spueeking under the hood

[stoneyj69]

I notice there is squealing coming from the pulley system some where not sure what it is? also is it normal for your steering wheel to turn back and forth when you drive over bumps? and for the wheel to be a little stif

 

[Anime]

Most times, squeaking is the belt itself slipping. If the outside (non-ribbed) part of the belt is slick and shiny, or has very shiny spots, it has slipped and needs to be replaced.

If the belt is fine, sometimes the cause can be the pulleys themselves. The pulley squeaking is usually the idler or tensioner pulley, and you can fix it by either replacing just the bearing inside the pulley (remove the belt, then unbolt the pulley, and then you can see the number on the bearing dust cover to buy a new one), or just buying a new pulley with the bearing already pressed in.

Sometimes squeaking can be a water pump going too, so be sure it's not that.



It's perfectly normal for the wheels to move a bit when going over bumps, especially large bumps or when going off road. When going over bumpy terrain, holding the steering wheel on the outer edge is advised in case the wheel turns quickly, so it doesn't catch your hand or arm and move it farther than you're prepared for.

Changing the fluid in the power steering with new Type F ATF and being sure the level is correct might help if there are issues or it feels like the steering isn't as controlled as you might like.

 

[Maniak]

<snip>
When going over bumpy terrain, holding the steering wheel on the outer edge is advised in case the wheel turns quickly, so it doesn't catch your hand or arm and move it farther than you're prepared for.
<snip>

Just to add.. Not only hold the steering wheel by the wheel (outside edge), Keep your thumbs outside steering wheel too.

~Mark

 

[stoneyj69]

so bump steer is normal i thought that was bad.

 

[stoneyj69]

thank you for your replys.

 

[Maniak]

so bump steer is normal i thought that was bad.

Yes, to an extent. But, if you keep your steering geometry correct it will minimize it.

Look at your tie rods etc from the front. You want the tie rods as flat as possible. The more it looks like an inverted Y, the worse the bump steer will be.

Here is what it looks like on our X. Ours is very flat.. so we get very little bump steer until we start to get a lot of movement from the suspension.

Front-suspension-shots 002 by maniak_az, on Flickr

~Mark

 

[something9000]

My idler pulley started bad and caused it to squeek and chirp. easy fix. i would start there as stated earlier. Is your truck lifted? 2 or 4wd?

 

[stoneyj69]

tir rod boots

is it normal for the grease to come out of the tie rod end boots.? when you fill it with grease. also what is the benefit from that shock on the tie rod and what side is best cause I seen one on the driver side.


thank you for any insight. oh and my truck is not lifted but it has 4 wheel drive.?:exp:

 

[cogs]

don't let the pulley get so bad it breaks or comes off, because it'll cause damage. the idler pulley may just need tightening on the center bolt, if it came loose. try to pinpoint the location of the sound. also, look for any wobble out of the ordinary.

 

[something9000]

the easiest thing to do would be to take the belt off and start the truck and see if it stops

 

[Maniak]

is it normal for the grease to come out of the tie rod end boots.? when you fill it with grease. also what is the benefit from that shock on the tie rod and what side is best cause I seen one on the driver side.


thank you for any insight. oh and my truck is not lifted but it has 4 wheel drive.?:exp:

Your really not supposed to put so much grease in that its coming out as it breaks the seal but most people do it that way. Yes, the boots on my tie rods ends are going bad.

The horizontal shock you see on the front is a steering stabilizer. Its used as a crutch or band-aid to help control the bigger tires from moving around and oscillating. I don't think you could install it the other way on an explorer...

~Mark