight drag when I'm at a stop and let off the brake. when im on level ground the truck creeps forward from a stop when letting off the brake, on the slightest incline the truck wont go forward at all.
Do the truck want to move forward on a tiny incline or no?
Overdrive off button hasn't worked in a couple years and there is no power to the switch so I figure the wires across the column are damaged. Even after replacing the button a couple times the ends were always falling off so I'm ready to replace the entire shifter arm assembly. I also need to replace the bushings since the arm is loose.
I will also be installing yet another turn signal since the one from Rock Auto didn't last long. The new one will be from Auto Zone, which said the shifter arm is a dealer only item.
I am in need of new radius arm bushings (both sides). How to be able to just unbolt the sway bar, unbolt the shocks, dismount the coil springs so they fall out to the sides and then drop the rear of the radius arms so they could press out the old bushings and insert the new? This is a 2WD and I think the process would be same for an F250 of the same year (2000 - 2004). The reason I ask is because I really, really don't want to have to get down to the king pin level and completely remove the radius arms if I don't have to.
View 2 RepliesOK, this technically isn't for the Ex (since it's a diesel), but I do need to replace the spark plugs in a Ford V8 soon. Problem is I've been running diesels for a long time and haven't really kept up with spark plugs.
Seems like there's lots to choose from now. Regular old fashioned, double tip, triple tip, platinum, kryptonite, thermo-nuclear tip, etc. Is one spark plug really any better than another, or is it all just marketing gimmicks? Is it worth spending extra for some fancy sounding spark plug?
I'm attempting to install new x codes on the front of my 03 x and I was wondering if the track bar should be replaced? Bought one just in case, oh and any tricks in getting that bad boy off?
View 10 RepliesI need to replace the body mounts in my Ex. How do you do it?
View 14 RepliesI have a 2005 F150 4x4, with just over 75K, and I have owned it from new. I am having left front brake issues. The left front brake seems to drag, but of course does not do it consistentally or after a given type of braking event. It just does it very randomly. I originally replaced the caplier pins thinking one may have been hanging up. It seemed to fix the issue for a couple months then it happened again. So doing more inquiry it seems some have had issues with the front rubber lines.
I just had both front lines replaced with OEM Ford parts and the system flushed out at a dealer. The brakes again seemed to work fine driving home from the dealer anto work today. Then on the way home it did it again, started dragging. The truck starts to feel sluggish while accelerating and slows very quickly just lifting off the gas. then when you get out you feel the wheel and it is very HOT and you can hear a heat popping sound. (First time it happened it was smoking it got so hot.) Right side seemsfine.
Since it does it so randomly I am at a loss. I can not just drop it off at the dealer and say drive it until it. I am considering having the caliper replaced, which I really considered when it was at the dealer for the hoses since I had the IWE's done at the same time, so they were off.
Is there any particular front stabilizer shock I should purchase for a replacement for my 2003 X 6.0L diesel? Anything I should stay away from?
View 7 RepliesWhile driving the other day I heard a loud bang under the ex. went back and found the rubber bump stop on the drivers side had rotted and fell off. After inspecting the passenger side it looks like it is about to fall off . I dont mind spending money to keep my equip in proper running order but I dont want to be taken advantage of doing it!
View 14 Replies