help me diagnose my steering problem

[Blackened302]

hey gents, here's the problem:

play in steering wheel, vibration on high-speed (45mph+) when turning

if i'm going 65 on the expressway and slightly move the wheel, it vibrates pretty badly

tie-rod? tie-rod end? bushings?

i'm not too savvy on these things, but i have a chilton's.

truth is i can't afford to pay for the work (buying an engagement ring for the gf) if i can fix it myself. thanks, guys.

 

[94-302-vert]

I am guessing this is a new problem. I would first ask what your alignment is set to. then I would check my front tires for wear (rub your hand all the way around the tire), then I would jack up one tire at a time and start pulling and pushing on it in all directions to see if you find any play in any of the components.

 

[Chythar]

hey gents, here's the problem:

play in steering wheel, vibration on high-speed (45mph+) when turning

if i'm going 65 on the expressway and slightly move the wheel, it vibrates pretty badly

tie-rod? tie-rod end? bushings?

i'm not too savvy on these things, but i have a chilton's.

truth is i can't afford to pay for the work (buying an engagement ring for the gf) if i can fix it myself. thanks, guys.

94-302-vert is right. You could have worn tie-rod ends, ball joints or bearings. Kinda odd that you'd only get vibration when turning at speed. The play in the steering wheel can also be at the connection points for the steering shaft. There's a large block on either end; one under the dash and one at the steering rack. Make sure the bolt on either end is tight - there shouldn't be any gap in the metal down there. Also, you can have someone move the steering wheel a bit while you're looking at the steering system, so you can see where the play is coming from.

 

[Blackened302]

thanks guys, i'll check this out asap!

 

[green94droptop]

We actually discussed this years ago on the msg boards regarding the vibration in the steering wheel at 55-65mph. We tossed around the idea of crappy a-arm bushings that ford put in there. They wear out and start to flex. I have had the vibration ever since I owned the my car. I have new outter tie-rod ends and a new rack, which didn't fix the problem.

I'll be replacing the a-arms with new 03 Cobra arms in a couple weeks. Keep an eye out for a new thread regarding this.

 

[Blackened302]

thanks for the reply.

aside from the vibration, i'm also concerned about the play in the steering. i checked my tie-rod ends and they don't seem to be loose.